[RBM]

Is it possible to expand a NTFS disk partition with data to unallocated space without data degradation with free software ?

This is what I've found and confirms my memory, with the answer being 'NO'.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. good news and bad news when it comes to resizing the primary partition on a hard drive with a Windows XP operating system. The good news is that you can do it for free. The bad news is that the operating system doesn't have software that allows you simply resize a single primary partition, so you may have to copy all your important documents to an external drive, reinstall Windows XP, and copy your documents back to the primary partition, along with any software you want reinstalled.

For the above reason, I am also working on cloning an image; fdisking the disk and reimage back to the disk. I'm not sure though if the reimage uses ALL the space or only what the original image had for space.

Edit: Norton Ghost 6.03 fills all space in the reimage task.

[Frag]

I'm pretty sure ntfsresize will expand just fine, plenty of linux live CDs or installers should have gparted or something that will let you do this graphically.

[Ordered Chaos]

I myself have used the Parted Magic live Linux CD to do exactly what you are describing. I used the Partition Editor GUI if I remember correctly and had no issues. Please keep in mind that if you are running Windows Vista or Windows 7 that you can resize the partition in Disk Management while the OS is running.

[jinx31]

I've used the Parted Magic Live CD to do exactly what you are looking for on an XP laptop. It worked like a charm.

[Latro]

I have also used gparted to resize an NTFS partition with no issues. I just did it a few months ago when I installed the Linux system I'm using now, in fact.

[RBM]

Thanks all, for the info !

I re-sized successfully on a XP/NTFS with Gparted.

I'm just learning W7 on another system so it's nice to know about the partition on-the-fly feature.

[Synapse]

	Originally Posted by RBM To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I'm just learning W7 on another system so it's nice to know about the partition on-the-fly feature.

Indeed. Keep Ghost on your system; it will be of great use -- especially if you suffer catastrophic data loss.

And W7's method of partitioning HDDs is excellent; they have simplified and made the process more useful since the old-school method of XP and the abhorrent method of Vsta (where I and others lost data).

[RBM]

	Originally Posted by Synapse To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Indeed. Keep Ghost on your system; it will be of great use -- especially if you suffer catastrophic data loss. And W7's method of partitioning HDDs is excellent; they have simplified and made the process more useful since the old-school method of XP and the abhorrent method of Vsta (where I and others lost data).

I never went to Vista, mostly because I've made a habit of staying away from the 'bleeding edge' technology. The bad news on Vista came out early and lots, as I faintly recall, then.

It's good to here that the old-school method was actually improved my MS. I have pretty well given up on MS for innovation - unless backed into a corner, it seems.

[Synapse]

	Originally Posted by RBM To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I never went to Vista, mostly because I've made a habit of staying away from the 'bleeding edge' technology. The bad news on Vista came out early and lots, as I faintly recall, then. It's good to here that the old-school method was actually improved my MS. I have pretty well given up on MS for innovation - unless backed into a corner, it seems.

I apologize if I veer off-topic somewhat. Vista was unnecessary "refinement" to an OS that dod not need change (XP). About the only aspect of Windows in general that was benefitted was a now-ostentatious GUI. Faced with unrelenting hatred towards Vista, Microsoft modified the code to be somewhat closer to Vista with an XP core. One of those code changes created the dynamic partition scheme (a hold-out requested by developers since Win2k).

The problem with Microsoft is what you said: they innovate in a way antithetical to the adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" to an unhelpful degree until the power-users (developers especially) are screaming at them to return to roots. This enough times makes the best Windows OS' have incremental core changes; anytime they attempt something stupid (like UAC), people hate them. This has happened before woth WinME also (the worst OS I have ever used).