Cannot Reduce Partition More Than 11GB

brianmeade · Jan 21, 2018

Hi I have 221GB free on my hard drive and I am trying to create a 60GB partition. Initially I used the built in partition manager in Windows 10 but the program hangs when doing this. I then tried with EASEUS Partition Master, however it wont let me shrink by more than 11.21GB despite having 221GB free.

Also, I could not drag the slider to resize partition I had to manually click the down arrow or type the amount in to reduce partition (not sure if a software issue?)

USAFRet · Jan 21, 2018

You need to defrag this drive before you start.

brianmeade · Jan 21, 2018

USAFRet :

Ok thanks for the tip I will try this later when I have more time as I think it will take a long time given this disk size.

USAFRet · Jan 21, 2018

brianmeade :

You can only make a partition with a contiguous space. Any file fragments would reduce that available space.

Question...why a 60GB partition?

brianmeade · Jan 21, 2018

USAFRet :

Ok I've now run the defrag (I don't think it was needed because Windows 10 is set to auto optimize the drives) It hasn't helped my situation as I still cannot reduce by more than 11.21GB

brianmeade · Jan 22, 2018

Is anyone able to help me with this? Thanks

ArtPog · Jan 22, 2018

1. First of all, utilize Disk Management to EXTEND the H: partition to encompass the 11.2 GB of unallocated disk-space following the H: partition.

2. Presumably that will provide add'l disk-space to the H partition and assuming you're absolutely certain about that H: partition currently having 221 GB of unused disk-space, i.e., space not containing any data, that will provide unused disk-space of about 232 GB on the H: partition and thus should have little difficulty using DM to shrink the partition by 60 GB in order to create another partition, if that's what your heart desires.

3. If problems continue to exist following the above, send in a screenshot of Disk Management INCLUDING the information in the upper portion of DM that provides add'l details re the installed drives. Capiche?

4. Also, if DM continues to balk at extending the H: partition, send in a screenshot of the error message.

brianmeade · Jan 22, 2018

ArtPog :

Thank you for your reply but I should clarify that 11.21GB wasnt actually unallocated it was showing what it would not go above. I pressed cancel and that 11.21 stays with H: drive. Hope I made it clearer? thanks

ArtPog · Jan 23, 2018

1. I have no idea of the meaning of your statement that the "11.21GB wasn't actually unallocated it was showing what it would not go above." The partition management program screenshot you originally submitted of the 4 TB GPT-partitioned HDD clearly indicates unallocated disk-space of 11.21 following the H: partition.

2. I requested you submit a screenshot of Disk Management with the information I indicated. Please do so.

brianmeade · Jan 23, 2018

ArtPog :

Yes I know the screenshot I originally submitted indicated 11.21 unallocated but it wasnt actually unallocated I was merely showing that the partition software would not let me go beyond that amount. Looking at the screenshot - If I clicked OK it would create the mentioned 11.21GB partition but clicking cancel just meant that the 11.21GB would not be taken off the H: drive.

Here is the requested screenshot of Disk Management hopefully it makes clearer above explanation. Thanks

ArtPog · Jan 23, 2018

1. What occurred when you previously manipulated the 4 TB GPT-partitioned drive with respect to the 11 GB unallocated disk-space is something we'll never know now that you've apparently single-partitioned that secondary drive.

2. Since the secondary drive now apparently contains all your data with only 198 GB of disk-space free for additional data, I assume that satisfies your objective. If not, manipulate the existing data on the drive as you desire.

brianmeade · Jan 23, 2018

ArtPog :

I think you are misunderstanding what I am saying. the 4 TB drive was always set up as a single partition and has been for a couple years. I have not changed my H: drive at all as I said before with respect to the 11GB in the partition manager when I was trying to create 60GB it would not let me do more than 11GB so I cancelled without going ahead with the process so that 11GB unallocated isn't unallocated it has always been part of the 4 TB H: drive. My question was and still is does anyone know why I cannot make more than 11GB unallocated? Thanks

cherry blossoms · Jan 23, 2018

Please note regarding defragmentation: Windows built in defragmentation does not consolidate free space. You can only reduce / change size down to the last used allocation when shrinking the drive. To consolidate free space you will need a 3rd party defragmentation tool.

drtweak · Jan 23, 2018

Download Defraggler by Piriform. You can tell it to consolidate all your free space at the end of the drive. You can then shrink in windows. Otherwise if you use a free partitions software it will move the data blocking the way but could take some time.

ArtPog · Jan 23, 2018

Based on the screenshot of Disk Management you recently submitted there would seem to be no problem is utilizing DM to shrink the current partition of the 4 TB GPT-partitioned HDD by 60 GB (61440 MB) if that's your intention. There's apparently sufficient available disk-space to accomplish this. (Note there's currently 198 GB of available free disk-space to create that partition). If there's a problem is creating that partition I don't know at this point what the problem would be.

brianmeade · Jan 26, 2018

drtweak :

Thank you for your response and I followed your advice by downloading Defraggler it took over 24 hours just finishing a short while ago.
I restarted my PC, loaded up EASEUS Partition Master (a free third party partition manager) however, whereas before using Defraggler the maximum I could partition (despite more space available) was 11GB, but now after running Defraggler I cannot make any size partition.

Don't know why this is happening, I've attached the completed Defraggler screen if it can shed a light on any of my problems, Thanks

cherry blossoms · Jan 26, 2018

Brian, look at the end of the drive, blocks are currently allocated at the end of the drive (the blue and orange colors) The white represents empty space. You need that white empty space to extend all the way to the end of the drive as you can only shrink drives if unallocated space at the end. You can try moving any files located in that end of drive space off of the drive to another drive make sure you have clear unallocated space up to the end of the drive.

Clicking on the block in defraggler should bring up the list function in defraggler on what file(s) are in that block.

drtweak · Jan 30, 2018

Yea may have to run it again. sometimes you can click on them and defrag each file until they are all cleared up.

Also with a big drive like that with only 200GB Free (Which is just under 6% free space) Windows does NOT do well with drive that have less than 10% Free space just do you know. You will start to see some slow down and if you take up most of that space almost impossible to do any defragging in the future.

brianmeade · Feb 7, 2018

Ok thanks I solved the problem by using another partition tool called Mini Partition Tool which seemed to manage despite the fragmentation?

drtweak · Feb 7, 2018

Yea a lot of partition programs can move the data if it its in the way.

Cannot Reduce Partition More Than 11GB

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