Vista - Disk Manager not allowing me to shrink partition...

I have a 74 gig drive with 53gigs free. Vista Home Premium installed. I
was allowed to shrink to shrink the partition once, freeing up 1.4 gigs.. I
want to dual boot to 64bit Vista so I need to free about 20gigs to install
64bit. It keeps telling me that if snapshots (?) and Paging files are
stored on the drive that I am trying to partition it will reduce the size
that I am allowed to shrink. Well I have no idea what snapshots are...
System Restore is OFF, and my virtual memory is set to 1.53 gigs. My
recycle bin is set to 500megs, and IE7's cache is set to 1meg.

So...wtf? I have searched all over the net to find an answer. So here I
am... Anyone know how I can repartition my drive??

Thanks in advance.

~Andy

Did you defrag the drive before shrinking? There may be system files that
are fixed in place on the disk - if they can't be moved, then that will
limit the available shrink space.

--
Jane, not plain 64 bit enabled :-)
Batteries not included. Braincell on vacation ;-)
"TheMadPoster" <TheMadPoster@DragonNote.net> wrote in message
news:%23BewuHXVHHA.4188@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>I have a 74 gig drive with 53gigs free. Vista Home Premium installed. I
>was allowed to shrink to shrink the partition once, freeing up 1.4 gigs..
>I want to dual boot to 64bit Vista so I need to free about 20gigs to
>install 64bit. It keeps telling me that if snapshots (?) and Paging files
>are stored on the drive that I am trying to partition it will reduce the
>size that I am allowed to shrink. Well I have no idea what snapshots
>are... System Restore is OFF, and my virtual memory is set to 1.53 gigs.
>My recycle bin is set to 500megs, and IE7's cache is set to 1meg.
>
> So...wtf? I have searched all over the net to find an answer. So here I
> am... Anyone know how I can repartition my drive??
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> ~Andy

I did find that solution online in a forum somewhere so I tried it, with no
luck. I am at wits end with this thing.

~Andy

"Jane C" <jellybean@NOSPAMxjgarage.org> wrote in message
news:94A15AC0-2C7D-4E89-BBD5-9DB32E4D1F09@microsoft.com...
> Did you defrag the drive before shrinking? There may be system files that
> are fixed in place on the disk - if they can't be moved, then that will
> limit the available shrink space.
>
> --
> Jane, not plain 64 bit enabled :-)
> Batteries not included. Braincell on vacation ;-)
> "TheMadPoster" <TheMadPoster@DragonNote.net> wrote in message
> news:%23BewuHXVHHA.4188@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>>I have a 74 gig drive with 53gigs free. Vista Home Premium installed. I
>>was allowed to shrink to shrink the partition once, freeing up 1.4 gigs..
>>I want to dual boot to 64bit Vista so I need to free about 20gigs to
>>install 64bit. It keeps telling me that if snapshots (?) and Paging files
>>are stored on the drive that I am trying to partition it will reduce the
>>size that I am allowed to shrink. Well I have no idea what snapshots
>>are... System Restore is OFF, and my virtual memory is set to 1.53 gigs.
>>My recycle bin is set to 500megs, and IE7's cache is set to 1meg.
>>
>> So...wtf? I have searched all over the net to find an answer. So here I
>> am... Anyone know how I can repartition my drive??
>>
>> Thanks in advance.
>>
>> ~Andy
>

Turn off Volume Shadow Copy and Hibernate. Unless needed, I would
turn off System Restore also. The built-in defrag cannot move MFT type
data. I would download the trial version of Perfect Disk 8.0. Do both a
Offline and GUI based defrag. Then retry Diskmgmt.Msc to shrink the
volume. This type of operation is always risky, so I'd take a Image of
the volume in it's current state - Things can and do go wrong as PCs have
a wicked sense of humor.

Perfect Disk 8.0 Trial version sign-up here:
http://www.raxco.com/products/downlo...0_download.cfm

"TheMadPoster" <TheMadPoster@DragonNote.net> wrote in message
news:ef8KtUaVHHA.4668@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>I did find that solution online in a forum somewhere so I tried it, with no
>luck. I am at wits end with this thing.
>
> ~Andy
>
> "Jane C" <jellybean@NOSPAMxjgarage.org> wrote in message
> news:94A15AC0-2C7D-4E89-BBD5-9DB32E4D1F09@microsoft.com...
>> Did you defrag the drive before shrinking? There may be system files
>> that are fixed in place on the disk - if they can't be moved, then that
>> will limit the available shrink space.
>>
>> --
>> Jane, not plain 64 bit enabled :-)
>> Batteries not included. Braincell on vacation ;-)
>> "TheMadPoster" <TheMadPoster@DragonNote.net> wrote in message
>> news:%23BewuHXVHHA.4188@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>>>I have a 74 gig drive with 53gigs free. Vista Home Premium installed. I
>>>was allowed to shrink to shrink the partition once, freeing up 1.4 gigs..
>>>I want to dual boot to 64bit Vista so I need to free about 20gigs to
>>>install 64bit. It keeps telling me that if snapshots (?) and Paging
>>>files are stored on the drive that I am trying to partition it will
>>>reduce the size that I am allowed to shrink. Well I have no idea what
>>>snapshots are... System Restore is OFF, and my virtual memory is set to
>>>1.53 gigs. My recycle bin is set to 500megs, and IE7's cache is set to
>>>1meg.
>>>
>>> So...wtf? I have searched all over the net to find an answer. So here I
>>> am... Anyone know how I can repartition my drive??
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>
>>> ~Andy
>>
>

