Resizing the C drive

April 28, 2008

I have a Dell PowerEdge 1850 with a 67GB RAID-1 set runing Windows

Server 2003

The C drive is 12GB and I want to extend it to 20GB

I can blow away the D and E drives and recreate them later

What is the best way to extend the C-drive.

I do not want to rebuild this server as it has apps that I did not

install or configure and I don't wanna have to figure them out.

I have Partition Magic 8

I have Ghost 7.5

There is also NTBACKUP with ASR

I thought I read that ASR doesnt restore Applications, just OS. This

can't be true.

If I use ghost I will have to leave the domain, ghost and then rejoin

the domain (I've found in the past that ghosted when on the domain

just puts the new machine into a reboot loop).

The question is, if I make a ghost image of this 12GB C-drive, when I

burn to the server again will it just recreate the 12GB partition or

can I rezise to 20GB.

Thanks

April 28, 2008

Re: Resizing the C drive

Hi,

You only wanted to extend the partition, but why are you talking about

backing up (using ghost)?

Partition magic has never fail me in extending the partition.

For your question on ghosting image of 12GB, extending and restore the 12GB

partition, the result will be the same 12GB C drive, just like before you

extending it (but the D and E would be "unallocated". You can then re-resize

to 20GB.

--

Jabez Gan

Microsoft MVP: Windows Server

http://www.msblog.org

"spacemancw" <spacemancw@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:2f72d28e-8228-476d-8578-6ffdf28630ed@a1g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...

>

> I have a Dell PowerEdge 1850 with a 67GB RAID-1 set runing Windows

> Server 2003

>

> The C drive is 12GB and I want to extend it to 20GB

>

> I can blow away the D and E drives and recreate them later

>

> What is the best way to extend the C-drive.

> I do not want to rebuild this server as it has apps that I did not

> install or configure and I don't wanna have to figure them out.

>

> I have Partition Magic 8

> I have Ghost 7.5

> There is also NTBACKUP with ASR

>

> I thought I read that ASR doesnt restore Applications, just OS. This

> can't be true.

>

> If I use ghost I will have to leave the domain, ghost and then rejoin

> the domain (I've found in the past that ghosted when on the domain

> just puts the new machine into a reboot loop).

>

> The question is, if I make a ghost image of this 12GB C-drive, when I

> burn to the server again will it just recreate the 12GB partition or

> can I rezise to 20GB.

>

> Thanks

>

April 28, 2008

Re: Resizing the C drive

Let me approach this from a different angle, as I usually do...

WHY do you need to make the C: drive bigger?

I manage several servers and all have C: drives between 12 and 20 GB...

Then all of them have AT LEAST 25% free space... usually more.

From my perspective, servers should change much - they host your

critical business applications but those apps don't change often and

don't get added often... so the used space on a C: drive should not grow

fast at all. Yes, you have patches and Service Packs, but most patches

are a few MB at best and don't typically add more than a couple of

hundred MB a year (the SP being the exception).

So what exactly is using up the space on the server?

When I see questions like this or got to new environments, I find the

problem is often that data is inappropriately stored on the c: drive.

In the worst cases, Exchange and User Data are on C: when they should be

moved off onto D: or another partition/drive.

I would suggest before you take a RISK and try to resize things (which

will likely cost significantly in terms of time and software licensing),

why not review how your C: drive is setup and move some things... I have

a web page outlining about 20+ things you can do to recover space (I do

most of them myself and as I mentioned, I've got no server with less

than 25% available space and most with much more.

http://www.lwcomputing.com/tips/static/bootdrivesize.asp

spacemancw wrote:

> I have a Dell PowerEdge 1850 with a 67GB RAID-1 set runing Windows

> Server 2003

>

> The C drive is 12GB and I want to extend it to 20GB

>

> I can blow away the D and E drives and recreate them later

>

> What is the best way to extend the C-drive.

> I do not want to rebuild this server as it has apps that I did not

> install or configure and I don't wanna have to figure them out.

>

> I have Partition Magic 8

> I have Ghost 7.5

> There is also NTBACKUP with ASR

>

> I thought I read that ASR doesnt restore Applications, just OS. This

> can't be true.

>

> If I use ghost I will have to leave the domain, ghost and then rejoin

> the domain (I've found in the past that ghosted when on the domain

> just puts the new machine into a reboot loop).

>

> The question is, if I make a ghost image of this 12GB C-drive, when I

> burn to the server again will it just recreate the 12GB partition or

> can I rezise to 20GB.

