Resizing partition using Partition Magic8

[ptek]

Hi,

I decided to try Linux. So I was trying to resize a existent partition in order to create a new one for Linux but using Partition Magic8.0 I encountered the following limitation :

The partition to resize lives on a internal IDE 160GB disk (it's seen on PM8 as disk2). There I have 2 NTFS partitions : 10GB + 150GB. Both have 4K clusters.

On the bigger partition I have 15GB free but PM8 only let me shrink up to 6981MB instead of the 15000MB I was hopping for.

I was able to try Acronis Disk Director Suite 9.x and this limitation seems to not be present : It let me shrink the big partition up to its free space (15GB).

But I ask : why does the PM8 behaves like that? If I use Acronis to shrink more than 6981MB would any problem arise? Is it safe to use Acronis?

[adolescent]

Did you defrag?  Perhaps the 6981MB that PM8 will allow you to move is the contiguous block at the end of the partition.  Since Disk Director includes a disk de-fragger it's probably factoring this into the conversion.

Edit: Never mind, I guess PM does a move then it resizes also.

On the question "is it safe?", any partition sizing is potentially dangerous.  I've used Partition Magic in the past, and free stuff like FIPS, and have had successes and failures.
 

[gdanko]

download the free gparted live cd from sourceforge. will do everything you need.

[ptek]

On the question "is it safe?", any partition sizing is potentially dangerous. I've used Partition Magic in the past, and free stuff like FIPS, and have had successes and failures.

I'm aware of the potencial danger in cases of power failure (or even bugs in the software, who knows) but my question about the safeness what related due to the odd result I've got with PM8 ... So I was wondering if PM8, by any reason I'm not aware, decided that in this situation shrinking beyond 6.9GB would cause problems to the data structure of the partition and Acronis wasn't aware of the hypothetical issue...

Or is it PM8 that's crazy?
I have no clue why PM8 behaved like that ...