Ntfsresize
Encyclopedia
ntfsresize is a free
Unix
utility that non-destructively resizes the NTFS
filesystem used by Windows NT 4.0
, 2000
, XP
, 2003
, and Vista
typically on a hard-disk partition. All NTFS versions used by 32-bit and 64-bit Windows are supported. No defragmentation is required prior to resizing since version 1.11.2. ntfsresize is included in the ntfsprogs
package, developed by the Linux-NTFS project. For those that don't have a Unix
system installed, it is still possible to run ntfsresize by using one of the many Linux Live CD
s.
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
utility that non-destructively resizes the NTFS
NTFS
NTFS is the standard file system of Windows NT, including its later versions Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, and Windows 7....
filesystem used by Windows NT 4.0
Windows NT 4.0
Windows NT 4.0 is a preemptive, graphical and business-oriented operating system designed to work with either uniprocessor or symmetric multi-processor computers. It was the next release of Microsoft's Windows NT line of operating systems and was released to manufacturing on 31 July 1996...
, 2000
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, business desktops, laptops, and servers. Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing on 15 December 1999 and launched to retail on 17 February 2000. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the...
, XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
, 2003
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 is a server operating system produced by Microsoft, introduced on 24 April 2003. An updated version, Windows Server 2003 R2, was released to manufacturing on 6 December 2005...
, and Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
typically on a hard-disk partition. All NTFS versions used by 32-bit and 64-bit Windows are supported. No defragmentation is required prior to resizing since version 1.11.2. ntfsresize is included in the ntfsprogs
Ntfsprogs
Ntfsprogs is a collection of free Unix utilities for managing the NTFS filesystem used by Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7 on a harddisk partition. 'ntfsprogs' was the first stable method of writing to NTFS partitions in...
package, developed by the Linux-NTFS project. For those that don't have a Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
system installed, it is still possible to run ntfsresize by using one of the many Linux Live CD
Live CD
A live CD, live DVD, or live disc is a CD or DVD containing a bootable computer operating system. Live CDs are unique in that they have the ability to run a complete, modern operating system on a computer lacking mutable secondary storage, such as a hard disk drive...
s.
ntfsresize features
- Full compatibility with all known NTFS versions from Windows NT 3.1 to Windows Vista
- Checks internal structures for errors
- Will work in various difficult situations:
- No defragmentationDefragmentationIn the maintenance of file systems, defragmentation is a process that reduces the amount of fragmentation. It does this by physically organizing the contents of the mass storage device used to store files into the smallest number of contiguous regions . It also attempts to create larger regions of...
needed prior to use - Supports both shrinking and expanding NTFS
- Supports resizing volumes with known bad sectorBad SectorBad Sector is an ambient/noise project formed in 1992 in Tuscany, Italy by Massimo Magrini. While working at the Computer Art Lab of ISTI in Pisa , he developed original gesture interfaces that he uses in live performances: 'Aerial Painting Hand' , 'UV-Stick' Bad Sector is an ambient/noise...
s in them
- No defragmentation
- Will refuse to run under certain conditions:
- When the volume is flagged dirty, that is marked for Windows to run CHKDSKCHKDSKCHKDSK is a command on computers running DOS, OS/2 and Microsoft Windows operating systems that displays the file system integrity status of hard disks and floppy disk and can fix logical file system errors. It is similar to the fsck command in Unix.The command is implemented as an executable...
at boot. The --force switch will over-ride this - When Windows is hibernated on the partition
- When the volume is flagged dirty, that is marked for Windows to run CHKDSK