Windows Vista Arghhh...need to partition but there is no Partition Magic for Vista...?

Hey folks, I have Partition Magic 8.01 on my XP partition. I created a 60GB partition for my Vista install, left the rest (28GB) for XP, and there is a system restore partition. Apparently, there is NO Vista-compatible Partition Magic from Symantec. Here is what I want to accomplish. I would like to consolidate the XP partition and the IBM system restore partition to gain that space.

Is this safe to do??? I've tried to give a previous installation of Vista more space, which resulted in the Vista partition not working any longer. If I only give the IBM space to my XP partition and not even involve the Vista partition, will it mess it up again??? How high is the risk? Are there any alternative methods anyone can recommend? My 200GB 7k2rpm is waiting for me at home in L.A. I'm still in Europe and am working with my 100GB 5k4 one. I made myself rescue discs and it always creates that hidden partition, but Partition Magic is awesome, and takes you through the process very nicely.

I DO NOT WANT TO MESS UP MY VISTA partition. If I don't "involve" it, so to speak, might it still be affected? I need those 8GB's. LOL...

Thanks everyone.

 

Hi Crunch,

You can delete the hidden partition thru Disk Management, either from XP or Vista - right click, delete. That will leave the space unallocated. I also deleted the HP's hidden partition, but I used the space to create a data partition.

To expand XP's partition > In Vista's Disk Management > right click on XP's partition > Expand.

Two references on partitioning and a tutorial on Vista Disk Management's Expand/Shrink feature.
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial133.html

http://www.multibooters.co.uk/partitions.html



I just used PM8 to shrink a data partition by 5 GB and expand Vista's partition from 20 to 25 GB, so worked for me, I did it from XP.

My system is set up differently than yours, the system is a 2 HD laptop with:
XP + a data partition on disk0.
Vista + data partition on disk1.

Wether that makes a difference, I don't know. I also imaged the OS partitions prior my "surgery ". If you don't have drive imaging, you should.

 

Forgot to add that Acronis Disk Director Suite will work with Vista - partitioning and imaging, pricy though

 

Hey charlesvar,

Thanks for the advice! Hmm sounds like a plan. I'd like to do everything from within Vista. The partition is hidden, by the way. I guess I can unhide and delete it from XP without messing anything up???

And where do I find Vista's "disk management "?

Also, I used to make the Vista partition a LOGICAL partition. Now it's a PRIMARY, although still on one HD. Maybe I can do all from within Vista? Ideally, I'd like to add the additional space to Vista. I just thought, the safest way may be to not involve Vista when working from within XP.

Thanks again! I must admit I'm having a lot of fun with this experimenting. lol...

 

That's what I did, and it worked. HP had a program running to prevent you from doing that, which I uninstalled. So maybe look for something like that on yours.

Same place as in XP: right click Computer > Manage > Disk Management, or just type Disk management into Vista's search above the start button.

Another place to look is in Vista's help & support. Search for partition or shrink. It doesn't say anywhere that I saw that you can't work in Vista to work on Vista's partition.

I haven't worked on Vista from Vista; as I wrote, I worked on Vista from XP. My practice over the years - my desktop is setup the same general way, two OS's on two HD's, is to work on an OS from the other OS, but that's with two XP's.

 

Thank you charlesvar. The issue has been resolved. You are the man.

 

You're welcome, and appreciate the compliment