BleepingComputer.com: Extending C Volume

I wonder if anyone can help me with the following.

I have an Acer laptop with 160GB hard drive split as follows:

First partition (hidden recovery drive) 12GB
Second partition (C including system and boot) 79 GB - 10% Free space left
Third partition (D Data) 79 GB - 93% Free space left

I would like to shrink the D partition and expand the C partition, however, I have found that the disk management tool in Vista does not allow for this as the free space created is not adjacent to the C drive.

I have looked into using EASEUS but in their support pages they mention it is not advisable to use the software if the system does not reside on the first partition (I assume this is the case on my setup).

I also read elsewhere that it is possible to delete the D partition the expand the C partition if there is nothing important on the D partition, however, I also read that this was not a wise move if the D partition was a Data partition as it may cause Windows not to load.

Does anyone have any experience of dealing with this particular problem?

This post has been edited by MidwichCuckoo: 27 July 2009 - 07:59 AM

Can you post a link...to these references that indicate these things?

A data partition is of no consequence whatever, it's just a storage compartment. I fail to see how that could ever impact resizing/eliminating partitions...even if the programs are stored on it.

OTOH...a recovery/restore partition is of importance, if the procedures for reinstall/repair rely on it.

As for Easeus...I use Easeus Partition Master and I don't recall such a comment (nor do I see the logic of such). Perhaps someone was indicating a situation where the first partition is not the Windows partition...and D: reflects Windows. If you post a link, I can make a better guess.

Easeus has several products, which one are you reading instructions for?

Louis

You can use Partition Magic/Easus etc to resize a boot partition; however, you takes your chances with screwing up that partition as to make it unreadable/unbootable.

Hi thanks for the reply, I have found the Easeus reference

[post="http://www.partition-tool.com/easeus-partition-manager/faq/technical-faq24.htm"]http://www.partition-tool.com/easeus-partition-manager/faq/technical-faq24.htm[/post]

It is point 4.

Will look for the reference to deleting the data volume but think that may have been on another forum.

<<I have looked into using EASEUS but in their support pages they mention it is not advisable to use the software if the system does not reside on the first partition (I assume this is the case on my setup).>>

Thanks for the link...I see that point made.

"Perhaps someone was indicating a situation where the first partition is not the Windows partition...and D: reflects Windows." My comment assumed that there was dual-boot situation, not a hidden partition.

In your situation...I am guessing that a hidden partition doesn't figure into the equation but...I don't know, since I've never used/had hidden partitions and I have no systems from manufacturers who use such. Perhaps some of our visitors/members with systems containing such...can comment.

Thanks for raising that point/question.

Louis

Just to let you know I threw caution to the wind and deleted the D volume in Disk Management in Vista and expanded the C volume into the unallocated space.

All went without a hitch and laptop has since successfully booted up again. Your reassurance that deleting a Data volume should not matter helped me make up my mind.

Thanks for the input

I don't like Vista and large system partitions, restore will grow to 15% of 160gigs or 24 Gigs

Bleeping Computer has a tutorial on resizing partitions using Gparted, a free and open source partition editor, here.

I agree with the others...a large C: partition is not desireable.

I make mine circa 20GB and I store my programs and XP critical updates on these 20GB partitions.

Everything else (music, documents, video files, etc.) I store on some other partition.

Louis