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Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition?

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In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage AndyHancock <andymhancock@gmail.com> wrote:
> I was talking to tech support about cloning all 4 partitions in my
> Toshiba Satellite A660 laptop to a smaller auxiliary HDD (not creating
> an image, but a clone -- recoverable image may be in the plans in the
> future).  If the laptop HDD suffers a hardware failure, I can drop the
> clone into the laptop, be up and running (and source down a new HDD).
> Alternatively, the newer (faster) HDD can displace the current HDD.

> From asking in forums, partition 1 is for booting, partition 2 is the
> C-drive, and partitions 3 & 4 are for various recovery operations and
> content.  According to experienced posters, Acronis True Image and
> Norton Ghost will both adjust partition 2 in the cloning process so
> that all partititions fit in the target HDD, without requiring the
> partitions to be resized in the source HDD.  I find it reassuring that
> I don't have to mess with the partitions on the source HDD until I've
> confirmed the integrity & full functionality of all partitions in the
> target HDD.

> However, one Toshiba forum poster said that shrinking partition 2
> causes partitions 3 & 4 to start at lower locations, and he found that
> the recovery functionality was lost.  I didn't ask for further details
> but there are two functions he could be referring to: (1) the
> creationg of recovery discs using a dedicated Toshiba app and (2)
> restoring to factory state (Toshiba's are designed to do this by
> pressing 0 during power up).  I want to retain both functions (1) and
> (2) in the clone.

> As an alternative to on-the-fly resizing, Tech support suggested
> shrinking partition 2 on the source HDD before cloning, reassuring me
> that it is safe and common practice.  In fact, Windows 7 includes
> functionality for adjusting partitions.

> I am new to disk management and don't have a detailed picture of how
> partition shrinkage works. 

In that case I strongly suggest you do not attempt it. It can go
wrong.

>  I imagine my C-drive partition to have
> content scattered throughout the partition, even though I use a
> miniscule portion of the capacity.  Even after a defrag, you can't
> assume that all the content is compressed to the bottom of the
> partition, and when you boot up, who knows at where in the partition
> the OS is utilizing disk space from.

> My main question is: How is it that you can shrink a C-drive partition
> without fear of amputating content in the space that becomes unused
> space?

Depends on the approach. If you shrink the filesystem first and then
the partition, all data is retained. If you just shring the partition,
the effect you describe takes place.

> P.S. In a related note (related to the context of the above question,
> that is), is there a way to test the 2 recovery functions of the
> cloned partitions 3 & 4?  For (1), I can burn recovery discs again,
> but it seems a waste (and I'd have to figure out how to compare them
> with my existing recovery discs).  For (2), I'd have to perform a disc-
> less recovery, which I don't really want to do.  I like having my
> current system state (though I suppose if it's just the clone HDD that
> reverts to factory state, no big deal).  I'm wondering if there is a
> simpler, faster indicator of correct functionality.

I would recommend getting a disk that you just can to a 1:1 
clone to. A bit more expensive, but a lot less change of 
desaster, i.e. loss of the current disk. In any case before
attempting dangerous operations like a filesystem and/or
paertition resize, a full backup is non-optional.

Oh, and stay away from Parition Magic. It has a nasty habit
of crashing in the middle of the process and messing up 
the disk beyond recovery in the process.

Arno
-- 
Arno Wagner, Dr. sc. techn., Dipl. Inform., CISSP -- Email: arno@wagner.name
GnuPG:  ID: 1E25338F  FP: 0C30 5782 9D93 F785 E79C  0296 797F 6B50 1E25 338F
----
Cuddly UI's are the manifestation of wishful thinking. -- Dylan Evans

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Thread

Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? AndyHancock <andymhancock@gmail.com> - 2012-01-05 16:31 -0800
  Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2012-01-06 17:57 +1100
  Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? Arno <me@privacy.net> - 2012-01-06 09:46 +0000
    Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? "john james" <jj@jj.com> - 2012-01-07 08:02 +1100
    Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? AndyHancock <andymhancock@gmail.com> - 2012-01-06 21:55 -0800
      Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? Arno <me@privacy.net> - 2012-01-07 14:15 +0000
        Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? AndyHancock <andymhancock@gmail.com> - 2012-01-07 13:12 -0800
          Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? Arno <me@privacy.net> - 2012-01-07 22:50 +0000
            Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? AndyHancock <andymhancock@gmail.com> - 2012-01-08 16:27 -0800
  Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? Winniethepooh@100acrewoods.net (GMAN) - 2012-01-06 16:39 +0000
    Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2012-01-07 08:14 +1100
      Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? Winniethepooh@100acrewoods.net (GMAN) - 2012-01-06 21:35 +0000
        Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2012-01-07 14:46 +1100
          Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? AndyHancock <andymhancock@gmail.com> - 2012-01-06 22:07 -0800
            Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? Arno <me@privacy.net> - 2012-01-07 14:19 +0000
              Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? "john james" <jj@jj.com> - 2012-01-08 06:28 +1100
                Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? Arno <me@privacy.net> - 2012-01-07 22:51 +0000
            Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2012-01-08 07:33 +1100
              Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? AndyHancock <andymhancock@gmail.com> - 2012-01-07 13:31 -0800
          Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? Winniethepooh@100acrewoods.net (GMAN) - 2012-01-07 15:44 +0000
            Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2012-01-08 07:09 +1100
        Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? Krypsis <krypsis@optusnet.com.au> - 2012-01-08 01:40 +1100
          Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2012-01-08 06:54 +1100
          Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? AndyHancock <andymhancock@gmail.com> - 2012-01-07 13:19 -0800
          Re: Does shrinking a partition lop off content at top of partition? Arno <me@privacy.net> - 2012-01-07 22:56 +0000

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