Resizing Boot Camp Partition -- GOING CRAZY

[BeSweeet]

All I want to do is simply shrink the size of my HFS+ partition and make my NTFS partition bigger.

I tried CampTune but it doesn't detect my hard drive (common problem).

I'm going to try iPartition soon.

Any other ways of doing this?

In Windows, resizing partitions was a snap. Doesn't seem to be that easy in OS X for some reason.

UPDATE: I was gonna try Disk Utility but it says that it may make my Boot Camp partition unbootable. I don't really want to take a chance...
UPDATE2: I just made my HFS+ partition smaller in boot camp, but it won't let me touch my NTFS partition. I'm thinking about going into Windows 7 and using Disk Management to extend the NTFS partition.

 

[gr8tfly]

It's because the MBR is simulated in the GUID.

I'm not sure iPartition can handle resizing a BC partition - I believe it will, but not sure. Best to check out their site.

I use WinClone to backup and restore the BC partition. That, along with Boot Camp Assistant, will allow you to resize the BC partition. The way I'm currently doing this task is to:

1. make a backup image of the Windows partition using WinClone
2. remove the Windows partition using Boot Camp Assistant
3. recreate the Windows partition at the new size using Boot Camp Assistant
4. Restore the Boot Camp partition using WinClone and the image you made in the first step.

I've been using WinClone for this and to move/restore BC partitions for a while now with 100% success. It's a great tool to have.

 

[BeSweeet]

My BC partition is 101GB. I have no where to put the image. I could put it on my OS X partition but... God I just don't know.

I'll give iPartition a try. Right now there's about 30GB of unallocated space just sitting there. Disk Management in W7 won't let me extend the partition.

 

[alphaod]

I use CampTune from Paragon; it works pretty well.

 

[BeSweeet]

It wouldn't detect my HDD. I saw that a lot of people had the same problem with their newer MacBook Pro's.

 

[gr8tfly]

I think iPartition will be the best option.

If you have room in your OS-X partition, the WinClone option will work.

I hate to point out the obvious, but you need an external/secondary drive. I wouldn't even think about changing the partition of my primary drive without a backup.

 

[BeSweeet]

I don't have anything to lose. I'm just kinda frustrated because these things are sooooo easy in Windows. My hackintoshing days were pieces of cake when making partitions and junk.

Waiting for iPartition to finish.

 

[gr8tfly]

Any other type of partition can be created or resized on-the-fly in Disk Utility (just as "easy" as in Windows ).

It's just the BC partition which is "special". I don't remember all the details, but it's how the EFI - GUID & MBR all play together.

 

[BeSweeet]

Ah, that makes sense.

iPartition is my only hope. It sounds like it'll do everything I want it to.

 

[BeSweeet]

I'll have to do what you recommended. The iPartition DVD is detected (when I hold Option) but it won't boot.

I have 177GB free on my HFS+ partition so that should be plenty.

 

[BeSweeet]

Is Winclone supposed to take a long time (5+ minutes) mounting my image? I'm guessing (and hoping) it's verifying the image. I'll let it go overnight.

 

[gr8tfly]

Is Winclone supposed to take a long time (5+ minutes) mounting my image? I'm guessing (and hoping) it's verifying the image. I'll let it go overnight.

If it's a 100GB partition, it's going to take quite a while to create the image file - especially when reading/writing to the same drive. It's going to take longer than copying 100GB to another drive. Then, it'll take about the same time to restore it back into the Windows partition.

 

[sushi]

I use WinClone to backup and restore the BC partition. That, along with Boot Camp Assistant, will allow you to resize the BC partition. The way I'm currently doing this task is to:

1. make a backup image of the Windows partition using WinClone
2. remove the Windows partition using Boot Camp Assistant
3. recreate the Windows partition at the new size using Boot Camp Assistant
4. Restore the Boot Camp partition using WinClone and the image you made in the first step.

I've been using WinClone for this and to move/restore BC partitions for a while now with 100% success. It's a great tool to have.

I do the same as well.

One benefit is that you now have a backup clone of your BC partition should you need to reinstall.

 

[gr8tfly]

.....One benefit is that you now have a backup clone of your BC partition should you need to reinstall.

Yep. If it gets borked, I can just restore. Not that Windows would ever do that...

I have images taken right after updating to SP3, for instance ("snapshot", if you will). And, another snapshot, after installing BC 3.0 and removing the AppleMNT.sys driver (I do NOT want any connection between Windows and the Mac OS-X side, unless I specifically need it. So far, there isn't any control over which HFS+ volumes mount, so they all get the heave-ho.)

 

[BeSweeet]

If it's a 100GB partition, it's going to take quite a while to create the image file - especially when reading/writing to the same drive. It's going to take longer than copying 100GB to another drive. Then, it'll take about the same time to restore it back into the Windows partition.

Nonono. It already made the imade. I'm trying to restore it to my new partition. I looked at the log and it was tryin to mount the DMG for over 5 minutes.

Will check in the morning.

 

[gr8tfly]

Nonono. It already made the imade. I'm trying to restore it to my new partition. I looked at the log and it was tryin to mount the DMG for over 5 minutes.

Will check in the morning.

It should have made a .winclone, not .dmg, so I hope that's what you meant. Anyway, you don't need to mount it. Use WinClone to restore directly from the image file to the newly resized BC partition. (Unless, WinClone's trying to mount it - I don't remember if that was part of its process.)

 

[maflynn]

I'll have to do what you recommended. The iPartition DVD is detected (when I hold Option) but it won't boot.

I have 177GB free on my HFS+ partition so that should be plenty.

Did you create the DVD? The delivered DVD is not bootable and you need to burn a bootable disk with the supplied utility (Coriolis CDMaker) and your OSX system disc

 

[BeSweeet]

Well .winclone isn't a file, just a container. There's a .dmg of my partition in there.

ANYWAY, it all worked! I know have an extra 50GB of space on my Windows 7 partition. It booted up just fine, but it's showing the Vista boot screen instead of Windows 7's but that's an easy fix.

Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[gr8tfly]

Well .winclone isn't a file, just a container. There's a .dmg of my partition in there.

ANYWAY, it all worked! I know have an extra 50GB of space on my Windows 7 partition. It booted up just fine, but it's showing the Vista boot screen instead of Windows 7's but that's an easy fix.

Thanks everyone for your help.

Glad to help. Sounds like WinClone did the trick.

 

[BeSweeet]

Question: If I get a MBP with a different CPU (one that is a little bit higher clocked), can I image and restore my Windows drive to the new MBP? Really need to know because there's no way in hell I'm going to reinstall everything that's on there.

 

[gr8tfly]

Question: If I get a MBP with a different CPU (one that is a little bit higher clocked), can I image and restore my Windows drive to the new MBP? Really need to know because there's no way in hell I'm going to reinstall everything that's on there.

I was able to use my XP SP2 install from my 2.33GHz MBP to my UB 2.66GHz MBP, but other than that, I haven't tried moving a Windows install much. In the past, it was a nightmare. I suppose it wouldn't be something to stop a Mac upgrade, so it would be worth giving the move a shot and see what happens.