Resolved Shrink volume C

I want to shrink volume C, the Windows partition. The PC was delivered with Windows 10 pro 64 bit already installed on Volume C, a 256 GB SSD. The C volume size was over 200 GB. I want to shrink volume C to about 60 GB, but disk management will not allow it. It did let me shrink the volume down to 112 GB.

File explorer shows that partition as capacity 112 GB, used 21.4 GB. Disk management shows it as 112.92 GB, 81% free.

I assumed that it was the page file blocking me from shrinking it any further, so I changed the option to no page file. I still can not shrink the volume. How can I see what files are sitting on the high end of that volume, and move them. I really don't want to format the disk and do a fresh install so I am hoping there is an easier way to shrink volume C.

Thanks, Gordon

 

Fragmentation should have nothing to do with it. The repartitioning software will move any files or fragments as needed. That said, You can use the one in Windows, or I've used EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition hundreds of times over the years on SSDs and drives with no problem.

I think, however, that you should not attempt to shrink it below 100GB. Windows uses a lot of space for temporary files and the disk management routines like lots of space for TRIM wear leveling.

 

You are correct that the built in tools, Windows 10 disk management, would not allow me to shrink the volume any smaller. However, I think I figured out what the problem is. If I am reading the event log correct, then it lists an event ID 259, which indicates that the system volume information file is sitting at the end of the volume preventing any more size shrink. I think that file holds the restore points and I am not ready to disable or delete the restore points at this time.

I have an external disk enclosure on order. When it arrives I will be able to create an image stored off line. After I get a good image, then I will be brave enough to disable system restore. I think that will clear the restore points and remove that file. Then maybe I can shrink volume C a little more.

Thank you for the help.

Gordon

 

But what I am saying is the resizing program will (or should) remove those spaces. Partition Master does. But I note all these programs need a lot of space to temporarily move data in and out of the way of each other while resizing. That could be the limiting factor here.

 

It's a great program and 100% free for home, non-commercial use. Worth checking out.

 

I do use Acronis True Image 2014. I don't know if it will shrink a drive or not, never attempted to use it for that. Right now, I have no place to store an image so I am in wait mode until the external enclosure gets here. I will most likely use the Windows 10 built in disk management tool to shrink drive C. Can you recommend a better tool for that?

From everything I have read on support web sites it sounds like there could be 3 unmovable files sitting on the high end of that drive. Those are the files for system restore, hibernate, and the page file. So the advice given is to disable hibernate, disable system restore, and set page file to NONE. Then Shrink the drive. After you get the drive sized, then enable those features again.

I do miss the old defrag application where it showed you unmovable files. Then there is the question of what does a defrag on an SSD really do.

Is there an easy way to see the location of files on the drive as it is today?

That Is my plan and I will post an update here in about a week. Wish me well.

Gordon

 

That is a back up program. Not a partition manager.

There's no question about this. You NEVER defrag a SSD. If you look in recent versions of Windows, the program is not even called Windows Defrag anymore. It is now "Optimize Drives ". When Windows detects a connected SSD, it knows not to defrag it.

The reason you don't defrag a SSD is because of how data is stored on and retrieved from a SSD. A hard drive is like a drawer in a file cabinet with the pages (file segments) of the report (file) you need scattered (fragmented) in no particular order from front to back. To retrieve all the pages in the right order, you have to stand in front of the file cabinet and rifle through the drawer sequentially, going back and forth, front to back across the platters every time, picking up the pages in the correct order. This takes a lot of time - especially if page 1 is in the front and page 2 in the back then page 3 near the front again, and so on. And remember, this is a mechanical arm (read: slow) moving back and forth.

For a SSD, think of a mail sorting box. You simply stand in front of the box and directly grab each page of the report. It takes the same amount of time and effort to grab every page, regardless where it is located. It does not matter if the pages are next to each other and in the correct order (not fragmented) or if the pages are scattered all over the place. It takes the exact same amount of time to gather up the whole file in the correct order. And this is not a mechanical arm moving a magnetic Read/Write head back and forth. It is done totally through intelligent electronics (read: very fast).

Also, TRIM is a maintenance tool for SSDs that intentionally moves file segments about for "wear leveling" - a feature to ensure even use across the SSD - greatly extending the lifespan of the whole SSD. Actual defragging would simply add pointless wear on a SSD without adding any performance advantages.

I must quickly add the concerns about excess wear decreasing the number of read and writes a SSD can perform was a problem with first generation SSDs only. Today's generation SSDs still have a limited number, but the numbers are so great, only very busy 24/7/365 industrial data centers need to worry about it.

I already did. See post # 4 above.

 

I decided to take Bill's advice and not shrink volume C less than 100GB, so spending time to free up 12GB was just not worth the effort. Now that I have an old 1TB drive in an external enclosure that I removed from the Windows XP desktop, I don't need that extra 12GB.
So I am marking this as solved. Thanks to everyone for your guidance.
Gordon