Solved Hellp on moving a partition & increasing its size (Brink?)

FuturePerfect

New Member
Messages
4
I haven't found a detailed step-by-step guide on how to move then resize a partition. I'd really appreciate help from experts here.

I have a Dell XPS 12 Win 8.1 system with 7 GPT Primary factory partitions. I cloned the 256 GB mSATA SSD to a 512 GB mSATA SSD.

*** Right now my disk looks like this with (D) empty (no data):

|-OS (C)--|-Data (D)-|-PBR Img-|-None--|-Unallo--|
|-112 GB-|-109 GB--|---6 GB----|-8 GB-|-227 GB-|
|---#5----|-[empty]--|----#6----|--#7---|---------|

I've omitted 4 uninvolved factory partitions, showing only the rightmost 3 factory partitions (#5 #6 #7) and an Unallocated area.

*** My objective--w (D) & Unallocated combined--is this sequence:

|-OS (C)--|-PBR Img-|-None--|-Data (D)-|
|-112 GB-|---6 GB---|-8 GB--|-336 GB--|
|---#5----|----#6----|--#7---|-[empty]--|

I need to know what to do to get this all to happen.

According to an expert Dell XPS 12 user, partitions #5, #6, and #7 MUST be contiguous in the last sequence shown, because otherwise a Dell backup program will not work, plus there are other problems.

*** I'm looking for partition manager how-to details, hoping to simply drag 109 GB (D) over to the right (just left of the 227 GB Unallocated area) then easily make those two a 336 GB (D) drive

My objective sequence HAS been accomplished by the expert Dell XPS 12 user mentioned above who arranged his partitions just like that, although he had different intermediate partition positions and proceeded somewhat differently. He Outlines what he did here:
How to upgrade the SSD in the XPS12 (...whilst avoiding the mistakes I made!) - Laptop General Hardware Forum - Laptop - Dell Community

I've tried partition managers' Resize/Move function with a slider, but exactly how to use the slider to move a partition eludes me.

These partition managers I've tried and have installed now are:
-EaseUS Partition Master 10.1
-Paragon Partition Manager 2014 Free
-MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition 8.1.1
(I've also tried its bootable CD that runs under Tiny Core Linux)

Unless I meet my objective above, I can't use my XPS 12 for work, since I need a 512 GB SSD to hold all the existing data I have.

Thank you very much for reading and for any help you can provide.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
When playing with partitions, you should always make a backup image. Macrium will do both for you ie. make a backup and allow you to swap the partitions.

If you wish you can try using:Macrium Reflect Free to make a backup to an external drive then follow the video below:
[video=youtube;VErakp4jTfU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VErakp4jTfU&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1x64PWMC Ubuntu14.04x64 MintMate17x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brewed
    CPU
    I7 4970K OC'ed @4.7 GHz
    Motherboard
    MSI-Z97
    Memory
    16 GB G-Skill Trident X @2400MHZ
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
    Sound Card
    X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional Series
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual HP-W2408
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1200
    Hard Drives
    256 GB M2 sm951, (2) 500GB 850EVO, 5TB, 2 TB Seagate
    PSU
    Antec 850W
    Case
    Antec 1200
    Cooling
    Danger Den H20
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Logitech Performance Mouse MX
    Internet Speed
    35/12mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
Thank you very much for your response. Sorry for the delay in replying. I didn't expect a response so fast.

Here is a Disk Management screen shot of my XPS 12 disk.

XPS 12 Disk Mangement Screenshot.png

Here is a Macrium Reflect screen shot of that same XPS 12 disk.

XPS 12 Macrium Reflect Screenshot.png

I included this Macrium Reflect screen shot because it shows a partition #3 that does not show up on Disk Management. That partition is also cited by the expert Dell XPS user I mentioned.

NOTE: I now see the ID numbers of partitions #6 and #7 in my original crude diagram are shifted in the Macrium Reflect screen shot. Partition #6 is now #7; #7 is now #8; presumably since the 109 GB formerly-unallocated space after partition #5 is now a recognized #6 (D) drive. Sorry for the somewhat confusing change.

Note: I used Macrium Reflect to first make full backup images of my original 256 GB SSD, then clone this disk to my current 512 GB SSD in an external mSATA caddy, shrinking the OS (C) partition #5 from 221 GB to 112 GB (the remaining unallocated 109 GB left over from that shrinkage was turned into the empty Data (D) drive).

