Not enough free space to dual boot with Win7

[thorper]

I have been asked to install PCLinuxOS LXDE onto a desktop that currently runs Windows7. All unwanted files have been removed from Win7 drive C: and a defrag has been run. The HDD reports about 77GB of free space. Running the Win7 shrink partition utility shows the following

Total size before shrink in MB : 152485
Size of available shrink space in MB : 220

Having searched various websites it appears the Win7 has unmovable files restricting the amount of available space I can use to 220MB when there is at least 77GB available. Would using GParted during the installation process pf PCLinuxOS do a safe/proper resize of Win7 or is there something I need to do to allow me to use more of the 77GB of available space. I want to avoid having to reinstall Windows7.

[gseaman]

I've never re-sized Win7 partitions, (just erased them ), but I have heard good experiences with gparted. Make sure you back everything up before changing your partitions, cause you never know for sure.

Galen

[Archie]

Friend: Hey, thorper, could you help me install PCLinuxOS LXDE on my desktop so I can dual boot with my shiny Win7?

thorper: Sure, but is that really what you want to do? Win7 don't really play nice and we might run into some problems but nothing that I cannot fix.

Friend: So it's possible?

thorper: Yes, it is. But you will be wasting so much of your hard disk space by installing two OS and you can only use one at a time. I think Win7 takes up so much of your HD that it would be better to wipe the whole thing clean and just run PCLinuxOS. It takes up less disk space plus you can just run your Win7 on top of PCLinuxOS via VirtualBox and you'll still have as many virtual desktop to use for PCLinuxOS... at the same time!

to be continued...

[thorper]

Friend: Hey, thorper, could you help me install PCLinuxOS LXDE on my desktop so I can dual boot with my shiny Win7?

thorper: Sure, but is that really what you want to do? Win7 don't really play nice and we might run into some problems but nothing that I cannot fix.

Friend: So it's possible?

thorper: Yes, it is. But you will be wasting so much of your hard disk space by installing two OS and you can only use one at a time. I think Win7 takes up so much of your HD that it would be better to wipe the whole thing clean and just run PCLinuxOS. It takes up less disk space plus you can just run your Win7 on top of PCLinuxOS via VirtualBox and you'll still have as many virtual desktop to use for PCLinuxOS... at the same time!

to be continued...

Friend: My computer only has 1 GB of memory and I need to run MS Office so i can do my online course  work and this is the only reason I need to use Windows. I use Libre Office for some of my course work, on my PCLinuxOS based netbook which you installed for me, but Windows is needed to complete some of the course work and take the online tests.

[Xenaflux]

Is this going to help you ?

http://thpc.info/how/use_gparted_to_resize_windows_7_vista_partition.html

Use Perfectdisk10Pro to move unmovable files

[Ramchu]

EaseUS
I have used this many times to shrink Windows Partitions so that one can dual boot.
It is FREE to download and use the Home Edition.
OF course You should backup any important information before altering the partition size.

Download Link : http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm

It's very easy to use.

[thorper]

I found some info about disabling system restore which I did and also disabling paging which I also did, although disabling paging did create other issues because of the lack of memory. Still unable to resize the partition using the Windows 7 in-built resize partition function  Moving on to plan B which is using the link given by Ramchu, many thanks for that. I am tempted to install PCLinuxOS LXDE and let that resize for me. I think this might mess up the Windows boot but I would hope that Redo MBR would correct that afterwards. Any thoughts?