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The time has come: how do I safely resize the C: partition and move Linux to that disk?
(lemmy.world)
It may be too much to ask but here it goes:
I have temporarily installed LMDE6 on an HDD where I had a bit of free space, worked with it, experienced Steam with Proton and now I am convinced: I want to move to Linux from Windows for good.
Have another disk, an SSD in which most of the space is taken up by the Windows C: partition. Would like to move Linux there after shrinking the Windows partition a bit more than what it currently occupies now.
I have tried to do this with Paragon on Windows, but after restarting no change can be seen, despite no error being presented. Tried from Linux with GParted but all attempts end up with an error when running ntfsresize.
So
- What do I use to do this and how do I do it safely? 2.How do I move the content of my current Linux partition (less than 50 GBs) to that disk keeping the bootloader and everything else working? And what filesystem is best to use?
Thank you in advance for your help!
Okay. Let's first start with the obvious : any attempt to change partitions may result in data loss. Before starting, backup everything you can't afford to lose.
Now, the reason it might fail is because Windows tend to enter some kind of hibernation state, rather than truly shutdown.
You first need to disable fast boot. To disable Fast Boot in Windows, press the Windows Key + R, type "powercfg.cpl" and hit Enter. In the Power Options window, click "Choose what the power buttons do," then uncheck "Turn on fast startup" under Shutdown settings. If that doesn't work, follow any instruction online to disable it.
Now, when shutting down Windows, hold the shift button when you click on shutdown. It might take a long time to shutdown, that is to be expected (might take anytime between 1 to 10min). Do not panic, do not force shutdown.
Now you can open Gparted. Please note that data loss is possible when touching the partition table. This is your reminder to backup. Resize your partition and hope for the best.
EDIT : Mind you that moving a Linux partition to another Linux partition is always bound to fail if you don't know how to change GRUB config files (+ maybe other cfg). If you don't know how, or you are unsure, don't attempt it.
Your best course of action would be to reinstall a new Linux distro on the newly created partition, then moving your old files. Don't reuse a home partition if one is already present, it is bound to fail miserably.
If you're unsure which FileSystem to use, go with the default one your installer comes with.
EDIT 2 : Seeing the planned partition table, don't shrink Windows to 300Gb when 275Gb is already used. It might lead to errors and data loss. When resizing, it is best to have a free space corresponding to minimum 10% of your SSD capacity (in this case 50 Gb) to minimise errors.
Either resize to 325Gb or lose some Windows disk space.
Thank you for the thorough explanation.
I guess making a backup of the C: partition is a bit more complicated than just copying the data somewhere (which I anyway have lo space for anywhere), but just for my knowledge, is there a Linux software you would use to do that?
Given this situation I guess I need to wait until I can scavenge another SSD just for Linux and restart from zero there.
On my MB I have 2 slots for M.2 NVMe drives available. Could I use any of those without any problem or is there any hardware recommendation?
I know this is days later, but having your personal, irreplaceable files backed up to external is just going to be a great practice to keep anyway. If your OS is your home, your external is your homeowner's insurance. Periodically update your backups. Timeshift is a great restore tool, but you should not rely solely on it.
The partitions where I have my OS contain just that. All programs and media/data are not there.
Yeah, it's a good way to do it. I still rather use external. That way if anything corrupts my internal drives or my GPU plug lights on fire (like the horror stories I've been hearing about some of the newer GPUs) then at least my personal files are saved and completely separate.
As a bonus, I have it in a fireproof safe. Hopefully its insulated enough where it won't heat the drive up too much if I ever had a fire in my apartment.