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How to Shrink a Windows 7 Volume and give free space to another partion on the Hard Drive

I can not shrink the C: System Volume more that 22 GB even though there is 512 GB free. I wnat to shring C: system volume and give the shrinked space to E: Volume. When I use the Windows 7 Disk Management tool it only allows me to shring 22 GB. I have moved the page file from C: to E and I have turned off and deleted the system restore on C: I figure there is some other unmovable file that is preventing the full shrink but can not figure it out.

More details:

I have a Windows 7 Prof. Systme with one physical hard dirve (750 GB).. I have two Volumes C: - System Volume and E: (non system volume).

Sizes and free space:

C: 616 GB total, 512 GB free
E: 315 GB total, 63 GB free

Does any one know how to do this? As mentioned after shrinking system volume C: I want to give that to volume E:..

Thanks

htowntechy

Have you tried to defragment the volume? You will see if there is an unmoveable fie when it graphically depicts the volume after performing the initial analysis.

Joe Klimis

shrink only works with contiuos space, please run a defrag. this may help

kbphuah

Have you defragment the disk before resizing?

LeeTutor

This page is about your problem as it applies to Vista, but the same advice should hold true for Win7:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/working-around-windows-vistas-shrink-volume-inadequacy-problems/

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LeeTutor

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SOLUTION

LMiller7

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Snibborg

EaseUs isa free tool for personal use that will solve this problem I believe.

rdwolf

ASKER

I did a defrag of the hard drive but that did not help. Still I have 512 GB free on system volume C but it only lets me shring 22 GB. I used SmartDefrag which shows an icon for umovable files (in black).

There is one black block listed in center of picture of hard drive space. It does not provide any info. on what this file is or what sector etc. it is located. As I mentioned I moved the page file to D: (non system) volume and turned off sytstem restore for now.

I see in Win 7 disk manager that crash dumps are on system volume C:. I am not sure if those are imovable (I would not think so) but if so I did not see how to delete.

I would like to use Win 7 to do this task so does anyone know of any way to figure out what this last
unmovable file is and now to move delete etc (assuming that is the problem).

I may try the other suggested programs but like I said I am wanting to figure this out for Windows 7 built in tools if possible. I would think it is very possible to do with Win 7 you just have to fix the issue stoppint the shrinking..

Thanks

Snibborg

I wonder if that block is a bad sector. Run an error check on the drive (properties on the drive, then choose Tools, then click on the check now button under error checking.

If this is the C drive you will probably have to reboot and the program will run before logging on.

If its a bad sector this program will mark it as such and it will disappear when you look at the defrag graphic.

Snibborg

LMiller7

Crash dumps can be deleted just like any other file. The problem is likely a folder and Windows partitioning utility will not mive them. For legal reasons Microsoft did not include a full featured partitoning utility with Windows 7 and the one that is included it has some limitations, particularly with shrinking volumes.

rdwolf

ASKER

I ended up using the EASEUS Partion Master program. Siince I am runing Windows 7 64 bit I had to buy it for $39 (the 32 bit ver. is free).

I ran the EASEUS Program and it worked perfectly.

Thanks for all your hlep and info.