1 Topic by canaws

  • canaws
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Topic: Is this resizing possible with GParted?

I've read the documentation for the program and it looks like and easy to use program, but I'm a total noobie. From what I've gathered from quick research on the new there can be special issues with boot partitions and the order of the partitions. I just wanted to make sure that I would be able to this before I attempt it and mess something up.

I currently have two NTFS partitions, about equal size:
C (primary partition): data
D (boot/logical drive): win xp, program files

I plan to delete the C: partition after I've moved my data  to a second hard drive I'm putting in my laptop for data storage only. So, I will have a lot of unallocated space.

What I want to do is resize the D: partition to take in all the unallocated space, so that my hard drive only consists of one partition.

Will I be able to do this? Will the fact that the C: partition is to the left of the D: be an issue? If so, is there away around that?

Thanks for the help!

2 Reply by LarryT

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Re: Is this resizing possible with GParted?

If you use the very last version of the livecd, you can grow up your D:/ from the beginning, after you destroied C:/
BUT : be aware that if the number of your partition change, your boot.ini (in windows) couold failed. You should googling what happens when destroying logical partition in front of parimary, with XP.
But to directly answer your question : GParted livecd can do it.

Larry
GParted-project Admin
Former GParted-LiveCD maintainer (2007)

3 Reply by canaws (edited by canaws 2006-10-03 08:26:01)

  • canaws
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Re: Is this resizing possible with GParted?

That's sound like something I'd want to avoid because I'd have no idea what to do if it happened. Can I avoid the partition numbers changing if I don't delete my C: partition, but instead made it small (like 1GB) and resize my D: to take up the leftover space?

The documentation shows how to make a partition larger. I take it the same process can be used to make a partition smaller, yes? If so, that would leave me with unallocated space that I could add to D: without getting rid of C: altogether.

Thanks for answering!

ETA: I've started looking up some info and it seems like the big problem with changing C: would be messing up the master boot record for xp. Can I resize C: at all without messing things up, do you know?

4 Reply by LarryT

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Re: Is this resizing possible with GParted?

Well, in fact hte problem that might happened with boot.ini is not very big ! I mean, that i endly dont think that boot.ini would be failed after C is deleted : it depends on one thing : is C primary partition or logical one ? If it is logical one, i dont think it make any problem. Any way, you can : foramt c as ntfs (it will destry all data on it), and then shrink it up to 50 mo. Then grow up your D partition.

But, first : dont forget to make a backup, as all partitionning tools ask for !

Larry
GParted-project Admin
Former GParted-LiveCD maintainer (2007)

5 Reply by canaws

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Re: Is this resizing possible with GParted?

C: is a primary partition on my hard drive, but Windows XP is installed on D: (a logical drive). If I format C: I will lose my Master Boot Record. Well, I'll back both partitions to my second drive and take a shot at it. It looks like XP may have a method of reparing Master Boot Records throught the recovery console.

If it doesn't work out I'll just reformat and reinstall Windows.

Thanks for the help!