1 Topic by Lt. Washburn

  • Lt. Washburn
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Topic: Partition change results in failed boot

I was here not long ago with some questions and got some excellent help.  I sort of had a good bit of time where I wasn't messing with anything and things were working fine.  I had Vista installed and was using it with no relevant problems.  I had moved some files over to my Vista partition which freed up some space on another, so I used GParted to shrink that other partition and then grew the Vista partition.

Going back to boot, Vista wouldn't boot all the way.  It would hang after showing the Vista boot screen.  Nothing works, not various safe modes, not even using the installation disc.  I've tried everything I can think of, including the methods I used to install it initially.  They all just reach a point and won't go further.

I know this isn't a support forum for Vista, but I was hoping someone could give me a hint of what growing the partition might have done so i can find a solution.  I'm not sure what the problem is or how it was caused.  Thanks.

2 Reply by LarryT

  • LarryT
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Re: Partition change results in failed boot

Well, the problem with Vista is that we don't exactly know what happens : I personally successfully shrunk and grew up Vista with no problem. So I just know it doesn't always work , but dunno why.
where is what I know : http://gparted.free.fr/screenshots/VIST … VISTA.html

I think the problem you mention may come from a kind of overlapping. So if you didn't make any change to your partition, try to shrink back your vista to the size it was before. It may help to solve : but I am not sure of it.

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

3 Reply by Lt. Washburn (edited by Lt. Washburn 2007-04-09 04:23:36)

  • Lt. Washburn
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Re: Partition change results in failed boot

Thanks Larry.  I'll try to put the partition back and see if it works.

I also posted my problem to a Microsoft support board and several people wondered whether GParted was compatible with Vista:

"I don't have the facts, but I suspect that GParted probably doesn't yet
know about Vista's new flavor of NTFS. XP doesn't either, so you must
be very careful what tools you use."

Do you know what they mean by this new version of NTFS?  Maybe it's why sometimes changing partitions works with Vista and sometimes it doesn't.

4 Reply by LarryT

  • LarryT
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Re: Partition change results in failed boot

what you must know is that GParted doesn't play directly with NTFS. GParted run ntfsclone ( from ntfsprogs) too modify NTFS.
Only ntfsprogs-1.13.1.1 is able to modify VIsta NTFS.
I have added ntfsresize-1.13.1.1 on the livecd, so I am sure that it works. BUT to be absolutly safe you should use ntfsresize by hand, not through GParted.
I made a step-by-step doc in the livecd, you can laucnh by clicking the info icon (light).

Anyway, on one hand it is true that GParted needs some C++ updates, and on another hand Vista comes with bugs too...
Last problem is that Plors (who's the GPArted C++ dev), won't work on his project before .... weeks (months ???)....

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