Resizing Partition to install dual boot

[CumbrianJohn]

Hi, Wonder if someone can help

I'm wanting to install Win7 as a dual boot alongside my existing XP set up and have been trying to follow the excellent guide at http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html

But I'm stuck at resizing the existing partition as described at http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2672-partition-volume-shrink.html

I get as far as the command prompt and selecting the drive, but as soon as I type "shrink querymax" or "shrink desired=15360" or even just "shrink" I get the message

"Diskpart has encountered an error: This service cannot be started in safe mode"

Now I can't see any way of getting a command prompt WITHOUT starting in safe mode ... am I missing something?

Grateful for any suggestions - or would it be simpler to use a third party partition manager?

Many thanks
John

 

[DocBrown]

You might need to use a 3rd party program like Partition Wizard Bootable Disc

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/93322-partition-wizard-use-bootable-cd.html

 

[CumbrianJohn]

Suspected as much! Thanks for the helpful link DocBrown, I'll give that a go.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello CumbrianJohn, welcome to Seven Forums!






This one would probably be more useful for your situation, have a good look at this tutorial at the link below.


Dual Boot : Create Partitions Using PWBD

 

[CumbrianJohn]

Thanks for the welcome Bare Foot Kid!

And also thanks for the heads up - that looks to be a useful utility to have available anyway

Many thanks

John

 

[Phone Man]

I agree. Partition Wizard is a very good program. On their website they have lots of tutorials on their product.

Jim

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

I agree. Partition Wizard is a very good program. On their website they have lots of tutorials on their product.

Jim

What, you don't like my tutorials?




Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD

Dual Boot : Create Partitions Using PWBD

Partition : Recover Space Used by an Older OS

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Thanks for the welcome Bare Foot Kid!

And also thanks for the heads up - that looks to be a useful utility to have available anyway

Many thanks

John

Hello John.



It is a very easy procedure, I've also posted the other tutorials I've done on PW above this post, mine cover just about everything to do with PW.

 

[Phone Man]

I agree. Partition Wizard is a very good program. On their website they have lots of tutorials on their product.

Jim

What, you don't like my tutorials?




Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD

Dual Boot : Create Partitions Using PWBD

Partition : Recover Space Used by an Older OS

No they kind of suck.

Just KIDDING.

I had used PW before I found your tutorials and just used the infor from their website. Haven't needed it in quite a while. Its an easy program to use once you learn the basics.

Jim