Of course the current Unallocated space of 227 GB at the right end is due to the larger size of the 512 GB SSD.

Thanks again for your quick follow-up, and let me know if you need any additional information.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
NOTE: First make a full backup of your 500GB SSD if you have not done it yet so you'll get the new partition layout of your 500GB SSD then continue.
Yes, since you installed Windows with GPT style, there is a hidden partition (128MB MSR) which is reserved from MS and disk management does not show it. To see this partition, you can use diskpart. However, it does also show up in Macrium.

I edit your screen shot so that when you restore, you'll see it looks like the screen shot below. Follow the instruction in the screen shot to move the partitions 7, 8 then 6 (D: drive). From the video, after restore, right click on D: drive then select Extend Volume.

a.png
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1x64PWMC Ubuntu14.04x64 MintMate17x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brewed
    CPU
    I7 4970K OC'ed @4.7 GHz
    Motherboard
    MSI-Z97
    Memory
    16 GB G-Skill Trident X @2400MHZ
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
    Sound Card
    X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional Series
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual HP-W2408
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1200
    Hard Drives
    256 GB M2 sm951, (2) 500GB 850EVO, 5TB, 2 TB Seagate
    PSU
    Antec 850W
    Case
    Antec 1200
    Cooling
    Danger Den H20
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Logitech Performance Mouse MX
    Internet Speed
    35/12mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
topguncp: Wow! Thank you for the video and for your comments on my Macrium Reflect screenshot. I thought this was a stock Macrium video, but when I played it and saw you took the time to make a video custom to my problem, I was amazed and gratified. I'm getting excited. I had no idea you could do this so easily with Macrium Reflect. Thanks to your video it looks like I can arrange these partitions properly. I have to go to sleep now, but I will study this more and, given my schedule, I'll get back to you in the next 2 days in this thread with a reply about the results. Again, my greatest thanks for providing your time and experience. FuturePerfect
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
You're quite welcome and good luck !!! ;)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1x64PWMC Ubuntu14.04x64 MintMate17x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brewed
    CPU
    I7 4970K OC'ed @4.7 GHz
    Motherboard
    MSI-Z97
    Memory
    16 GB G-Skill Trident X @2400MHZ
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
    Sound Card
    X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional Series
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual HP-W2408
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1200
    Hard Drives
    256 GB M2 sm951, (2) 500GB 850EVO, 5TB, 2 TB Seagate
    PSU
    Antec 850W
    Case
    Antec 1200
    Cooling
    Danger Den H20
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Logitech Performance Mouse MX
    Internet Speed
    35/12mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
topguncp:


Your instructions worked great! I had a slight heart murmur when I saw on one of your Macrium Reflect screens what looked like the original config after all operations had been completed. But then I noticed the Restore tab was being shown, and when I switched to the Disk Image tab while doing the operations, I saw that the new config showed up there. The operations changed the name of my Data partition from (D) to (F), so since I wanted to keep (D), I changed from (F) to (D) in Disk Management. I loaded the Dell backup and it appears OK.


I then promptly made several backup image copies on different backup drives (and verified them) with Macrium Reflect:) Your showing me how to use Macrium Reflect to move partition locations so easily by deleting those partitions from the mSATA drive then dragging and dropping the same partitions from the external backup image to change the partition order, was SO much easier than the day I spent researching and trying 3 poorly documented partition managers whose Move operation was a puzzle.


Thank you so much once more for allowing me to get my XPS 12 partitions properly organized. After I worked on and off nearly 1 week to research and try solutions and got only frustrated, you solved my problem and allowed me to implement that solution in less than 1 day. So I'm off to move my files over from my old PC.


Thanks again.


FuturePerfect
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
Glad to hear that it worked out OK for you and thank you for reporting back.
Cheers !!!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1x64PWMC Ubuntu14.04x64 MintMate17x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brewed
    CPU
    I7 4970K OC'ed @4.7 GHz
    Motherboard
    MSI-Z97
    Memory
    16 GB G-Skill Trident X @2400MHZ
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
    Sound Card
    X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional Series
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual HP-W2408
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1200
    Hard Drives
    256 GB M2 sm951, (2) 500GB 850EVO, 5TB, 2 TB Seagate
    PSU
    Antec 850W
    Case
    Antec 1200
    Cooling
    Danger Den H20
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Logitech Performance Mouse MX
    Internet Speed
    35/12mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
Back
Top