I wanted to shrink then Vista partition from 60 gig to 30 gig. I first tried
using Vista Disk Management. I could only get down to 42 gig due to being
blocked by unmovable files on the Vista partition. After booting into the
Acronis Disk Director Suite (version 10) I was able to shrink the partition
down to my
desired 30 gig.

The partition survived the operation and I have been using Vista RTM for the
past 2 months with no strange occurrences.


--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!



"TheMadPoster" <TheMadPoster@DragonNote.net> wrote in message
news:ef8KtUaVHHA.4668@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>I did find that solution online in a forum somewhere so I tried it, with no
>luck. I am at wits end with this thing.
>
> ~Andy
>
> "Jane C" <jellybean@NOSPAMxjgarage.org> wrote in message
> news:94A15AC0-2C7D-4E89-BBD5-9DB32E4D1F09@microsoft.com...
>> Did you defrag the drive before shrinking? There may be system files
>> that are fixed in place on the disk - if they can't be moved, then that
>> will limit the available shrink space.
>>
>> --
>> Jane, not plain 64 bit enabled :-)
>> Batteries not included. Braincell on vacation ;-)
>> "TheMadPoster" <TheMadPoster@DragonNote.net> wrote in message
>> news:%23BewuHXVHHA.4188@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>>>I have a 74 gig drive with 53gigs free. Vista Home Premium installed. I
>>>was allowed to shrink to shrink the partition once, freeing up 1.4 gigs..
>>>I want to dual boot to 64bit Vista so I need to free about 20gigs to
>>>install 64bit. It keeps telling me that if snapshots (?) and Paging
>>>files are stored on the drive that I am trying to partition it will
>>>reduce the size that I am allowed to shrink. Well I have no idea what
>>>snapshots are... System Restore is OFF, and my virtual memory is set to
>>>1.53 gigs. My recycle bin is set to 500megs, and IE7's cache is set to
>>>1meg.
>>>
>>> So...wtf? I have searched all over the net to find an answer. So here I
>>> am... Anyone know how I can repartition my drive??
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>
>>> ~Andy
>>
>

Did you look at the version of windows that I am using? Home Premium does
not include Volume Shadow Copy and I also menetioned that Hibernation is as
off as I can turn it. Thanks for trying.

~Andy

"R. McCarty" <PcEngWork-NoSpam_@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:%234KjlYaVHHA.528@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Turn off Volume Shadow Copy and Hibernate. Unless needed, I would
> turn off System Restore also. The built-in defrag cannot move MFT type
> data. I would download the trial version of Perfect Disk 8.0. Do both a
> Offline and GUI based defrag. Then retry Diskmgmt.Msc to shrink the
> volume. This type of operation is always risky, so I'd take a Image of
> the volume in it's current state - Things can and do go wrong as PCs have
> a wicked sense of humor.
>
> Perfect Disk 8.0 Trial version sign-up here:
> http://www.raxco.com/products/downlo...0_download.cfm
>
> "TheMadPoster" <TheMadPoster@DragonNote.net> wrote in message
> news:ef8KtUaVHHA.4668@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>I did find that solution online in a forum somewhere so I tried it, with
>>no luck. I am at wits end with this thing.
>>
>> ~Andy
>>
>> "Jane C" <jellybean@NOSPAMxjgarage.org> wrote in message
>> news:94A15AC0-2C7D-4E89-BBD5-9DB32E4D1F09@microsoft.com...
>>> Did you defrag the drive before shrinking? There may be system files
>>> that are fixed in place on the disk - if they can't be moved, then that
>>> will limit the available shrink space.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Jane, not plain 64 bit enabled :-)
>>> Batteries not included. Braincell on vacation ;-)
>>> "TheMadPoster" <TheMadPoster@DragonNote.net> wrote in message
>>> news:%23BewuHXVHHA.4188@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>>>>I have a 74 gig drive with 53gigs free. Vista Home Premium installed.
>>>>I was allowed to shrink to shrink the partition once, freeing up 1.4
>>>>gigs.. I want to dual boot to 64bit Vista so I need to free about 20gigs
>>>>to install 64bit. It keeps telling me that if snapshots (?) and Paging
>>>>files are stored on the drive that I am trying to partition it will
>>>>reduce the size that I am allowed to shrink. Well I have no idea what
>>>>snapshots are... System Restore is OFF, and my virtual memory is set to
>>>>1.53 gigs. My recycle bin is set to 500megs, and IE7's cache is set to
>>>>1meg.
>>>>
>>>> So...wtf? I have searched all over the net to find an answer. So here
>>>> I am... Anyone know how I can repartition my drive??
>>>>
>>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>>
>>>> ~Andy
>>>
>>
>
>

