Can you partition without erasing

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  1. Posts : 78
    win 7 home premium 64 bit
       #1

    Can you partition without erasing


    Can you partition a drive that is in use without erasing the contents. Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit and 1 TB disk. The OS and programs are on the same partition so if I reinstall windows I have to wipe the programs too. Can i repartition so the OS is on a different partition and reinstall windows only. Or do I have to wipe everything, partition and reinstall windows on one partition and the rest on the other?
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  2. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #2

    Of course you can create another partition, (if the drive has room for it) but why do you want to reinstall windows ?

    Post a full shot of Disk Management before you proceed.

    You can install and use Partition Wizard, but it`s safer to make and use a Partition Wizard Boot CD to manage partitions.

    Bootable Partition Manger | MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable Edition

    Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Free
    Last edited by AddRAM; 10 Feb 2016 at 07:08.
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  3. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #3

    If you reinstall Windows, you will have to reinstall the programs anyhow.
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  4. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #4

    The rest of what ???

    Windows and your programs go on the same partition.

    Please post the shot and ask any more questions you have before you proceed.

    Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image
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  5. Posts : 78
    win 7 home premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #5

    I thought you could put just windows on one partition and everything else on another. I was hoping to do what the op at Install personal programs to a partition separate from OS partition? was hoping to do
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  6. Posts : 2,497
    Windows 7 Pro 64 bit
       #6

    You can install applications on a partition separate from the OS. But applications will also have registry entries, etc in the OS partition. So when you reinstall the OS you have to reinstall the applications as well. There really is no practical way to avoid this.
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  7. Posts : 78
    win 7 home premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    OK thanks. can you repartition and move data files/photos/movies word processing files etc etc without erasing?
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  8. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #8

    Yes, in fact all your data should be installed on another partition or even a hard drive if you have more then one.

    The perfect scenario is to have windows and all your programs on the same partition/drive etc, and your data and what not on another partition/drive etc.

    This way you can create proper disk images.

    Here`s an example of mine, but everyone has their own way of doing it.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Can you partition without erasing-dm.jpg  
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  9. Posts : 78
    win 7 home premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #9

    OK thanks folks

    @AddRAM . What does the software on your E partition refer to? It is not installed software? I have Paragon Hard Disk manager 14 which will partition. One option to tick is for a logical drive. What is the opposite to a logical drive?

    This is my laptop.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Can you partition without erasing-april_laptop.jpg  
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  10. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #10

    It`s software I`ve downloaded over the years, it`s not installed it`s the executable to install the software.

    Partition Wizard, VLC, all my ISO files, PowerIso, ImageBurn, all my picture backups, document backups etc, stuff like that.
      My Computer


 
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