Re: shrinking win2k on a factory win2k install

[ola]

On Fri, Sep 07, 2001 at 03:57:24PM +1000, Andrew Clausen wrote:
> On Thu, Sep 06, 2001 at 12:25:56PM -0400, address@hidden wrote:
> > When using lib parted on default/factory installs of win2k (fat32) on dell
> > inspirons the partition is resized but it seems to get hosed and unbootable.
> 
> Does it look OK from a DOS and/or gnu/linux rescue disk?
yes, the filesystem appears fine but win2k will not boot.
> 
> IIRC, w2k install CD has a rescue thing... try telling it to reinstall
> the boot loader.  (Can't remember of the top of my head... it's documented
> in the parted docs, which are on the parted bootdisk, etc.)
What we have to do is do install the windows from the recovery discs which is a
long and painful process. I'm not using the parted bootdisk, we have our own
in-house universal install floppy which I used libparted to write our non
interactive resizer/fs creator. (www.emperorlinux.com)

> 
> > However an identical machine (inspiron 8100) with winME the resizing works
> > fine.
> 
> Interesting.
> 
> > I've tried resizing the same win2k machines with fips, and it sees a file 
> > way
> > out near the end of the filesystem and is unable to shrink it down more than
> > about 1 gig. I'm guessing windows has put a file way out in the filesystem 
> > and
> > it is not supposed to be moved, any ideas about what is actually forcefully
> > moved ?
> 
> No, since I don't have a copy of win2k (I'm accepting donations... if
> anyone has any old copies lying around ;)
> 
> I have tested on win2k though, and it worked.

Yes the weird thing is it is only on the new dell ispiron 8100 win2k that it
happens, all other laptops with win2k work fine. There must be something
special with their w2k installs.

> 
> > Or is it possible to hack the library to dump out the sectors greater
> > than some value that contain files and are being relocated ?
> 
> This would be possible, but a non-solution.  If it's that hard to resize
> a partition safely, you may as well backup & restore.  I'd like to fix
> it properly.

If there is something special that win2k has under these installs, and it is
some file way out on the fs I'd like to figure out what it is and why it's not
supposed to get relocated. In any case I'll continue working on it... if I
figure it out I'll post a message.

Thanks,
Ola