How to create - or convert - partitions in a Legacy MBR/BIOS setup

Get Minitool Partition Wizard (free)
Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Wizard Free

1. Delete the D: and Q: partitions.
2. Use Partition Wizard to extend the C: partition to the left, to grab the free space left after deleting D: and Q:
3. Now you have a C: partition and the Win 10 recovery partition.
4. Use PW again and shrink the C: partition to the left, by about 40 GB.
5. Now you have C:, 40 GB unallocated, and the Win 10 recovery partition.
6. Now you can use that 40GB unallocated for the Linux.

...and you'll have only used 3 partitions, so you have an extra slot, for... whatever.

br1anstorm said:

Thanks Ghot.....

That almost seems too easy! But I like the simplicity of it.

I had understood that GParted could do pretty much what PW or EaseUS do in terms of partition management. Although I don't think GParted can "convert" a primary partition to a logical one (PW and EaseUS claim to be able to do so).

Presumably PW can deal with the other problem identified above - that if partitions are "moved to the left" the boot manager may not be able to find where they start?

This is all beginning to seem more complicated than I had expected....

Yeah, they can move the partitions either direction.
As mentioned, when you move or resize the C:\ partition, PW or EaseUS will reboot the computer to do it.

Btw, unlike the old days, neither PW or EaseUS will let you make bootable media in the free version anymore.
But it will still reboot to work on the Windows partition.


Another little tidbit of information is that the Macrium Reflect backup software, WILL let you make the bootable media in the free version. Best of all, MR's bootable media provides both network and command prompt, if you need them.

Ghot said:

...unlike the old days, neither PW or EaseUS will let you make bootable media in the free version anymore.

MiniTool didn't actually make the bootable media when you clicked the 'bootable' button, instead it directed you to a web page where you could download it. 9.1 was that last version that was free to download, and that page has long been removed from the MiniTool website.

Fortunately that page is archived in the Wayback Machine and you can download it from there

Wayback Machine: Bootable Partition Manger | MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable Edition

Bree said:

MiniTool didn't actually make the bootable media when you clicked the 'bootable' button, instead it directed you to a web page where you could download it. 9.1 was that last version that was free to download, and that page has long been removed from the MiniTool website.


Fortunately it's archived in the Wayback Machine and you can download it from there

Bootable Partition Manger | MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable Edition

Yep. I tried it with 9.1 and it took me to the current page, when I tried to make the bootable media.
But I do have a copy of the 8.1 ISO of Partition Wizard.

I don't think 8.1 will deal with GPT partitions though. It's too old.

Dropbox - pwhe8.1.iso.7z - Simplify your life



I also have this...

Dropbox - MacriumRescue PE 7.3.5365 ISO.7z - Simplify your life

Ghot said:

Yep. I tried it with 9.1 and it took me to the current page, when I tried to make the bootable media.

Did you try the link I gave in post #17? it takes you to the archived copy of that page for 9.1. Click the 'Free download' button and you'll get ISO.

Bree said:

Did you try the link I gave in post #17? it takes you to the archived copy of that page for 9.1. Click the 'Free download' button and you'll get ISO.

Nice. That worked. Last time I tried to do it through the 9.1 program and that didn't work.

It scans clean, locally and at Virustotal.








/edit

I just burned it to a CD. Brb, I'm gonna see if it works.


It works. It's version 9.0. It does handle GPT and convert. It also has that great tool... Fix MBR.