System Partitioning

BootIt NG
License: Shareware – $34.95 Last Reviewed: 2010-08-11
Version: 1.87 – Released: 2009-11-30 Windows: All
File Size: 907 KB Both 32- and 64-bit compatible
“BootIt NG is a partition and multi boot manager with a powerful and simple to use set of tools for partitioning, imaging, and multi-booting your computer. It combines the features of several standalone products costing hundreds of dollars more.”
[ See Web site for full feature list; Ed. ]
Anchor Link Disk Director Home
License: Demo – $49.99 Last Reviewed: 2010-06-16
Version: 11.0.0.216 – Released: 2010-06-08 Windows: XP, Vista, 7
File Size: 118 MB
“Acronis Disk Director 11 Home is an all-new version of the most feature-rich disk management product available. If you’re serious about maximizing disk use and data safety, it’s never been easier to create hard disk partitions or resize, move or merge partitions without data loss. Acronis Disk Director 11 Home includes powerful new features like Windows 7 support, Dynamic Disk and GPT disk support, spanning a volume across multiple disks and much more. Key Features:
♦ FAT 16, FAT 32, NTFS, Linux Ext2, Ext3, ReiserFS, and Linux SWAP partition support.
♦ Special sector-by-sector support for copying and moving partitions of any other type.
♦ Split one partition into two and leave your data intact.
♦ Merge two partitions into one and leave your data untouched, even if file systems on the partitions are different.
♦ Explore partition data before performing partitioning operations.
♦ Troubleshoot issues and reasons for failure by viewing logs.”
Anchor Link EASEUS Partition Master HE
License: Free for home users Last Reviewed: 2013-04-17
Version: 9.2.2 – Released: 2013-04-15 Windows: 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8
File Size: 25.7 MB Both 32- and 64-bit compatible
“As Partition Magic alternative, EaseUS Partition Master Home Edition is a ALL-IN-ONE partition solution and disk management freeware. It allows you to extend partition (especially for system drive), manage disk space easily, settle low disk space problem on MBR and GUID partition table (GPT) disk under Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Windows 7 SP1/Windows 8 32 bit and 64 bit system.”
Anchor Link Norton PartitionMagic
License: $69.95 Last Reviewed: 2008-09-23
Version: 8.05 – Released: 2008-09-23 Windows: 98, Me, NT, 2000, XP
“Features:
¤ Divides hard drive into two or more partitions
¤ Runs multiple operating systems on the same PC
¤ BootMagic makes it easy to switch between operating systems
¤ Copy, move, resize, split, or merge partitions
¤ Guides you through the partitioning process
¤ Easy to find, copy and paste files in both Windows and Linux partitions
¤ Create and modify partitions up to 300GB
¤ Supports USB 2.0, USB 1.1, and FireWire external drives
¤ Supports and converts partitions among FAT, FAT32, NTFS, Ext2, and Ext3 file systems
¤ Enlarge an NTFS partition without restarting computer
¤ Resizes NTFS system clusters to the most effective size”
Anchor Link Paragon Partition Manager
License: Trial – $39.95 Last Reviewed: 2010-07-26
Version: 11.0.9887 – Released: 2010-07-26 Windows: 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7
File Size: 301.7 MB Both 32- and 64-bit versions
“Partitioning is not for amateurs. That is why millions of people have trusted our safe, stable technology and professional software solutions for over 15 years. Our latest Edition easily organizes your hard drive and redistributes free space to enhance system performance.
√ Easily resize and move partitions through the smart and safe Resize Wizard.
√ Organize and optimize your hard drive with Create, Format and Delete Wizards.
√ Paragon Hot Resize technology to enlarge partitions without rebooting Windows.
√ Paragon Smart Partition technology to securely perform partitioning operations.
√ Paragon Power Shield technology to provide data consistency.”
Anchor Link Parted Magic
License: Freeware – Donations appreciated Last Reviewed: 2013-05-02
Version: 2013.05.01 – Released: 2013-05-01 Windows: XP, Vista, 7, 8
File Size: 315 MB (ISO)
“The Parted Magic OS employs core programs of GParted and Parted to handle partitioning tasks with ease, while featuring other useful programs (e.g., Partition Image, TestDisk, fdisk, sfdisk, dd, and ddrescue) and an excellent set of documentation to benefit the user. An extensive collection of fileystem tools are also included, as Parted Magic supports the following: ext2, ext3, ext4, fat16, fat32, hfs, hfs+, jfs, linux-swap, ntfs, reiserfs, reiser4, and xfs.
“Parted Magic requires at least a i586 processor and 312MB of RAM to operate or 175MB in ‘Live’ mode.
“This is the bootable ISO. Other versions are available including USB, DOS at the authors Sourceforge download page .”
Anchor Link Partition Assistant Home Edition
License: Freeware Last Reviewed: 2012-07-27
Version: 5.1 – Released: 2012-07-25 Windows: 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, PE
File Size: 3.6 MB Both 32- and 64-bit compatible
“Partition Assistant Home Edition is a completely free partition manager software. It allows you to manage partitions, redistribute disk space easily, and you can use it to perform more complicated partition operations on your hard disk, much like the commercial Partition Magic. Partition Assistant Home Edition is designated for home use only. Features:
• Extend NTFS system partition without restarting computer.
• Resize and Move partition to optimize disk space management.
• Extend Partition Wizard help you step by step expand the size of your selected partition.
• Extend Partition Wizard help you step by step expand the size of your selected partition.
• Merge two or more partitions into a larger one.
• Split one partition into two or more.
• Create, Delete and Format partition.
• Convert file system from FAT to NTFS.
• Wipe permanently sensitive data to anti-recovery.
• Repartition by drag and drop mouse on a disk panel.
• Support Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Windows 7 (Only 32 bit).
