New free imaging program

Nigel, I agree with you. For the kind of users that you describe (and I guess those are the majority), this can be a useful tool.

I do worry though about this automatic creation of an additional partition. Most OEM NTFS systems are being shipped with 4 primary partitions - System, C, Recovery and Tools. Only the OEMs know why they would do such a stupid setup.

If AOMEI now tries to create an additional logical/extended partition, all 5 partitions will end up as dynamic partitions - and we all know what a pain that is not to speak of the 'simple' user who will be completely lost.

I think that point needs clarification and AOMEI should explain how they prevent this from happening.

I expect this will happen:

It will need to find enough space, if not - it will just tell there isn't enough space, hard luck.

If there are already 4 primaries, and enough space, it will offer to create an extended partition, resulting in one of the existing primaries, and the recov partition being logical drives.

It will always tell you what the outcome will be before you agree to proceed.

In my case, I already had 4 partitions, one of them extended. So it just created another logical drive inside the existing extended partition. It did not attempt to convert to dynamic.

Nigel is spot on. Very useful for a large category of people.

SIW2 said:

I expect this will happen:

It will need to find enough space, if not - it will just tell there isn't enough space, hard luck.

If there are already 4 primaries, and enough space, it will offer to create an extended partition, resulting in one of the existing primaries, and the recov partition being logical drives.

It will always tell you what the outcome will be before you agree to proceed.

In my case, I already had 4 partitions, one of them extended. So it just created another logical drive inside the existing extended partition. It did not attempt to convert to dynamic.

Nigel is spot on. Very useful for a large category of people.

This is a good scenario. But is it what AOMEI really does.

In your case it was easy. You already had an extended partition. Suggest you try with 4 primaries on the disk.

Haven't got a spare disk to try it,unfortunately.

Might have a dig around and see if I can rustle one up.

I don't think the four primary partition limit should be a major issue - Even in multiboot scenarios.

Since Vista Windows does not require a Primary partition to run - As long as the System Boot partition is a primary partition the actual windows partitions can be a logical partitions

During the beta period of windows 7 I at one time had three different windows installs on a single secondary drive, so I know it's possible ....



Not got a snip of the setup mentioned but have included one which shows an operating multiboot - Drive 1 has the three primaries in use, and is a four OS multiboot

System primary is running Vista, and the other two primaries, (at the far right of the image), are running a Linux (system and scratch), distro, (Ubuntu I think) which still required primary partitions but the two Beta Windows 7 Installs are happily running in logical drives in a secondary partition. Shortly after this snip I did move the system files to a new primary partition,( No4), expanded the secondary partition, into the free space and added another Win7 install. All this ran happily for quite a while - not recommended for the feint hearted but an interesting experiment.

It is exactly as I outlined.

1) 4 Primaries, but not enough space - hard luck




2) 4 Primaries, there is enough space, so ok it



It shows you the result before you proceed.



If you have 4 primaries, and enough space it creates extended partition. No problem at all.

Good, that seems to work. Thanks Simon.

Barman58 said:

I can remember true incidents where users with under desk located towers were under the impression that the CD drawer was a drinks holder, It was quite amusing when a change to the way systems worked set an auto retract timer as default and a lot of hot drinks ended on the floor.

I don't think this is going to help these people. Even this approach requires some backup discipline. I can hear the comments "I didn't do the recovery thingy because it takes too much time".

mjf said:

Barman58 said:

I can remember true incidents where users with under desk located towers were under the impression that the CD drawer was a drinks holder, It was quite amusing when a change to the way systems worked set an auto retract timer as default and a lot of hot drinks ended on the floor.

I don't think this is going to help these people. Even this approach requires some backup discipline. I can hear the comments "I didn't do the recovery thingy because it takes too much time".

Ain't it the truth!