What utility would you recommend (ideally a free one) that would allow me to reduce the size of the C: drive to maybe 50% of its default size, even if that will require the relocation of blocks belonging to active files, so they do not fall outside of the new partition boundaries?
This is a free diagnostic command to see Windows ability to shrink:
Open administrative command prompt and copy and paste:
diskpart
lis dis
lis vol
sel vol c (use number as needed)
shrink querymax
Post a share link.
Third party software could include Mini tool partition wizard, disk genius, etc.
Before doing anything I run Tools on Properties of the C: drive to check for errors then I run Optimize/Defrag to get all the files contiguous to each other which gives free space all together.
Then I boot a free Linux LiveUSB that has GPARTED such as Ubuntu/Kbuntu/Lubuntu or my favorite Linux Mint. GPARTED is a free partition editor. There's other methods but I've used mine for years with only one issue and that was forgetting to check for errors and optimize.
Forum freeware favourites
MiniTool Partition Wizard
AOMEI Partition Assistant
Both have an easy-to-use graphic interface, much more simpler if you're learning to use and to see what the implications of partition management, are
Once familiar, then slip into the command line options with a better understanding
That is the time to make mistakes or to avoid!
Open "Diskmanagement" and rightclick on (C:) and select "shrink". The default value shows you the MAXIMUM. Type for example: 10 GB = 10 * 1024 = 10240, click OK and see what happens.
In the next step you select "EXTEND" and you see the max possible value =10240. Select that, click OK and see what happens.
Not a single 3rd party tool is needed!
A (C:) size of 150 GB is usually enough in 95 % of all cases.
Once you have decided, you have to move the "Recovery Partition" to the end of (C:) That is easy as well!
Attention:
If the value from Step 1 (shrink) is very small, you have to disable the "Restore Points" first and to delete the hiberfil.sys
Last edited by Pentagon; 1 Day Ago at 00:16.
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