• And More… ”
Anchor Link Partition Find & Mount
License: Free for personal use Last Reviewed: 2009-11-22
Version: 2.31 – Released: 2009-11-22 Windows: 2000, XP, 2003, Vista
File Size: 1.6 MB
“Partition Find & Mount implements a new concept of deleted or lost partition recovery. It works in the most convenient way possible by locating and mounting partitions into the system, thus making those lost partitions available to you like any generic disk volume. Partition Find & Mount will also work in case any Boot Record (including the Master Boot Record) is missing, damaged or overwritten.
“Partition Find & Mount is free for personal use and is fully functional software without expiration date or trial period and can be used for as long as you like. The only limitation it has is the speed limit of the data transfer from recovered and mounted volumes. The limit is 512 KBytes per second which is enough for generic home use.
“To switch to the Find and Mount Pro and remove the speed limit, you can purchase a license at the authors site.”
Anchor Link Partition Logic
License: GNU GPL – Open Source Last Reviewed: 2012-05-21
Version: 0.71 – Released: 2011-11-20 OS Support: Mac, Unix, Windows (All)
File Size: Floppy 608 KB – ISO 3.5 MB
“Partition Logic is a free hard disk partitioning and data management tool. It can create, delete, format, defragment, resize, and move partitions and modify their attributes. It can copy entire hard disks from one to another.
“Partition Logic is free software, available under the terms of the GNU General Public License. It is based on the Visopsys operating system. It boots from a CD or floppy disk and runs as a standalone system, independent of your regular operating system.
“Partition Logic is intended to become a free alternative to such commercial programs as Partition Magic, Drive Image, and Norton Ghost. Partition logic does not currently support the following:
¤ Partitioning of SCSI hard disks, and some SATA hard disks
¤ Non MS-DOS/MBR-style partition tables (i.e., Sun, BSD, EFI/GPT)
¤ Formatting filesystems other than FAT and EXT2
¤ Resizing filesystems other than NTFS (Windows XP filesystems)
¤ Serial mice
¤ USB keyboards and mice
¤ Keyboard layouts other than UK English, US English, Italian, or German.”
[ Note the version number, which is below ‘1.0’. While it’s always smart to make a backup before using any partition tool, it’s especially important when the tool is young, as this one is. But it looks good so far … and a free, self-contained partition tool with a graphical front end is a very nice addition to the toolbox. Ed. ]
Anchor Link Partition Wizard HE
License: Freeware Last Reviewed: 2013-03-13
Version: 7.8 – Released: 2013-03-13 Windows: 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7
File Size: 14.4 MB Both 32- and 64-bit compatible
“Partition Wizard Home Edition is a free partition manager designed by MT Solution Ltd. Home users can perform complicated partition operations by using this powerful but free partition manager to manage their hard disk partition such as Resizing partitions, Copying partitions, Create partition, Delete partition, Format partition, Convert partition, Explore partition, Hide partition, Change drive letter, Set active partition and Partition Recovery. Partition Wizard Home Edition is designated for home user only, to use Partition Wizard in a business envirnoment, Partition Wizard Business Edition is required.”
Anchor Link Partitioning Strategies
Information Only Last Reviewed: 2009-06-29
Author: Rad
“This guide shares insights on the subject of hard drive partitioning. Here you will find strategies for the best way to partition your hard drive. The dual-premise behind this guide is:
1. With hard drive capacities growing so large [now 500-GB, or half a tera-byte], intelligent partitioning is becoming more of an issue.
2. It’s better to partition intelligently the first time, than have to go back and repartition later.”
Anchor Link Planning Your Partitions
Information Only Last Reviewed: 2008-09-08
Version: 3.9 – Revised: 2007-07-13
“Partitions are parts — parts of your hard drive. That is, they are logical divisions of a hard disk, which show up to the operating system as if they were physically distinct hard drives. Besides general convenience, the main advantages of carefully planning and optimizing your partitions are that it will make your computer: run faster; crash less; be more efficient in general. The main questions are: Do you want to have your hard drive as one large single partition, or as several? and, If you want multiple partitions, what’s the best way to set them up?”
Anchor Link TestDisk
License: GNU GPL – Open Source Last Reviewed: 2012-05-21
Version: 6.13 – Released: 2011-11-15 Windows: NT4, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7
File Size: 3.27 MB Also: DOS, Linux, Sun OS, Mac OS
Both 32- and 64-bit compatible
“TestDisk was primarily designed to help recover lost partitions and/or make non-booting disks bootable again when these symptoms are caused by faulty software, certain types of viruses or human error (such as accidentally erasing your Partition Table). TestDisk can:
¤ Fix partition table, recover deleted partition
¤ Recover FAT32 boot sector from its backup
¤ Rebuild FAT12/FAT16/FAT32 boot sector
¤ Fix FAT tables
¤ Rebuild NTFS boot sector
¤ Recover NTFS boot sector from its backup
¤ Fix MFT using MFT mirror
¤ Locate ext2/ext3/ext4 Backup SuperBlock
¤ Undelete files from FAT, NTFS and ext2 filesystem
¤ Copy files from deleted FAT, NTFS and ext2/ext3/ext4 partitions.”
“TestDisk queries the BIOS (DOS/Win9x) or the OS (Linux, FreeBSD, Windows) in order to find the Hard Disks and their characteristics (LBA size and CHS geometry). TestDisk does a quick check of your disk’s structure and compares it with your Partition Table for entry errors. If the Partition Table has entry errors, TestDisk can repair them. If you have missing partitions or a completely empty Partition Table, TestDisk can search for partitions and create a new Table or even a new MBR if necessary.
“To recover lost pictures from digital camera or harddisk, run the PhotoRec command. TestDisk and PhotoRec are shipped together.”