Copying a boot drive to a smaller size partition

[bnot]

I wish to copy a boot drive. However the Boot drives partition is about 90GB where as the drive I am copying it to is about 80GB. The thing is there is only about 50GB of data so I assumed it would be fine. Unfortunately Drive Image wont let me do it unless the new partition is bigger or equal to the old one.

Is there any way around this?

I considered re-partitioning the old drive to make the partition with the data smaller, but Im not sure if there is a risk in doing that (of losing data etc)

 

[Paperdoc]

It will seem an odd question at first, but who made the 80 GB drive?

Reason I ask is, many HDD makers make available for FREE on their websites a set of utilities that do this job perfectly. While they are commonly used to clone an older drive to a new larger one, they can do your job just as well. Seagate has Seagate Disk Wizard, and WD has Acronis True Image WD Edition, both based on Acronis. BUT each version has been customized to make the clone copy TO that maker's drive (they don't care whose older drive you are abandoning). Other HDD makers may have similar free tools.

You download the software and install on your current C: drive. Then you mount and connect the new drive in the machine and run the software. You MUST be sure to identify properly SOURCE and DESTINATION drives because EVERYTHING ON THE DESTINATION DRIVE WILL BE DESTROYED! In fact, since you're re-using an older drive, I suggest you specifically Delete any previous Partition(s) on the 80 GB unit. As you set up options, it often wants to make the clone copy is the same size as the Source (impossible in your case, but the software may figure this out all by itself), but you can manually set to a different size. You will want it to Create a Primary Partition that is bootable, and you may need to select a File System to use. For most new large drive users the choice is NTFS, but you have an older smaller drive. IF your older 90 GB unit is running NTFS, make the clone that way, too. BUT if you have been using a FAT32 File System, you could tell it to do that or try to change it to NTFS if you want. I don't know if that works or not. Run the software to make the clone.

When done, shut down and disconnect the older 90 GB unit, then boot up and adjust the BIOS Setup to boot from the 80 GB unit that has the clone. Verify that it works. Then you can leave it that way, or shut down and re-connect the 90 GB unit and set your BIOS to boot from whichever one you want, but not the other just to avoid confusion.

 

[bnot]

The drive is made by toshiba. Im gonna look for utilities now.

I tried using XXcopy to clone the drive and it actually worked However I cant get it to boot XXcopy even has an option to make it bootable, but unfortunately the pc just hangs before anything starts booting (just a flashing cursor in the top left of a black screen). I have no idea why this is.

 

[MRFS]

You'll need to downsize the C: partition first, with a good program
like Partition Commander from Avanquest:

http://www.avanquest.com/USA/software/partition-commander-11-126553?meta=pc-utilities&cat=disk-management-software&sub=hard-disk-software


It worked perfectly the first time we downsized a C: partition
from 250 GB to 30 GB.

To ensure data integrity, it's also a good idea to make a drive image
of the original C: partition first, before downsizing,
in case you need to "rewind"

Check out this WD version of Acronis True Image:

http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp


I hope this helps.


MRFS

 

[dokk2]

If all else fails ,,,get a hold of norton ghost it WILL clone to a smaller partition,PDQ...