Problem with Partition Magic: error trying to decrease C drive

Situation: A Dell PC, 20GB HD with two partitions (one small Dell Utility Partition, one C: partition with Windows XP Home SP1).

Plan: Make new partition for Linux (so this can be installed), thus make the C: partition smaller, leaving room for the Linux one, without losing any data or having to reinstall XP.

Problem: Every time Partition Magic tries to decrease the size of C:, I come across an Error, and nothing seems to help that.
Creating the third partition for Linux wasn't a problem (Partition Magic found ~600MB of unused HD space for it), but the resizing of C: is.
The Error given is "1518: File attribute does not fit ", stopping PM underway (usually before 10% are done).
All the support page tells me about this to run chdsk, but I have done that like a million times by now (especially since every time PM has that Error, it also trashes the filesystem), removing all errors and, when running again, not finding any anymore. I also just defragged C:, no problem occured.

This error happens both with PM 7.0 and 8.0, and again both with using the program under Windows (executing the changes by rebooting) and from the boot disk which can be created with PM.

As I said, all the support pages says is to run chdsk, but there apparently is no problem with C: which chkdsk needed to fix.
Also the Dell testing utility found the HD to be error-free.
So I am pretty much clueless right now.

Anyone got an idea?

 

Zarlock: Welcome to the Board!

When you ran CHKDSK, did you use the /F argument?

Check out this link: http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/primus/id4530.html and then get back to us with whether it helped you at all.

 

I have partition magic 8.0 and it works fine.
Suggest you do a defrag of C:\ and the Dell partition if possible. Then check and see how much free space is left. The new partition should come out of the C: drive and cannot be larger than your free space. Actually, you
need to make sure you still have room on C: for new stuff. Like, if you have 14 gig free, split it 50/50 so the new partition would have 7gig and C: would have what it has now plus 7 gig to expand into.

Hope this helps.

 

Hello, thanks for the welcome.

Yep, I used the /F argument.
And yeah, I only use space from C: for the new partition which is already free, leaving a little above that to expand.
Which makes with 5GB free 3 for the new partition and 2 still with C:

Bobbo, thank you for that link, I contacted their support, wonder what they can come up with.

 

Zarlock ...

How large is your C: partition, how much of it is in use, and how small are you trying to make it?

 

It is 18GB, 14,1GB of it is in use and I want to have it at a size of 15,8GB.

 

It's been a long time since I worked with a hard drive that small, but I think your attempted resize may be causing your problem, not PartitionMagic. PM should tell you just how small you can make the partition, and I think you're probably trying to make it smaller than allowed.

 

I think you need a minimum of 16.2 or so based on what you have on your drive right now. It needs room for the swap, defragging, etc.

 

PM tells me the minimum size would be 15,5, which I stay above.

 

I'm assuming that you've cleaned the drive of all unnecessary files, and that the Recycle Bin has been emptied. If Windows is managing your Paging file, you might try setting it at a static size before doing anything further.

So far as working with PM, the only other thing I can think of would be to try making C: smaller in increments. If it's 18GB right now, try making it 17. If you're successful at that, try 16.5, etc.

Last, but not least, consider buying another hard drive.