NTFS resizing

[Uruk-hai]

I was wondering if there is any easy way to resize my NTFS partion. Is there an easy way of doing this with a program or some kind command? I'm very new at this so use basic terms please...lol.
thanks all. ;)

[Hippytaff]

You can do it with a programme called Gparted from a live CD, but back everything up first because things can go wrong :-)

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/

[zvacet]

Boot your Ubuntu live CD and under system start gparted.With it resize partition.You can add unallocated space to ubuntu partition.

[NertSkull]

If you have ubuntu installed and the NTFS drive is just another mounted drive (i.e. the windows mount). You don't even need to use a live CD. GParted is in the repositories and is a great little tool.

But yeah, definitely back up everything first.

[Uruk-hai]

If you have ubuntu installed and the NTFS drive is just another mounted drive (i.e. the windows mount). You don't even need to use a live CD. GParted is in the repositories and is a great little tool.

But yeah, definitely back up everything first.

Why would I need to back everything up first? Is it possable that I could loose my stuff? Or will it just wipe it anyway?
Also. How do I use this program gparted? Is it idiot proof or is it for crazy linux people?

[sandyd]

Why would I need to back everything up first? Is it possable that I could loose my stuff? Or will it just wipe it anyway?
Also. How do I use this program gparted? Is it idiot proof or is it for crazy linux people?

because whenever you mess with partitions, something bad can possibly happen.



its quite easy.
First, install gparted.


sudo apt-get install gparted
gksudo gparted

Second, choose the partition (mind you, choose the right one!)
right click it and choose resize.

Play with the slider until you have the space you want, and click ok.

click on the green checkmark.

oh, and don't resize it with gparted if the partition contains windows vista/7.

[Uruk-hai]

So is there a way to tranfer hard drive space to my ubuntu partion so its not like 7 GBs? How do you do it in gparted?

[sandyd]

So is there a way to tranfer hard drive space to my ubuntu partion so its not like 7 GBs? How do you do it in gparted?

post output of


sudo fdisk -l

actually, a screenshot of gparted would be better.

[cariboo]

You would probably be better off resizing your NTFS partition using the Windows disk management software. Then use gparted to increase the size of you Ubuntu partition.

[Uruk-hai]

post output of


sudo fdisk -l

actually, a screenshot of gparted would be better.

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xa42d04a3

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 5 40131 de Dell Utility
/dev/sda2 * 6 59527 478110465 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 60742 60802 484352 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 59528 60742 9751553 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 59528 60684 9285632 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 60684 60742 464896 82 Linux swap / Solaris

[Uruk-hai]

You would probably be better off resizing your NTFS partition using the Windows disk management software. Then use gparted to increase the size of you Ubuntu partition.

Is increasing the size of a partition and resizing a partition different? All I want to do is make it so I have more hardrive space in my ubuntu partition.

[sandyd]

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xa42d04a3

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 5 40131 de Dell Utility
/dev/sda2 * 6 59527 478110465 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 60742 60802 484352 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 59528 60742 9751553 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 59528 60684 9285632 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 60684 60742 464896 82 Linux swap / Solaris

any reason why you have two swap partitions?
If you don't have any,
post output of


cat /etc/fstab

Current thoughts (dont do it though...)
delete /dev/sda3
resize /dev/sda2 with free space created on the right
boot into livecd, swapoff /dev/sda6 (or whatever it will be called after /dev/sda3 is deleted)
expand the extended partition
expand the linux partition

[sandyd]

Is increasing the size of a partition and resizing a partition different? All I want to do is make it so I have more hardrive space in my ubuntu partition.

if you don't have windows7/vista, you don't need to resize the ntfs partition in windows.

The thing is, free space is best created to the right of a partition when it is shrunk. That part is easy and quite fast.
The really slow part is expanding the ubuntu partition.

[Uruk-hai]

if you don't have windows7/vista, you don't need to resize the ntfs partition in windows.

The thing is, free space is best created to the right of a partition when it is shrunk. That part is easy and quite fast.
The really slow part is expanding the ubuntu partition.

okay. I am using xp right now. So how do make my ubuntu partition bigger? Do I use gparted? If so, how do I use it?

[Mark Phelps]

The vast majority of problems reported using GParted to resize NTFS partitions where when the partitions were Vista/Win7 OS NTFS partitions. And even then, not ALL cases were reported as problems -- only some.

But ... in those problem cases, Vista/Win7 was rendered unbootable -- which meant that without repairing the partitions (something that could NOT be done using Ubuntu or GParted), the folks lost usage of their Vista/Win7 OSs.

Which is why SOME of us tell everyone who is going to resize a Vista/Win7 OS partition to use the MS Windows builtin Disk Management utility -- NOT Gparted.

[NertSkull]

I'd agree that using the windows management would be ideal in your case.

Basically you would want to shrink your windows partition (NTFS) using the windows disk utility.

THEN, after you have shrunk it, load into linux and use GParted to increase the Ubuntu disk space into the free/unformatted space you just created.

More steps, but probably the safest way.

And again, backup. The design is not to lose any data, if all runs smooth the backup will not be used. BUT, as always with partitioning, things can often go wrong. Better to be safe.


How to use it.

I don't remember for sure in windows. Been years since I've used it. But GParted is pretty straight forward. You select the hard drive (in upper right) then you can go through all the actions you want it to do. But it actually doesn't change anything until you hit start or apply or go or some button like that. GParted has a GUI and is way easy to use. I'm sure there is lots of stuff out there on how to do the windows portion though.

[sandyd]

okay. I am using xp right now. So how do make my ubuntu partition bigger? Do I use gparted? If so, how do I use it?


I'd agree that using the windows management would be ideal in your case.

