Partition Magic, how does it ......

Hi Christer

Speaking of XP and scattered data.

I just looked at my C: drive which is 6.12gig. ( 2.64gig free ) and XP has stuff scattered from beginning to end and none of it seems to move when I defrag.

BillyBob

 

I dunno nothing either, but if you find a good Partition Magic tutorial, I guess I'm gonna need it. Please pass the link along! Thanks, Christer.

Johanna

 

Christer
It doesn't work that way. You have to do that sort of thing manually (so to speak). You'd have to do it in a two step process. First, you'd create two partitions keeping the C: drive large enough to hold all the data that's currently on the drive. Once it finished, you'd boot back to windows and then copy the necessary amount of data (whatever it takes for you to be able to make the c: drive 10 gb) to the new d: drive. Then you'd use partition magic to resize the partitions to the size you wanted. There's really no way the program can do this for you. It has no way of knowing which data to move to the d drive.

 

I've used Partition Magic once or twice on someone else's computer. Version 7, I think. Seemed pretty easy.

It first analyses your hard disk and then presents a GUI window, very similar to the Disk Management window. You slide the borders of the rectangles (representing the partitions) to resize it. There is a maximum and a minimum you can resize. When you're satisfied, you click go or start or whatever.

During the process, it moves the data to the front of the partition and then changes the partition table data and whatever else need changing to resize the partition and then it's done. I think.

A reboot may be needed but I don't remember. I may forget a few other things too but that's the gist of it. Like I said, it seemed easy to me. And, of course, it always reminds you to back up in case something goes wrong and you lose everything.

At that time, I was using Win98SE on my computer and I used a DOS program called FIPS.

 

Here is more info than you'll probably ever need about Partition Magic. These are PDF's so you'll need Acrobat Reader. HTH

PowerQuest

B

 

PM does it very slowly.

If you ever do it, I highly recommend that you do it ONE at a time. The less tasks the better. Create a single partition at a time.

When the "back" partition has some data, it takes forever. When the back partition is empty, it's pretty quick.

 

Christer wrote:
I am, however, a firm believer in planning and doing it right from the beginning ...... ...... but one never knows. I have a few friends with OEM machines and large single partition HDDs.

Ha ha ha! Be glad they are not relatives!

Anyway, thanks for all the advice, everyone. I gave him Partition Magic a few months ago, and I sent him the link Mr B provided. Like Christer, I have never needed PM because I do my partitions from installs- but these huge OEM harddrives are becoming more common, so I guess I'd better learn how to do this! I think he should split his one partition for XP with PM, then use XP to make all the new ones from the non-OS partition he created with PM. Am I thinking along the right lines?

Johanna

 

To that I 100% agree.

Especially when reducing an existing 80gig space containing the OS and possibly other software.

Get the process set up and started and then WALK AWAY. Just check once in awhile to see if any error messages have come up.

And keep the fingers OFF of the keyboard

If problems do come up PM will let you know.

And if PM is started from within Windows make sure that screensaver is OFF.

BillyBob

 

Here's another site with a "Quickie" Overal Tutorial.

http://www.dealtime.com/xPR-Powerquest_Partition_Magic_8_0_Full_Version_PC_PM80ENK1~RD-116385287812

Also I have PM 8.0 and there's an Excellent Tutorial presented, here's some Items covered.

Multi-Boot Scenarios
Installing Windows 95/98/ME on an existing Windows 95/98/ME System
Installing Windows 95/98/ME on a Windows NT System
Installing Windows 95/98/ME on a Windows 2000/XP System
Installing DOS on a Windows System
Installing Windows NT on a Windows 95/98/ME System
Installing Windows NT on an existing Windows NT System
Installing Windows NT on a Windows 2000/XP System
Installing Windows XP on a Windows 95/98/ME System
Installing Windows 2000/XP on a Windows NT System
Installing Windows 2000/XP on an existing Windows 2000/XP System

Other Videos
Install BootMagic on an NTFS System
How to check a partition for errors
How to run Microsoft's Scandisk and Checkdisk from PartitionMagic 8.0
Converting File Systems with PartitionMagic 8.0
Converting a Partition from Primary to Logical with PartitionMagic 8.0
Copy a Partition with PartitionMagic 8.0
How to Copy Partitions on your System Using the "Copy a Partition" Task
Create a Partition Using PartitionMagic 8.0
How to Create a Backup Partition Using the "Backup Partition" Task
How to Create Partitions on your System Using the "Create Partition" Task
Create Rescue Diskettes with PartitionMagic 8.0
How to Delete and Secure-Erase Partitions in PartitionMagic 8.0
How to Run Microsoft's Disk Defragmenter from PartitionMagic 8.0
How to Format a Partition with PartitionMagic 8.0
How to Hide or Unhide a Partition with PartitionMagic 8.0
How to Create a Partition to Install a new Operating System
How to Browse a Partition Using PartitionMagic 8.0's File Browser utility
How to Label a Partition with PartitionMagic 8.0
How to Merge Partitions using PartitionMagic 8.0
How to Merge Two Adjacent Partitions Using the "Merge Partitions" Task
How to Set or Change Passwords for PartitionMagic 8.0
How to Redistribute Free Space Between Partition on your Hard Drive
How to Resize Partitions Using the "Resize Partition" Task
How to Use PartitionMagic 8.0 to Retest Bad Sectors on a Partition
How to Run PartitionMagic 8.0's DriveMapper Utility
The Basics of Running PartitionMagic 8.0's PartitionInfo Utility
How to Use PartitionMagic 8.0 to Set a Partition Active
How to Split Partitions with PartitionMagic 8.0
How to Undelete a Partition with PartitionMagic 8.0
View a Partition's Information with PartitionMagic 8.0