Windows 7: Q: Resize partition - keeps all the data?

DarkStar GT · 12 May 2010

I seem to recall that, in XP Disk Management, when I Resized a partition, then all the data in that partition was deleted.

Is that still the case in Windows 7 Disk Management? Or does Windows 7 always keep all the data when Resizing? I appreciate that making a back-up first is a wise move and that third-party apps could do the resize too.

[I reserve the right to have remembered wrongly.]

Jonathan_King · 12 May 2010

Nope, Windows 7 keeps the data. It will not let you shrink beyond the data point either.

si8mon · 12 May 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by DarkStar GT

I seem to recall that, in XP Disk Management, when I Resized a partition, then all the data in that partition was deleted.

Is that still the case in Windows 7 Disk Management? Or does Windows 7 always keep all the data when Resizing? I appreciate that making a back-up first is a wise move and that third-party apps could do the resize too.

[I reserve the right to have remembered wrongly.]

I'm pretty certain that Windows 7 KEEPS all your data when resizing partitions.

OldBloke · 12 May 2010

XP and Vista and Windows 7 all keep the data intact when resizing a partition.

It may be necessary to defragment the partition first, if you want to reduce its size, because it will not reduce lower than the last file, and there might be a stray file after a lot of the free space.

Barman58 · 12 May 2010

Just a reminder

By design most partition management applications, be they the built in or 3rd party solutions, will aim to resize, or make other changes to, partitions, whilst retaining the existing data.

This is not a reason to ignore the basic requirement to make backups of all data before you perform any potentially dangerous actions, no application works as designed all the time

Windows 7: Q: Resize partition - keeps all the data?

Q: Resize partition - keeps all the data? problems?