Basically you would want to shrink your windows partition (NTFS) using the windows disk utility.

THEN, after you have shrunk it, load into linux and use GParted to increase the Ubuntu disk space into the free/unformatted space you just created.

More steps, but probably the safest way.

And again, backup. The design is not to lose any data, if all runs smooth the backup will not be used. BUT, as always with partitioning, things can often go wrong. Better to be safe.


How to use it.

I don't remember for sure in windows. Been years since I've used it. But GParted is pretty straight forward. You select the hard drive (in upper right) then you can go through all the actions you want it to do. But it actually doesn't change anything until you hit start or apply or go or some button like that. GParted has a GUI and is way easy to use. I'm sure there is lots of stuff out there on how to do the windows portion though.
Only windows 7/vista has the partiton resizer.
-----------------------

anyways,

do you need the swap space that I mentioned earlier?
and can you post the output of


cat /etc/fstab

[NertSkull]

ah, I stand corrected. Like I said I haven't used windows in some time. But thats right, XP doesn't have that capability.

You can get commercial ones (like partition magic) but that doesn't seem worth it for the price.

I'm sure sandyd and others will have better advice :)

[Jerry N]

I don't think it has been mentioned but if you want to resize an NTFS partition containing Win XP and you want to continue using XP, it is imperative that you run your Windows defragmenter, preferably more than once. You should then start defragment again and note where the last used sectors are located on your hard drive, ie at 50%, 75%. You can then boot up one of the partition editor programs and resize the NTFS partition but don't make it so small that you delete the last used sectors noted above. I would suggest then booting into Windows XP to see if everything is still OK. I have done this several times without hurting anything. And yes it is very easy to screw up the works with the partition editor. It will give you a chance to back out of whatever you have told it to do but beyond that the changes are irreversible. Back up all files important to you before doing any of this stuff. As a matter of fact, back up those files even if you aren't going to do any of this stuff!!!

Jerry

[Uruk-hai]

Only windows 7/vista has the partiton resizer.
-----------------------

anyways,

do you need the swap space that I mentioned earlier?
and can you post the output of


cat /etc/fstab

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>

proc /proc proc nodev,noexec,nosuid 0 0
#Entry for /dev/sda5 :
UUID=95b658e1-267a-48fb-86f8-e105f8942629 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
#Entry for /dev/sda2 :
UUID=60E09790E0976AD4 /media/sda2 ntfs-3g defaults,locale=en_US.utf8 00
#Entry for /dev/sda6 :
UUID=88b65607-1657-4dd1-a26d-79273b496304 none swap sw 0 0

ok...I'm still a bit confused. There's no easy way to just make it so that the NTFS partition has less and then just add that to the ubuntu partition?

[Mark Phelps]

ok...I'm still a bit confused. There's no easy way to just make it so that the NTFS partition has less and then just add that to the ubuntu partition?

That's called "resizing" -- shrinking one partition and growing another.

As to MS Windows partitioning apps, Google for EASEUS Partition Master. It's a free download that should allow you to resize the XP NTFS partition without problems.

[AnjanaSofia]

Jumping in here with a related issue...(And as a disclaimer I'm totally new to Linux, Ubuntu 10.10 will be popping my cherry... if I can get it to work!)

I'm trying to install 10.10 alongside the already-installed XP on my eee pc 1005HA. For some reason the disk came formatted into 4 partitions, so the "install alongside another OS" option in the Ubuntu install does not show up for me, so I have to do some tinkering with partitions.

I'd like to make my XP (ntfs) partition as small as possible... right now it's about 77GB with a little over 22GB used. Ideally, I'd like to shrink it down to 30 or maybe 35 just to be on the safe side.

I've seen people say stuff like:


I don't think it has been mentioned but if you want to resize an NTFS partition containing Win XP and you want to continue using XP, it is imperative that you run your Windows defragmenter, preferably more than once. You should then start defragment again and note where the last used sectors are located on your hard drive, ie at 50%, 75%. You can then boot up one of the partition editor programs and resize the NTFS partition but don't make it so small that you delete the last used sectors noted above.
Jerry

So here's my issue: after defragging 3 times, the partition with XP on it still looks like the attached picture; there's nothing left to defrag, but after a bunch of free space there's some file(s) left way out on the right side. I don't want all that space wasted, but I'm afraid if I try to shrink it to less than 50% of the drive it will erase those out-there files and eff things up.

Is there a way to move those stupid files closer to the beginning so I can shrink this partition? The XP disk management utility won't allow me to shrink the C: drive. I've heard that gparted can do this, but I've also heard the opposite, and like I said I'd rather not screw things up and have to restore XP from CD.

Any suggestions???

Oh and let me know if this belongs somewhere else on the forum - dumb newbie here.

Thanks in advance!

[Mark Phelps]

Resizing is NOT your problem. Your problem is that you already have the maximum partition limit. Your problem is a LOT harder to solve.

Please don't "jump in here" with your own, different, problem.

You would do better starting your own thread -- and mention that you already have 4 primary partitions -- so folks will know what kind of problem you have.

[AnjanaSofia]

OK, I'll start a new thread, but just to clarify:

I don't actually think the number of partitions is my main problem, because I can delete one. See, Acer shipped the laptop with the 150GB hard drive split up into two 72GB partitions (C: and D: in Windows), a small recovery partition, and a tiny partition that I'm guessing is for something Windows system-related. Anyway the D: drive is practically empty, so I'm pretty sure I can just delete that partition to make room for Ubuntu. The thing is, I want to make even more room by shrinking the C: drive, and that's where the resizing comes in, which is what I'm asking for help with. Is that not related to the discussions in this thread? Especially Jerry's advice?