Having a separate Data Partition?

gregrocker · 13 Mar 2011

We help hundreds of users with partitioning problems that Disk Mgmt cannot handle using PW CD without a single failure. It is the one of the most vital Win7 tools.

We help with more of these type of issues here than all of the other tech sites on the web put together, MS included.

In frequent discussions of third party defraggers comparable or better than Win7's own, PerfectDisk is always rated tops along with Auslogics, Defraggler and Puran. PerfectDisk specializes is moving System files with it's Offline Defrag feature.

RJ12 · 13 Mar 2011

How do I know how much I can shrink with out hurting these files?

gregrocker · 13 Mar 2011

Disk Mgmt or PW won't let you shrink any more than it can handle.

Perfect Disk will not move System Files if it will affect Win7.

PW uses virtual disk to do the moves and test them first, then completes the process once assured it will succeed. Only a Power failure during the final phase can cause it or Disk Mgmt to fail - unlike most other 3rd party partioning softwares which can and do fail with data loss.

Back up your files and a Win7 backup image to be sure.

RJ12 · 13 Mar 2011

gregrocker said:

Neither Disk Mgmt nor PW won't let you shrink any more than it can handle.

But Disk Mgmt will not let me shrink it at all, doesn't that mean I can't shrink with PW

gregrocker · 13 Mar 2011

No, Disk Mgmt has System Files running as it queries for shrink.

PW CD has no System Files running so has more leeway.

Back up your files and a Win7 Backup image so you have nothing to lose if you're fearful. Or keep your data on C.

BTW a separate data partition works even better on a second HD.

RJ12 · 13 Mar 2011

Looking at the hard drive, I dont think I can shrink it. Disk Defrag says I have unmovable files right at the end of the parition. I wish I could put a second drive in this laptop though, that would make this a whole lot easier.

Phone Man · 13 Mar 2011

When you are running in Windows the system files are in use and can not be moved. That is what Defrag is showing. When you boot from PW CD those files are NOT in use and then can be moved.

Jim

RJ12 · 13 Mar 2011

What about the Master File Table, Disk Defrag shows that being at the end too? That sounds important.

ignatzatsonic · 13 Mar 2011

RJ12 said:

I thought you was only suppose to use Windows 7 utilities to mess with the Windows 7 partition? I only feel safe using it's native tools

You have been given good advice.

The only thing I can add is that you should give up on your above notion.

Windows tools are in most cases perfectly fine and all you need. Other tools sometime have more flexibility or can do certain things not doable with Windows own tools.

The most glaring example is the imaging tool. Personally, I don't even attempt to use it. Not because it doesn't "work", but because it is non-intuitive, dumbed-down, and finicky.

Disk Management does a good job on those jobs it can handle and it's all I use, but I recognize that it is incapable of doing some forms of resizing.

You are rightly suspicious of certain non-Windows partition tools, Partition Magic being a classic example. Partition Wizard on the other hand is highly reliable.

Don't worry about the master file table. Run Partition Wizard and do your resizing.

RJ12 · 13 Mar 2011

Ok so then I should be fine running the bootable CD of PW to resize my partition? I figure I will resize it so that Windows has about 80 GB and the rest of the space for the Data?