Resolution,

To completely turn off hibernation and set my paging file to no paging file,
defrag with PerfectDisk and then I was able to shrink it.

Turning off hibernation is done ONLY on the command line and was found by
googling it @ google.com

"Turning off hibernation in vista" was the query I used to accomplish this.

The paging file set to no paging was done through My Computer, properties,
advanced...etc..

PerfectDisk is a nice defragger and worth the $40 I dropped on it today.

Hope this helps some of you.

Just and FYI, I am a windows wiz, and rarely come accross a Bill Gates
puzzle I cannot solve. For those who helped in steering me towards an
answer, thank you. You were the seed. If you need help, post it here, I
will try to help you if I can. BTW, legitimate copies of Vista only, if you
downloaded it...there is no help for you. ;-)

~Andy

"Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:uFoqFqcVHHA.996@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>I wanted to shrink then Vista partition from 60 gig to 30 gig. I first
>tried
> using Vista Disk Management. I could only get down to 42 gig due to being
> blocked by unmovable files on the Vista partition. After booting into the
> Acronis Disk Director Suite (version 10) I was able to shrink the
> partition down to my
> desired 30 gig.
>
> The partition survived the operation and I have been using Vista RTM for
> the
> past 2 months with no strange occurrences.
>
>
> --
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Richard Urban
> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
> (For email, remove the obvious from my address)
>
> Quote from George Ankner:
> If you knew as much as you think you know,
> You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
>
>
>
> "TheMadPoster" <TheMadPoster@DragonNote.net> wrote in message
> news:ef8KtUaVHHA.4668@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>I did find that solution online in a forum somewhere so I tried it, with
>>no luck. I am at wits end with this thing.
>>
>> ~Andy
>>
>> "Jane C" <jellybean@NOSPAMxjgarage.org> wrote in message
>> news:94A15AC0-2C7D-4E89-BBD5-9DB32E4D1F09@microsoft.com...
>>> Did you defrag the drive before shrinking? There may be system files
>>> that are fixed in place on the disk - if they can't be moved, then that
>>> will limit the available shrink space.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Jane, not plain 64 bit enabled :-)
>>> Batteries not included. Braincell on vacation ;-)
>>> "TheMadPoster" <TheMadPoster@DragonNote.net> wrote in message
>>> news:%23BewuHXVHHA.4188@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>>>>I have a 74 gig drive with 53gigs free. Vista Home Premium installed.
>>>>I was allowed to shrink to shrink the partition once, freeing up 1.4
>>>>gigs.. I want to dual boot to 64bit Vista so I need to free about 20gigs
>>>>to install 64bit. It keeps telling me that if snapshots (?) and Paging
>>>>files are stored on the drive that I am trying to partition it will
>>>>reduce the size that I am allowed to shrink. Well I have no idea what
>>>>snapshots are... System Restore is OFF, and my virtual memory is set to
>>>>1.53 gigs. My recycle bin is set to 500megs, and IE7's cache is set to
>>>>1meg.
>>>>
>>>> So...wtf? I have searched all over the net to find an answer. So here
>>>> I am... Anyone know how I can repartition my drive??
>>>>
>>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>>
>>>> ~Andy
>>>
>>
>

Hey Andy I am having the exact same problem. I'm running a Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop with a 60 GB hard drive. The drive says I have 30 GB free, yet will only let me "shrink" the partition by around 10 GB. Let me know if you figure this out.

Trey

EggHeadCafe.com - .NET Developer Portal of Choice
http://www.eggheadcafe.com

I google partition manager find some freeware bellow:
paragon PARAGON Software Group - partitioning, drive backup, hard disk maintenance
I have not used,no comment!
easeus partition manager
I download from brother soft
Download EASEUS Partition Manager, EASEUS Partition Manager 1.6.4 Download
It worked OK, but failed when i tried to merge partition. so i have to allocated the free space to another partition. Partition magic may merge two partitions which will cost you $69.95
cute partition manager
Partition free software - Cute Partition Manager, Bootpart, R-Linux...

It perfectly allows you to shrink a partition, although I wouldn't trust it.
It almost killed my hard drive.