Even Windows users can run this free Linux hard drive utility. We show you how.
Hard drive capacities are quickly expanding, with internal desktop drives approaching the half-terabyte mark. The amount of data you can store on today's consumer hard drives was unthinkable even a decade ago, but huge apps and multimedia files have pushed this expansion. As the amount of data stored increases, so does the need to organize it. This usually means setting up a number of directories, but multiple partitions are another great way to manage high-capacity drives. A number of tools exist to make this easy, such as Norton PartitionMagic 8.01, our Editors' Choice (see our review at http://go.pcmag.com/partitionmagic801 ) among partitioning programs. But whereas PartitionMagic costs $70, the open-source community has a free graphical partitioning tool with many advanced functions: QTParted. Running QTParted from a bootable Linux CD-ROM or DVD is the safest way to use the program, and a method that lets even Windows users run it.
Partitions split a hard drive into sections. Desktop computers generally come configured with only a single partition, usually labeled C: in Microsoft Windows. Think of such a drive as a large house with no interior wallsjust a single general-purpose room. Nearly all houses separate different sections into special-purpose areas, such as bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms, to make better use of the space. Hard drive partitions operate on the same principle.
One common reason for partitioning is to install several operating systems on the same drive. The first partition might have Windows XP; the second, Windows 2000; and a third, Linuxeach OS in its own container. Some PC vendors use multiple partitions for system recoverythe first partition fills most of the drive and holds the operating system, while the second contains a recovery image. Another common use for partitioning is to separate out data. The first partition is devoted to the core operating-system files; the second is for programs, games, or general storage. This has the extra advantage of protecting you in case of file-system errors. Should an error or hard reset corrupt the second partition, the first may remain intact.
Repartitioning, resizing, or moving a partition is risky, whatever tool you use. Back up any crucial data on a partition before you resize it.
According to the Web site ( http://qtparted.sourceforge.net ), QTParted is designed as a Linux-based clone of PartitionMagic. The utility provides a simple interface for you to create, delete, move, resize, format, and otherwise manage partitions. Probably the best way to use QTParted is from a bootable Linux disc, since resizing or moving partitions you're currently booted into is risky. Many bootable Linux distributions, Knoppix among the most notable, include QTParted.
After Knoppix boots (type knoppix at the boot prompt), start at the large letter K at bottom left. Select K | System | QTParted to launch the utility. The main window is split into left and right panes. The left lists any hard drives (and possibly optical drives) that QTParted detects. Click the drive you want to edit (your firstor C:drive will most likely be labeled /dev/hda, your second /dev/hdb, and so on), and QTParted will scan it for partition information, displaying the details in the right pane. The top section of the right pane displays the hard drive and any partitions in graphical form. Below you'll see detailed information on each partition, including file-system type, size, space used, and where the partition starts and ends on the drive. To see the list of changes you can make, either right-click a partition or select it and click the Operations menu.
Since the default on many systems is a single partition for the complete drive, to create extra partitions you must first resize the existing one to make room. Before resizing a Windows partition, be sure to boot into Windows and defrag the drive. After you've completed these preparations, select the partition and choose the Resize operation. The window that appears will let you drag on the partition's representation from either side to shrink or grow it, or you can manually set the size. Click on OK, and the main window will display your new partition and the free space you've created.
To make a new partition from free space, select the space and choose the Create operation. Set the partition type and size, and tell QTParted whether to put it at the start or end of the free space. To move a partition within free space, choose the Move operation and drag the partition or manually enter its start and ending locations in the window that appears.
Athough the utility will now show changes, you haven't changed the actual drive yet-QTParted is only showing you the potential results of the operations. The tool keeps track of your changes and lets you undo them at any time until they are committed. To write the changes to the drive, click on File | Commit. A confirmation window will appear, and once you click on OK, the program makes the changes. Many require a reboot to take effect; click on K and choose Logout to reboot. If you resize a Windows partition, run Chkdsk on it at the next reboot if Windows doesn't do so automatically.
QTParted lacks some features that PartitionMagic has, such as merging partitions; converting between FAT, FAT32, and NTFS file systems; copying individual files between partitions; and managing boot options. Still, for resizing and creating new partitions, QTParted is an easy-to-use, free tool that is as reliable as commercial tools.
Kyle is a systems administrator for The Green Sheet, Inc., the current president of the North Bay Linux Users' Group North, and the author of Knoppix Hacks. Kyle has been using Linux in one form or another since early 1998. In his free time he does pretty much the same thing he does at work -work with Linux.