I have a Windows XP machine, and I want to add SuSE 9.0. I want to cut the existing 39GB NTFS partition in half to make room. SuSE's installer tries, but brings up a dialog box saying that due to limitations of the software, the file system can only be shrunk by up to 3584 MB, and advises me to run a disk defragmentation program under Windows to move the used blocks toward the start of the partition. If I use the installer CD in rescue mode and try ntfsresize, it comes up with the same numbers.
The Windows XP defragmenter shows the last half of the partition as being free. If I run it repeatedly, it claims to be compacting the same set of files over and over, but SuSE's "3584MB" number doesn't change.
Some web searching turns up suggestions that XP's NTFS is different from earlier NTFS. Can ntfsresize really shrink the partition by more than 3584MB?
Is Partition Magic my only hope?
I have used parted successfully. I think I have used it on NTFS file system but it does say it supports it.
http://www.gnu.org/software/parted/
Glen Ditchfield wrote:
I have a Windows XP machine, and I want to add SuSE 9.0. I want to cut the existing 39GB NTFS partition in half to make room. SuSE's installer tries, but brings up a dialog box saying that due to limitations of the software, the file system can only be shrunk by up to 3584 MB, and advises me to run a disk defragmentation program under Windows to move the used blocks toward the start of the partition. If I use the installer CD in rescue mode and try ntfsresize, it comes up with the same numbers.
The Windows XP defragmenter shows the last half of the partition as being free. If I run it repeatedly, it claims to be compacting the same set of files over and over, but SuSE's "3584MB" number doesn't change.
Some web searching turns up suggestions that XP's NTFS is different from earlier NTFS. Can ntfsresize really shrink the partition by more than 3584MB?
Is Partition Magic my only hope? _______________________________________________ Roundtable mailing list Roundtable@muug.mb.ca http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable
I would seriously look at the relative cost/hassle/risk of purchasing Partition Magic vs just getting a second hard drive.
A second hard drive almost completely risk free since there should be no chance of screwing up your original drive plus, if you decide you don't want to use linux you can just use it as an extra drive under XP.
Regards,
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Bill Reid -
Glen Ditchfield -
John Lange