Shrink C:

[johnbarry]

I have asked this a few times and again I have forgot.

So I have 120GB HDD I want to use 80GB for C: and 40GB (ish) for D:

Do I put 80000 in the box or 40000 to leave an 80C & 40 D.

If for example I use the default (below) will I end up with a  38GB C or D

I promise I will save the results.

Cheers
John

[Ed P]

With Windows 10 I do not think you have enough ssd storage to play silly b’s. Windows 10 can require quite a lot of free space to perform updates. Better just to have a single partition. You’re recommended to have up to 50GB of free space for flawless experience. link

[johnbarry]

sos Ed the picture is just for an example took from a previous shrunk drive of 500GB. The drive in question will leave 200GB for Windows C: and 40GB for D. C: is purely Windows O/S D is for backup as there is no USB support in Dos (system startup) so I can’t retrieve the backup from USB sticks.

Cheers
John

[Dave Rice]

These always do my head in. I would agree with ED, don’t shrink it – find another way to organise the data you want to put on the new D:  You could make use of the Public User folders as they can be seen by every other user.

However, looking at the box above I believe you will end up with a 40GB C: so reverse the numbers. If you go ahead with this you are going to have to carefully watch the usage of C: and do regular Disk Clean Ups including the System Files option.

When mucking about with partitions I like to use tools like EaseUs Partition Manager as it doesn’t apply your changes until you tell it to. What it shows is the affect the change(s) will have on your disks so you can easily “undo” them as they haven’t actually happened. When the disks look like what you want, then you click Apply Changes. You can mock up a whole chain of events, it’s very useful.

It’s a while since I used it, but IIRC G-Parted on a Linux Live stick does the same mock up then apply. They both do a hell of a lot more than the MS tools and with a good GUI.

[johnbarry]

Thanks Dave

I will use the suggestions, sadly not now. The only way I can see a backup is a D: I have done backups on USB, sadly the lenovo won’t see USBs Drives on boot only in Windows.

Lets say I boot (paragon or True image) from a CD, once it has loaded you can’t see USBs neither does my Keyboard and Mouse. To retreive a backup it has to be on another partition and I have to plug the PS/2 keyboard (was it off bullstuff bob?)

Needs must

Edit:

If I install paragon or true image I can retrieve backups on the dektop, on re start it carries on loading the backup on D, if it’s on USB (USB Drive not seen) it just stops and re boots the last config.

Cheers
John

[PlaneMan]

John, give Plop a go.

It’s very handy for booting from USB on older systems.

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

Just how old is this Lenovo ?

Boot from USB started to show up in the PC BIOS in 2003 and by 2004 they all had it.

I expect you already know that you need to enable legacy keyboard support for a USB keyboard to work with a legacy OS. Its the OS thats legacy in that setting, not the keyboard ?

[Dave Rice]

It’s not that old, 3 years?, but interrupting the boot sequence can be tricky. It is definitely a modern UEFI not a BIOS. It’s one of the Intel Quad SoC chips.

I’m not sure how it’s got into the state that John’s has but I’d reset it with the jumper on the motherboard. It’s probably the CMS legacy settings screwed up – easy to do that.

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-access-advanced-startup-options-in-windows-10-or-8-2626229

If its difficult to boot from a recovery USB stick directly then the above link lists a few ways of getting at it.

[johnbarry]

This has been since brand new, it’s not to boot that’s the problem.

When you boot from a True Image CD (let me say dos or linux? who knows) once loaded the USB drive can not be seen. In windows (on the desktop) you can create a backup on USB, also you can browse the backup (in Windows) from the USB.

So I created a backup on USB, browsed a backup on USB, then you have to re start the rig, it boots and carries on loading (true image) in the back (I call it dos) just a black screen with white text.

While it’s in dos it won’t see the USB Drive with the backup on.

So it’s no point backing up on USB, hence D: you can see D: in dos mode and point it to the backup. The same is for booting a True image or paragon recovery CD it goes into dos and an’t see the USB drive.

I always use partions if only for this purpose. True image and paragon are free programs I love free. That’s true image for WD drives and I now have a WD SSD on main rig but a ?/ SSD on the Lenovo soI use Paragon on it.

I have never tried a USB in dos on any other computer, only on the Lenovo as I have no spare sockets. I did once purchase a Sata card (advised in the forum) but dos can’t see that either.

Cheers
John

[Ed P]

John, why not just make two backups. One ‘System’ backup using Microsoft backup or Trueimage if you must(burn it to a DVD) and one ‘all other’ data using Trueimage. Or simply just backup the data and use the Win10 full recovery mode.

In the event everything goes t-up, restore the system, then load Trueimage, then recover all the data.

Best to keep it simple then you will understand where everything is.

[johnbarry]

Thanks Ed Maybe so I will look into it, I did but I think it only does basic OS not installed programs. I update the backupafter every 2nd Tue in a month. Before Windows updates I call up the last backup (nice and clean) ready to have new win ups the re backup.

I ran an example using a backup on USB, once it re booted it couldn’t find it on USB, if it’s on a partition (D:) it will find it on boot.

I will have a go what you suggest. However my backups exceed 15GB so I can;t burn it to a DVD, I did think about it, but not sure if it would do it on 2 or 3 8GB DVDs

Cheers
John

[Ed P]

If installed programs are important to you use the Win7 backup option. link

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

You really do have to use the Windows recovery options to make use of a back up USB created by Windows.

If you like you can boot from the Windows installation DVD to get there as detailed in my link above. The command prompt you can get to from there is really the Windows recovery environment. This is like a live version of windows that runs entirely in memory and it WILL see your USB stick ?

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

If you do use Windows RE be aware that it assigns the drive letter C: to the normally hidden system partition so you can brows it. Your Windows partition gets bumped to D:

[johnbarry]

Thanks Ed n Graham

I will have a go at your suggestions.

Cheers
John

[Ed P]

I think Dave has shown people how to use the Win7 backup in 10 more often than I and may have a better how-to link.

[Dave Rice]

I have brief flirtations with other backup applications, but EaseUs ToDo is my go to these days. The free version will do 95% of what most people want and the emergency USB stick whilst based on WinPE gets the drive letters “correct”.

Rather than hit or miss cloning and partition size mis-matches, I use the system backup and restore when replacing drives. There are plenty of cloning options though and it can deal with MBR disk to GPT disk or GPT disk to MBR disk.

Setting up scheduled incremental backups is easy and you can set a limit on the number retained. Create the emergency USB after you’ve setup your backups and it will know all about them and any NAS devices you’ve set up. Some words of warning, the emergency USB only supports wired connections to NAS not wireless. If using the system backup / restore the new drive must be initialised before. I use an EaseUs Partition Manager USB stick to do that.

[johnbarry]

Thanks Dave

I have tried  EaseUs in the past, as for now I have shrunk C: (following your above advice)  into D: and happily backing up with paragon as I wanted.

I have kept a copy of your advice for next time I forget.

Cheers
John

[Dave Rice]

As long as you’re happy with what you’re doing John, that’s all the counts. They all go about achieving the same thing, it really is same horse different jockey.

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