Solved Resize Partition failure - process stopped, no error message

[LaurieD227]

I have 2 laptops. This issue involves my Dell D630 and my 1TB WD external hard drive.

I am using Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2010 to resize a partition on the external drive. I let the process run overnight, and somehow it was interrupted during the Quick Data Moving step. Upon resuming, the program indicated it had data that still needed to be moved so I let it continue.

The process has now apparently stopped at the "Rebuilding Partitions Info" stage - neither the percent complete, nor the elapsed time, nor the time remaining has changed for at least the past 3-4 hours. (Until it suddenly stopped, the elapsed time was steadily growing.)

I've attached a screenshot showing the Paragon dashboard and status windows.

Here is the current status:
-the application isn't totally frozen, as I can move the top window around
-the laptop isn't frozen, as I can move the mouse and open other apps
-Task manager says Paragon is running (not "not responding")
-Task manager shows some CPU activity but it looks like it is due to background processes not to Paragon
-the indicator light on the WD drive is dark for awhile, then it very slowly blinks on and off, then it lights steadily for awhile - but I don't see the rapid flickers I associate with reading data

The WD drive has 3 partitions; each one used to have a name and an assigned drive letter. Currently, it appears that the partition I was trying to expand still has its assigned name and drive letter, but the other two no longer do - I assume that information is what the process is trying to rebuild. (If you look closely at the screen shot, you can see the (*) where the driver letters should be, and you can see that the first and third partitions are now named "Local Drive.") The large amount of unallocated space on the right is correct - it will be turned into a 4th partition after I deal with the present situation.

So - I need advice.
-I assume that this process is hung, even if the app is still running, and that I am going to have to interrupt it and try to recover my partitions and my data.
-I'd like recommendations on how I do this in a way that will minimize the harm I might do:
What steps to take, what tools or scans or tests to run, and so forth.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[whs]

For this resize operation it was most likely necessary to move the MFT (which disk management cannot do). But that operation should not take more than 10 minutes. At least that is my experience having done those kinds of resize operations many times - with Partition Wizard.

Your operation certainly looks hung. The risk is that you lose your MFT and then you cannot access your files any more - except with Recuva which in my experience is so, so. But I assume that you have made an image before you started the operation. If yes, you should be OK, if no, good luck.

 

[LaurieD227]

The hopefully good news is that I was working on an external drive partition, which only contains backups. If my internal drive and associated partitions are untouched them I should be okay.

I was trying to resize the partition in order to create a back up system image for my internal drive so, no I don't have a current system image backup. I did, however, back up all my files before starting this process.

I will post the outcome in case others can benefit from my experience.

 

[whs]

If you image with an imaging program like free Macrium (highly recommended), you can place the image into a folder in any partition.

If you image with Windows imaging or with Wbadmin, the image goes to the root of the partition.

 

[LaurieD227]

I have been using both the built in Windows backup system imaging capability and the Paragon Hard Disk Manager system backup capability to save and store images.

I hadn't heard of Macrium before your post. I'll check it out. I'm migrating to a new laptop, so it's a perfect time to change tools - I can take a look at Partition Wizard at the same time

 

[whs]

For an easy start, have a look at my Macrium tutorial.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html?ltr=I

And if you want to try the command, this is it:

wbadmin start backup -backupTarget:X: -include:C: -AllCritical -quiet

You have to replace "X" with the volume letter of your backup device. This is the easiest no frills imaging. You recover via your installation/recovery DVD/stick.

 

[LaurieD227]

Thanks! I'll head for the tutorial in the morning

 

[LaurieD227]

Update:

This morning I figured it was time to dive in. As it turned out, I got lucky:
- I was able to close the Paragon app and its various windows without having to force it to close
- I was able to reboot my laptop without having to force anything to close
- Upon reboot, I could see all of my partitions, both on my internal drive and my external drive

I immediately ran CHKDSK on each partition, and each one passed with no errors except for the partition I had been trying to re-size.
- It had a corrupt attribute that was fixed, and part of the free space was changed to show as being allocated.
- When I checked that space through Disk Management, it had been set up as its own partition rather than being added to the partition I was trying to expand, and in fact several sections of unallocated space were showing up in odd places - but the partitions that hold data appeared to be intact and the same size as they were before I started, and I could see the files and folders that had been there before

So, I think all my data is intact and my equipment unharmed, although I'll do some cleanup work to deal with the goofy arrangement of the unallocated space.

Thanks, whs!

I'm also grateful to the Paragon app - if it had to experience an error, at least it did so in a benign way