Path: ...!Xl.tags.giganews.com!local-4.nntp.ord.giganews.com!nntp.earthlink.com!news.earthlink.com.POSTED!not-for-mail NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2024 02:58:20 +0000 Subject: Re: Fwd: shrink drive c: to install a new operating system Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,alt.comp.os.windows-10 References: <1FqdnRqkxrtuxvb6nZ2dnZfqnPoAAAAA@earthlink.com> From: "186282@ud0s4.net" <186283@ud0s4.net> Organization: wokiesux Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2024 21:58:19 -0500 User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:78.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/78.13.0 MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed Content-Language: en-US Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Message-ID: Lines: 144 X-Usenet-Provider: http://www.giganews.com NNTP-Posting-Host: 99.101.150.97 X-Trace: sv3-tKVDft63YeddlvVP0mZ12NbBPQnKGuKNYcP8ajFnOxocQ1SWLo84nx1LH4A/kwyZZgCON/F3rPn7cFu!AFe1tm2+jOrBJKGO7VrLysZHUYu1K3oNuskz/IOFr1Joi/L7Py/KAWf0acryA+TwowdchBeGqBGK!s+HAlcu5mLZvEJbu2pFR X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Please be sure to forward a copy of ALL headers X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Otherwise we will be unable to process your complaint properly X-Postfilter: 1.3.40 Bytes: 7805 On 12/25/24 12:08 PM, Paul wrote: > On Tue, 12/24/2024 8:12 PM, 186282@ud0s4.net wrote: >> >> >> >> -------- Forwarded Message -------- >> From: 23 2024 <> >> X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 >> X-Mozilla-Status2: 00800000 >> X-Mozilla-Keys: Subject: Re: shrink drive c: to install a new operating system >> Newsgroups: alt.comp.os.windows-10 >> References: <87r05wvnj2.fsf@example.com> >> From: 186282@ud0s4.net <186283@ud0s4.net> >> Organization: wokiesux >> Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2024 20:11:22 -0500 >> User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:78.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/78.13.0 >> MIME-Version: 1.0 >> In-Reply-To: <87r05wvnj2.fsf@example.com> >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed >> Content-Language: en-US >> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >> >> On 12/24/24 3:22 PM, Salvador Mirzo wrote: >>> Please followup-To alt.comp.os.windows-10.  (Note this is not just a >>> Windows question, but I believe the Windows newsgroup is more >>> appropriate: perhaps there are other system's shrinking tool that could >>> help me here.  Thanks for any ideas.) >>> >>> I'm interested in installing a new operating system.  Haven't decided >>> which yet---perhaps FreeBSD, perhaps GNU Guix.  I've got 195 GiB free in >>> my c: drive plus 655 MiB unallocated which I was able to get from >>> shrinking the c: drive using the Windows 10 Disk Management tool. >>> >>>    Disk Management (how my storage looks right now) >>>    https://prnt.sc/WZ1fF5S9ARJ1 >>> >>> Disk Management is not able to shrink more.  It says it has been done >>> what it could with those 655 MiB. >>> >>>    https://prnt.sc/ez9O5JUVUVXv >>> >>> I turned hibernation off, restarted and tried again.  Same thing. >>> Looking at the defrag event in the application log, I find: >>> >>> --8<-------------------------------------------------------->8--- >>> A volume shrink analysis was initiated on volume (C:). This event log >>> entry details information about the last unmovable file that could limit >>> the maximum number of reclaimable bytes. >>>     Diagnostic details: >>>   - The last unmovable file appears to be: \System Volume >>>     Information\{fba11b84-afde-11ef-adfe-48684ad40403}{3808876b-c176-4e48-b7ae-04046e6cc752}::$DATA >>>   - The last cluster of the file is: 0x76e787e >>>   - Shrink potential target (LCN address): 0x466119b >>>   - The NTFS file flags are: ---AD >>>   - Shrink phase: >>>     To find more details about this file please use the "fsutil volume >>>   querycluster \\?\Volume{f5e639db-a758-4dfa-9804-d5d4d0286fb7} >>>   0x76e787e" command. >>> --8<-------------------------------------------------------->8--- >>> >>> Using the fsutil command, I get: >>> >>> --8<-------------------------------------------------------->8--- >>> C:\Windows\system32>fsutil volume querycluster \\?\Volume{f5e639db-a758-4dfa-9804-d5d4d0286fb7} 0x76e787e >>> Cluster 0x00000000076e787e used by ---AD \System Volume >>> Information\{fba11b84-afde-11ef-adfe-48684ad40403}{3808876b-c176-4e48-b7ae-04046e6cc752}::$DATA >>> --8<-------------------------------------------------------->8--- >>> >>> Anything else I could try?  I have not tried to use other system's >>> shrinking programs.  Could they do a better job?  Perhaps this is not >>> the best newsgroup to ask this question. >> >> >>   Winders can make a kind of a mess out of "C:" with >>   'unmovable' files and 'recovery' stuff kinda scattered >>   all around. >> >>   If you are using a desktop then just install another >>   HDD and use that. Some laptops have a socket for another >>   m12 card or similar. "-ix' systems are much smaller than >>   Winders, so you don't need a huge second drive. >> >>   Otherwise, if even gparted or the 'Acronis' version >>   for your existing HDD won't straighten it out there's >>   little choice but to back up, manually format the >>   disk with gparted into two distinct partitions and >>   re-install Winders. Not terribly attractive ... >> >>   I've wondered if the Win scheme is a subtle form of >>   Bill "linux-proofing" PCs  :-) > > You worry too much :-) Windows and Linux live in complete harmony. > > I just shrank a C: partition down to the minimal size. > Nothing stands in my way. To do it, I need storage space. > Either for a Macrium backup (.mring) or space for a clone-with-shrink. > > [Picture] > > https://i.postimg.cc/52DsrbVW/Shrinking-With-Backup-Clone-Software.gif > > While the Disk Management has overly conservative usage of the > Defrag API that prevents perfect control, not every software > developer has a limited imagination. > > And the evidence of skill and the usage of Test Benches by the > external developers, comes from their bug rate. Which for Macrium, > is damn close to zero. > > When I bought Acronis Disk Doctor, the very > first test I did caused a corruption. Macrium does not do > stuff like that. Acronis though, it promised to change cluster > size on an NTFS volume. I looked at this and said "No, you > can't do that". Well, I tested, and they *almost* pulled > it off, except some of my System32 files had zero size after > it was finished. A kind of "dumpster fire". I had a backup before > testing the only "stretch" feature the tool had, and I was not > really all that surprised at the result. > > It's the same anywhere, YOU test the quality in, because > people you cannot see, may or may not care all that much. > In the previous paragraphs, are two diametrically opposed results. > Careful developers and... the other kind. > > If you use a third party tool, it can take part time testing > for months, to conclude what kind of developers they were. Things like Acronis and Macrium ... I've had many successes AND a few 'dumpster fires'. Sorry, nothing's perfect for every possible need. To clear space for Linux, do a FULL backup of yer Win partition, format/partition the HDD, then use the restore options to 'make it fit' the now-smaller Win partition. This USUALLY works. In any case, it's NOT as easy as in the 'old days' - and I still suspect that's intentional. IF possible, the secondary disk really IS the easiest way to go. Even 250gb is usually more than enough for most any sane -IX distro to work with unless you're storing huge videos locally.