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    Shrinking Bootcamp partition?

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by steve51, Apr 17, 2009.

  1. steve51

    steve51 Notebook Enthusiast

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    When i created my Bootcamp partition i mde it way too big and i will never use all the space i created. Is there a way to shrink it without losing what i have on that partition?
    I tried to shrink it using Winclone but that did not work and if i create a backup using Winclone i believe that when you restore it the partition must be the same size as the original, is this correct?

    Thanks for any help anyone can provide.
     
  2. Colton

    Colton Also Proudly American

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    The only way you could possibly shrink your partition is to re-do the whole Windows partition, by reinstalling it. You would first have to delete your partition using the Boot Camp Assistant, and start from the beginning. :eek: Unfourtunately, the only way you could save your data is to backup your partition using WinClone so you wouldn't loose anything, and then when you're finished reinstalling, you could load everything back onto it. ;)
     
  3. fins4o8

    fins4o8 Notebook Consultant

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    You can use iPartition to shrink your BC partition if you are willing to pay for the software. I have done it before & it works with no data loss. Just boot into the created boot DVD. The amount of time it took iPartition to do the job vs me backing and re-doing the partition then moving back the backup partition was worth the $ I spent on the software.

    http://www.coriolis-systems.com/iPartition.php
     
  4. Colton

    Colton Also Proudly American

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    I have never seen that software before! :eek: Nice find fins4o8. :) It's up the OP: Spend a little money and get nice piece of software to do it, or do it manually for free. ;)
     
  5. steve51

    steve51 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thanks for the lead on the software! Looks like a good tool to have will be getting tonight.
     
  6. doh123

    doh123 Without ME its just AWESO

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    i use gparted in linux and do it for free...
     
  7. Paul

    Paul Mom! Hot Pockets! NBR Reviewer

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    Agreed. GParted should work on Macs as well, though I've never personally used it. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't, though.
     
  8. Seshan

    Seshan Rawrrr!

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    Could you not just partition it with disk utility and then erase the extra partition?
     
  9. doh123

    doh123 Without ME its just AWESO

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    the goal was to shrink down the Windows partition without actually having to reformat anything.. Windows staying installed and usable.
     
  10. Seshan

    Seshan Rawrrr!

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    You can partition drives with out re-installing anything. What I was saying if you partition the windows down to the size he wants and then deletes the extra that was partition off, it should become part of OS X again.
     
  11. doh123

    doh123 Without ME its just AWESO

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    OSX Disk Utility cannot resize NTFS or FAT32.. they have to be deleted and remade... losing all data on them
     
  12. Seshan

    Seshan Rawrrr!

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    Oh, well that sucks.