Win7 ult x64 image backup of c:/

Hello,
I'm a little confused and could use a recommendation.
I just got my machine running after a crash and I didnt have an image backup so I was dreading a reinstall because I would lose all my other programs ...

I'm running Win7 Ultimate X64 and I have a 1T Western Digital drive with 6 partitions. Its 2 yrs old.

I don't want to image the entire 1T drive - I have backups of the files. I just want to image windows, the programs and whatever else is needed. So, its probably just the C:/ drive partition and ??? maybe the L:/. I don't know. I have several spare 160 and 320G hard drives to use.

You can see I have a bad situation because I have very nearly maxed out the C: drive. I would like to re-partition and get more space for C: but I dont want to cause a crash or lose personal files.

Thanks very much.

Post a maximized screen print of Disk Management:
Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image

To get some immediate free space on [C] disable hibernate if you have it enabled, at least temporarily.
Hibernate - Enable or Disable

Use WizTree to see if you can find where space is being used by files you don't need on [C].
They have a portable version - no installation required.
Antibody Software - WizTree finds the files and folders using the most disk space on your hard drive

Thank you David.
Here is the Disc Management snip.

You have dynamic partitions and I'm not sure what can be done with that.
It can cause problems and the PC may not boot up.

You would have to shrink the [D] partition creating free space to the left of the [D] partition.
Then resize [C] to include the free space.

But I don't know what will happen if you attempt this with Dynamic partitions.

I'll ask for more help to see if someone knows you're best approach.

Do you have an external drive you can create backups on ?

The problem is that you converted your HD to Dynamic which is only meant to be used to span a partition across multiple HD's. Apparently you didn't see the warning message.

The solution to solve this non-destructively is to boot free Partition Wizard CD version 4.2 from Option One of Convert a Dynamic Disk to a Basic Disk

Download the ISO, rightclick to burn it to CD using Windows Image Burner, or use ImgBurn.

Boot CD. You will need to delete the extra partition(s) you created which tipped it to convert to Dynamic before it will convert back to Basic, so back up any files first from within Windows 7 if it will boot, or Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console

Then follow these video steps: How to convert dynamic disk to basic disk with Partition Wizard?

If Windows 7 will not start and you confirm it's been converted successfully, then confirm that the 100mb System Reserved partition (preferred if you have it) or C is Set Active partition - Partition Wizard Video Help, then run Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times.

After conversion if you want help adding a partition post back a screenshot of your maximized Disk Mgmt drive map with listings, using the Snipping Tool in Start Menu, attached using paper clip in Reply Box.

Hi David ... yeah. I have two 320GB and a couple of smaller 160GB drives from older machines.

Greg, ... not that it makes a difference at this point but I got this machine ... new ... from a seller on craigslist. He set up the partitions. I've never done a backup, or set a restore point; just ran a defrag and made copies for safekeeping.

I can follow your directions and get that done.

Thank you for getting me on the right track.

Thanks again Greg. Thanks Layback ...

Yeah, I use windows explorer 10 hrs a day. I don't have a problem with that. I have no real problem with having only one partition; the Seller and maybe the common belief is that you're system will run better if you separate your information into different partitions. ??? I know that the time to do a defrag would be effected and maybe there would be a 2 sec delay to pull up a file from giant 900Gig partition ...

Wiztree is a nice program because of the percentage column. I can only move 6GB of user data out of there. So, yeah ... I would like extend the C: partition.

Greg, I read your post on dynamic partitions, converting to basic ... and then did some google-ing. I saw a writeup for a competing product and it was a slam dunk ... bing, bang ... no boom. 3 seconds to convert; no loss of data. BUT ... the example was for a single dynamic drive; not a 1T GB drive with 6 partitions.
So, it seems to me that there is a danger of just hitting a button and hoping that it converts a drive with multiple partitions.

I can see the wisdom of backing up all the data in all the partitions and then going through your procedure of collapsing all the partitions into one partition; then converting to basic, expanding and then creating a second partition.

I get that now. I can follow that. Its a clear roadmap. Thank you. That crash scared the heck out me. I appreciate you guys taking the time. Thank you again.

I have (2) spare WD 320 GB drives in usb boxes that I can use. Greg, you hit a nerve. One of my personal problems that I can track back to a classroom statement 100 years ago ... is that ... there can always be a glitch. Always! So, I have never had 100% confidence that when I did a COPY-PASTE, that all the data got there. That's why I have never had faith in a backup. I guess that was an academic/theoretical statement that you find in a classroom and not in the real world. I guess its time to get over that. Yeah, I'll just do it and compare the size and click around and see that it all opens.

Thanks for getting me up to the 100% confidence level.