How do I partition an existing Windows 7 OS?

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  1. Posts : 19
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
       #1

    How do I partition an existing Windows 7 OS?



    I have an existing Windows 7 64-bit installation on a 1TB HDD. I made no partitions when I installed Windows 7 as a clean install on this HDD. I would like to make a partition for my Windows 7 OS, one for my programs, and one for data storage. I was thinking about 100GB for Windows 7, 200GB for programs, and the rest for data storage. Can I do this even though I've already installed Windows 7?

    Thank you,
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 3,300
    Win7 Home Premium 64x
       #2

    I dont have as much experience as others on Partitioning on this site, but we have some Tutorials on how to do this. You would first Shrink your current partition: Partition or Volume - Shrink

    And then Create a new Partition in the Unallocated Space for Each of the Drives you want to create: Partition or Volume - Create New
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 19
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Thanks for your super fast reply to my question.

    I've scanned both tutorials and they certainly do give me methods for partitioning my drive. I'm still fuzzy on one point that I didn't make clear in my original post. I would like to create a partition that will permit me to isolate the Win 7 OS in it's own partition on my drive. Maybe I missed that when I was reading through the tutorials you suggested. Is there a way to do this?

    Thank you,
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 162
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 RTM
       #4

    If you now have one partition, you will have to shrink it to get enough space to create the 2 additional partitions.
    You may be able to do it with Disk Manager, if there are no unmovable files in the region you wish to make available.
    Partition or Volume - Shrink
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 16,119
    7 X64
       #5

    Many of us do exactly that.

    O/S and installed apps on one partition. Data on another , music on another, etc.

    Just use disk management to shrink the win 7 partition down to whatever size you want.

    The remaining unallocated space can be made into several more separate volumes as described in the tutorial.



    Phroneo said:
    Thanks for your super fast reply to my question.

    I've scanned both tutorials and they certainly do give me methods for partitioning my drive. I'm still fuzzy on one point that I didn't make clear in my original post. I would like to create a partition that will permit me to isolate the Win 7 OS in it's own partition on my drive. Maybe I missed that when I was reading through the tutorials you suggested. Is there a way to do this?

    Thank you,
      My Computers


  6. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #6

    With Disk Management, you will not be able to shrink your OS partition down to 100GBs - you will find that the OS partition can be only shrunk by about 50%. I suggest you try with Partition Wizard Home Edition. For the creation of a data partition and moving he user folders correctly, I recommend you follow my video tutorial (except for the use of Partition Wizard in lieu of Disk Management). The rest is easy.
      My Computer

  7.    #7

    Suggest you Do not place Programs on a separate partition from OS, just data files, videos, photos, etc.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 2,686
    Windows 8.1 Pro w/Media Center 64bit, Windows 7 HP 64bit
       #8

    Here is a guide from Partition Wizard on Move/Rezise partition.
    Resize Partition for Windows Server 2000/2003/2008 – Move/Resize Partition safely

    They also have a bootable CD version.



    Jim
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 19
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #9

    RE: How do I partition an existing Windows 7 OS


    Greetings All,

    Thank you all for your response to my post. I appreciate how rapidly this community addresses new comers issues.

    I now understand how to shrink and partition my hard drive using Windows 7 Disk Management. (I also learn visually so I appreciated the video.) Partition Wizard Home Edition looks to be a great program, but I'm not quite certain I need it for this application. However, I am very interested in it. I agree with gregrocker about keeping program files and OS together. That has been a concern of mine. It seems to me that the programs get so intertwined with the OS that unless they were all installed separately, it's best to keep them together.

    When I go into Disk Management, I get 2 "partitions" on my disk. One is a 100MB
    NTFS System Reserved with no drive letter (what is this?), and the other is a 931GB NTFS 'C' drive that I can shrink to ~430GB. If I want to isolate my Win 7 and installed programs, does it make sense for me to shrink my 'C' drive, create a new drive, and move all my Libraries and documents to the new drive? Then can I turn around an shrink the 'C' drive again (to a size that will permit me to add future programs and updates) and merge that remaining unallocated space with the Libraries and Documents drive?

    Is this doable and will that isolate my OS and programs?

    Thanks again,




      My Computer


  10. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #10

    1. Leave the 100MB partition alone. That is your boot partition. It should be called "active". Just don't touch it.
    2.All you can shrink with Disk Management will be the 430GBs. Later it will not let you shrink any more - that's why I suggested Partition Wizard. The reason is the MFT that Disk Management will not move, but PW will. Another problem would be that the freespace you want to add to a partition has to be to the right of that partition (with Disk Management). No way to extend a partition to the left - except with Partition Wizard.
      My Computer


 
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