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Disk Partition managers


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Hi,

I am looking for a good Windows 7 x64 partition manager. I was looking at Acronis Disk Director but it's $50 and I have read that there are some free ones that are just as good. Looking for suggestions.

Thanks,

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Kind of depends on what you're doing. If you're just adjusting the partitions, for me under Windows the built in Disk Management snap-in works just fine. If I'm dealing with one of my systems that handle multiple OS's, I made an Arch based live CD for PartEd, GPartEd, and the like. (Along with memory diagnostics, recovery tools, etc etc.. a utility disc of sorts.)

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Kind of depends on what you're doing. If you're just adjusting the partitions, for me under Windows the built in Disk Management snap-in works just fine. If I'm dealing with one of my systems that handle multiple OS's, I made an Arch based live CD for PartEd, GPartEd, and the like. (Along with memory diagnostics, recovery tools, etc etc.. a utility disc of sorts.)

hmmm, I found Windows Disk Manager to be very limited. Maybe I am using it wrong but it would not let me resize partitions etc.. I like/need full control over my disks.

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hmmm, I found Windows Disk Manager to be very limited. Maybe I am using it wrong but it would not let me resize partitions etc.. I like/need full control over my disks.

Depends on your setup of course but it can resize. Right click a partition on the lower pane and hit either Extend or Shrink, along with a few other options like mirroring, etc.

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"hmmm, I found Windows Disk Manager to be very limited"

In what way? You can clearly shrink or extend partitions - this is normally more than enough for general users. That being said there are a few scenarios that are not as straight forward and can be done easier with 3rd party. But you can accomplish what you need without them for sure, might just have to go about it a slightly different way.

One issue is that if you have say 2 parts, and say you want to shrink part 2 to be able to add more space to part 1 -- since the built in manager shrinks the disk from the right side and does not allow movement of the partition its not possible to get the unallocated space you need to expand part1 next to part one. Same goes if you shrink say part1 and want to extend part2, the unallocated space is on the left of part2 in that scenario - when the built in disk manager only wants to extend basic disks when unallocated is to the right of the partition.

example

Here is my original 2 part disk

post-14624-0-20418100-1313850663.jpg

now I shrink part 2 using the build in disk manager to allow space for part 1 to expand into

post-14624-0-43863700-1313850754.jpg

Now with the built in disk manager there is no way to move part 2 to the end of the disk and leave the unallocated space next to part1 so I can expand into it.

BUT!!!! Here the thing.. You should ALWAYS!!! have a backup when dicking with your partitions, especially anything that is moving them around vs a simple shrink or expand.. So if you have a backup of part2, and you want to expand part1 -- then just delete part2, expand part1 to as big as you want and then recreate part2 and put your files back. This would be the MS way to do it, you should ALWAYS have a BACKUP of your files before attempting to dick with the partitions on the disk. So no need for 3rd party if you ask me.

Now second option would be to just make the disk a dynamic disk and then if you need more space for part1 then your pieces of part one don't even have to be on the same disk or next to each other, etc.

post-14624-0-72628600-1313851053.jpg

So see now part1 is bigger, using up that unallocated space which did not have to be actually to the right of the partition you wanted to extend, does not even have to be on the same physical disk.

post-14624-0-53333800-1313851320.jpg

There are always multiple ways to skin a cat, saying your do not have full control over your partitions without 3rd party is NONSENSE pure and simple.. You have full control of them, any thing you could need to do is available for you to do, its just you can not take a few shortcuts like moving a partition around on the disk to allow for where unallocated space will be when you shrink, etc. But this is easy enough to work with simple backup of your data!!! Which everyone should have anyway.

Another way to extend part1 with built in disk manager is now that you have shrunk part2, create part3 in that unallocated space and move all your files from part2 into part3, then delete part2 and now you have unallocated space next to part1 to extend into.

post-14624-0-96566400-1313852048.jpg

As to working with other OSes etc. Again you sure and the F do not need 3rd party partition for this either - since whatever OS your dealing with will have its own partition tools to create/delete/format its file systems etc.. Just let that OS work with the partitions its going to be on. etc.

But if you have your little heart set on using a 3rd party, then sure there are FREE ones available -- you forking over $50 to some company to help you create a partition is foolish if you ask me.. Tell you want, send me $5 and I will walk you through how to do anything you want with your partitions ;)

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The two free tools I see mentioned most often are MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition and EASEUS Partition Master (Home Edition). I've tried both and they both have about the same functionality to provide you with most of what you'll need for partition management on a home computer.

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Easeus or Paragon Partition Manager are good free alternatives if Windows' Disk Management doesn't do what you want.

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