How to resize a windows partition in dualboot (XP and 7)?

katanasoul · 01 Sep 2014

Hi guys,

I have already read lots of similar posts but none like mine, hope you guys can help me.
I have a notebook with a single 500GB Hard Drive. I split the drive in two partitions of the same size, one partition I have installed windows XP PRO SP3 32 bits and on the other partition I have installed windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64 bits.
They are flawlessly working on dual boot.
Now I want to resize the partitions, shrinking the windows XP partition and extending the windows 7 partition and of course without loosing data or damaging my OS install.
How can I do that?

*PS: I have read here on the forums that the tool "bootable Partition Wizard CD" is really usefull, I just don't know if this is the one I must use since the OS are so different.

Thanks.

Katana

dsperber · 01 Sep 2014

Yes... you should download/burn the MiniTool Partition Wizard standalone bootable CD ISO (choose on the left side of the page, and then click on the link to "download ABSOLUTELY FREE" down a bit on the resulting page in the "how to get MiniTool Partition Wizard bootable CD" section).

When you boot to this CD (which is actually a Linux disc, which then launches the Partition Wizard application program), you will be able to do ANYTHING YOU WANT in terms of resizing or deleting or creating or any other functions on any/all partitions on any of your hard drives.

There's no concern about the OS nature of any partition, or the contents of any partition for that matter, or the logical/primary nature of any partition, or the FAT32/NTFS/etc. nature of any partition. Partition Wizard handles anything.

Also, you can also install the Windows version of free Partition Wizard on both XP and Win7, if you want to run any function while booted to either OS. The only limitation is that operations affecting the current boot partition for the OS you're in cannot necessarily be completed while you're currently booted to that OS (e.g. if you want to resize the XP or Win7 boot partitions while running in that OS). In this case you can start the process within Windows, and when you push the APPLY button it will prompt you to authorize a re-boot to complete. At re-boot time Partition Wizard will kick in to complete the previously specified operation(s), and then when completed will return to the normal Windows boot process. When you come back up to the Windows desktop your partition operations will have been completed.

Or... you can just always do anything you want on any partitions(s) right then and there booting from the standalone boot CD, which is why it's a real convenience. And free.

katanasoul · 02 Sep 2014

Thanks for the quick reply dsperber.
I will try it and then I will put the result here.

gregrocker · 02 Sep 2014

You'll want the PW Extend function How to extend partition easily with partition magic ? Partition Wizard video help. which can annex free space from any partition to another even if they are not adjacent.

Be sure to use the boot disk which has never failed in these types of operations in tens of thousands we've helped with here. The Windows version can fail with data loss, as can all other Partition Managers besides Disk Mgmt.