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This is an interesting giveaway, today only, 12 August.
http://www.giveawayoftheday.co.....h-version/
The current version of Paragon Partition Manager (PPM) is version 10.0 and costs $80 US. The free version available today at GAOTD is version 9.5 and does not include official support for Windows 7. Also, this free version does not allow you to make a WinPE boot disc.
Also of note, the free-for-today-only version 9.5 of PPM supports Vista and 64-bit Windows.
LH, that Rescue Kit is free every day at Paragon, along with a few other goodies:
http://www.paragon-software.co.....loads.html
I just located another one that will 'work' on Vista 64 bit, or at least it claims it will.
Partition Wizard is the program, and it claims to be Partition Magic, or was, Ver. 4. The website really has some bad english on it, and the help addresses are Canadian. Doesn't give me a 'warm fuzzy' on this.
I'm turned off by Paragon's offering right now. I may be reading between the lines, but it seems it doesn't shrink the boot partition AND still keep the data in it? The HELP isn't too clear on the sector check box on the RESIZE dialog box, and I've see too many messages in the support forum about not booting a system after changing the boot drive to want to try it? Those that do have the problem are told to use the CD, but the free copy doesn't have that?
Ispalten,
Think most of the difficulties you mentioned re Paragon are to do with Windows architecture,not a specific fault.
My problem with Paragon is the confusing layout,which caused a wipe of my active C-my fault, but for example Partition Wizard and Easus are much clearer for me.
Partition Wizard is excellent.
PS-Outstanding- Its the best I've tried so far-just set up a new partition-cloned/Copied 4'8gb in under 5 minutes flawlessly without a CD required,copies on reboot before Windows starts.
Mikisu,
Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not 'pushing' that product. The problem I was facing (still am) is that I have a 64 bit version of Vista and the 'free' choices for partition size changers are just not there. All cost money, and for something I'd probably use once every 5 years, I just can't justify spending money on, especially if it couldn't be used 5 years later. I've got old copies of Partition Magic that I can't use now for instance. If I had a 32 bit version of Vista there are many free alternatives.
As I read the documentation and looked at the Paragon Forums, I am not sure there is any way to reduce the size of C: without destroying your boot drive? That isn't good. I do have a backup program, Norton Ghost, but it gets finicky when it has to restore to a partition smaller than what it backed up. I just don't think I was to risk that.
You might have a look at "How to resize a partition for free under Vista"-one of the How to Geek articles and see if that works. HERE
The problem with reducing the restored image size is that Backup apps like yours and mine, Shadow Protect,takes an exact image of the entire system including the free space etc,so the restore must be the same size or larger.
Even if possible to reduce the restored partition size with a partition manager,would think there would be no guarantee as to its reliability.
You mentioned an excellent manager Partition Wizard,which is free and will work with Vista 64.
I have used to do quite a bit of work,including copying/cloning,which method I am now using as an always ready backup,as well as Shadow Protect.
Its been 100% reliable ,very fast-recommended at least to try.
The best I've used!
ispalten,
Think there may be a solution to our mutual problem of reducing the active system partition.
Using Partition Wizard,just reduced a system clone partition of C from 34 to 10GB and its working perfectly.
Havent tried reducing C directly,but the method which certainly works is:
Install XXClone xxxxxxxxxxxxx.Freeware.
Clone the active system to a suitable partition.
Using Partition Wizard,reduce the size of that partition to whatever required.
Make a QuickBoot floppy Diskette, load and reboot.
On reboot choose the target partition which should boot up and work perfectly.
Then make the cloned target partition the new active C system partition as explained.
That's it.
Edit by mod. Link removed.
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