I just want to shink my C drive...

Just received my new XPS 15 R2 with a 640GB drive. It has the 15GB recovery partition which is fine. I don't mind keeping that. But I'd like to shrink the OS drive to about 100GB and leave the rest (about 500GB) for a new partition (for my data files). I tried using Window's 7 Disk Manager but it would not let me shrink the C drive very small (it was going to still take most of the space so I left it as is). What is the easiest way to do this (don't want to re-install OS)? I've read posts here but most are trying duel boot and other things that I'm not interested in. I just want to keep it simple. Thanks!

 

Get a program like Partition Magic and it will do what you are looking to do.

 

I've used Partition Wizard for the same thing with great success. Link: MiniTool Free Partition Manager Software Home Edition.

 

Thanks guys. Partition Magic seems to be old now. I was looking at either Easeuse Partition Master or the MiniTool one. But Partition Master warns not to use it unless the system partition is the first partition on the drive. Disk Manager shows for my disk (from left to right) 3 partitions (the little 100MB Reserved, 15GB Recovery and then the C drive partition). Does that make the C drive partition the 3rd partition on the drive. I was worried about using the tool since it explicitly says to only re-size the first partition. Or am I just misunderstanding what they are saying?

 

I'm not sure with Easeuse, but with Minitool Partition Wizard it doesn't matter. The program will physically move all data on the partition if necessary when resizing, so there will be no data lost by chopping the 2nd half of it to a new partition.

 

Ok, I'll try Easeuse. Right now I'm trying to make my recovery disk but it doesn't seem to want to accept DVD #2 for writing. I've heard some say they have more luck creating the recovery on a thumb drive (I don't have one big enough). But you'd think the software would at least work for creating the DVD's!

This is going to sound like a really dumb question but when it comes time to take away space from C partition, does it matter which side I remove it from (to keep it bootable)/

 

I've used Easeus to resize partitions; it works well.

I'm unsure about the warning to only use the first partition; I resized the 2nd/3rd on my drives; it never had a warning when I did it.

IDK why it wouldn't take DVD #2. Is DVD #2 blank? Might just be a random disc error (external hard drives are best to back-up on, IMHO).

Well, you can only move the right boundary, correct? Just move that right-boundary closer to the left, shrinking the partition? In Easeus, it doesn't mind unallocated space, so if you ask for unallocated space, it'll give it to you.

Thus, shrink the C:/ partition (dragging the right-boundary left). In the new unallocated space on the right, create a new partition.

@Windows Disk Management

Unless you're moving partitions around, WDM should work all right to shrink old partitions and create new partitions. Why exactly did it not work?

~Ibrahim~

 

Re: "Unless you're moving partitions around, WDM should work all right to shrink old partitions and create new partitions. Why exactly did it not work?"

The Windows Disk Manager will only allow me to shrink to about 1/2. I'd like to put the C drive down around 100GB. There must be some unmovable file there I missed. I turned off paging, hibernation, logging, etc. but there must be something still there. I'll give Easeus a try after I get the recovery disk made. I tried about 6 blank disk and it fails at random times or rejects the disks outright. They are old so maybe that is the problem. I'm thinking of picking up a 15GB thumb drive and just use it. This is frustrating since I don't want to proceed with setting up the laptop just the way I want until I get this disk partitioning out of the way. Thanks everyone for your help so far.

 

I use Easeus Data Recovery, Todo Backup, and Partition Master. They are some of the best tools you can use. I have all the Pro versions though, but I get a discount for being a student.

 

Did you try to defrag?

 

Thank you I got it. I ended up using PerfectDisk 11. I used it in offline mode since there were unmovable system files out in the middle (the normal system defrag tool would not touch these). It took three iterations of offline defrag then using system disk manager to shrink as far as it would allow. After 3 times got it down to about 100GB.

 

Whew, all right.

That is intense; why can't Windows Defrag do that? MS...take a hint.

~Ibrahim~

 

To answer that, is speed. People complained ms defrag took way too long back years ago, which at the time was doing full defrag and not very safe to use.

Anyways, there are plenty of other defragger out there.

 

All right, true: I can sense why a compromise was made.

Instead, then, the Windows Disk Management wizard should have some built-in super-defragmenter that can move these "immovable files" with a restart or what need be. No need to go through the hassle of using a 3rd-party defragmenter just to shrink a partition.

 

Actually, up to Windows ME, they had a bootup full defragmentation option. Any power loss would result in severe data corruption.

Hehe...
I wish MS gave up speed in favor for linux file system (I think it was a compromise between best fit, worst fit) doesn't require defragmentation often and consistent performance at the expense of space.