>

> Thanks

>

April 28, 2008

Re: Resizing the C drive

spacemancw <spacemancw@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I have a Dell PowerEdge 1850 with a 67GB RAID-1 set runing Windows

> Server 2003

>

> The C drive is 12GB and I want to extend it to 20GB

I would, too. 12 is too tight nowadays - your Windows update cache alone

will start taking up tons of space.

>

> I can blow away the D and E drives and recreate them later

>

> What is the best way to extend the C-drive.

> I do not want to rebuild this server as it has apps that I did not

> install or configure and I don't wanna have to figure them out.

>

> I have Partition Magic 8

> I have Ghost 7.5

> There is also NTBACKUP with ASR

>

> I thought I read that ASR doesnt restore Applications, just OS. This

> can't be true.

But it doesn't.

>

> If I use ghost I will have to leave the domain, ghost and then rejoin

> the domain

Why? This is just for a backup. Or, should be.

> (I've found in the past that ghosted when on the domain

> just puts the new machine into a reboot loop).

That's a SID problem and depends on how you're doing your restore. However,

in this case, you wouldn't be doing a restore unless the server went belly

up.

>

> The question is, if I make a ghost image of this 12GB C-drive, when I

> burn to the server again will it just recreate the 12GB partition or

> can I rezise to 20GB.

>

> Thanks

You need ServerMagic (or the nicer equivalent Acronis tool) to do this - and

taking an image backup first is an excellent idea.

April 28, 2008

Re: Resizing the C drive

Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] wrote:

> spacemancw <spacemancw@yahoo.com> wrote:

>> I have a Dell PowerEdge 1850 with a 67GB RAID-1 set runing Windows

>> Server 2003

>>

>> The C drive is 12GB and I want to extend it to 20GB

>

> I would, too. 12 is too tight nowadays - your Windows update cache alone

> will start taking up tons of space.

>

>> I can blow away the D and E drives and recreate them later

>>

>> What is the best way to extend the C-drive.

>> I do not want to rebuild this server as it has apps that I did not

>> install or configure and I don't wanna have to figure them out.

>>

>> I have Partition Magic 8

>> I have Ghost 7.5

>> There is also NTBACKUP with ASR

>>

>> I thought I read that ASR doesnt restore Applications, just OS. This

>> can't be true.

>

> But it doesn't.

>> If I use ghost I will have to leave the domain, ghost and then rejoin

>> the domain

>

> Why? This is just for a backup. Or, should be.

>

>> (I've found in the past that ghosted when on the domain

>> just puts the new machine into a reboot loop).

>

> That's a SID problem and depends on how you're doing your restore. However,

> in this case, you wouldn't be doing a restore unless the server went belly

> up.

>> The question is, if I make a ghost image of this 12GB C-drive, when I

>> burn to the server again will it just recreate the 12GB partition or

>> can I rezise to 20GB.

>>

>> Thanks

>

> You need ServerMagic (or the nicer equivalent Acronis tool) to do this - and

> taking an image backup first is an excellent idea.

>

Lanwench,

Can you clarify what folder you are referring to when you say "Windows

Update Cache"?

Are you referring to the DLLCache, ServicePackFiles, or something else?

Thanks,

-Lee

April 28, 2008

Re: Resizing the C drive

"Jabez Gan [MVP]" <mingteikg@blizNOSPAMhosting.com> wrote in message

news:739F591B-86C1-4399-AEC3-307D69318904@microsoft.com...

> Hi,

>

> You only wanted to extend the partition, but why are you talking about

> backing up (using ghost)?

>

> Partition magic has never fail me in extending the partition.

>

> For your question on ghosting image of 12GB, extending and restore the

> 12GB partition, the result will be the same 12GB C drive, just like before

> you extending it (but the D and E would be "unallocated". You can then

> re-resize to 20GB.

Actually your wrong. You can ghost it back to a bigger parition. This is the

way I'd do it.

>

> --

> Jabez Gan

> Microsoft MVP: Windows Server

> http://www.msblog.org

>

> "spacemancw" <spacemancw@yahoo.com> wrote in message

> news:2f72d28e-8228-476d-8578-6ffdf28630ed@a1g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...

>>

>> I have a Dell PowerEdge 1850 with a 67GB RAID-1 set runing Windows

>> Server 2003

>>

>> The C drive is 12GB and I want to extend it to 20GB

>>

>> I can blow away the D and E drives and recreate them later

>>

>> What is the best way to extend the C-drive.

>> I do not want to rebuild this server as it has apps that I did not

>> install or configure and I don't wanna have to figure them out.

>>

>> I have Partition Magic 8

>> I have Ghost 7.5

>> There is also NTBACKUP with ASR

>>

>> I thought I read that ASR doesnt restore Applications, just OS. This

>> can't be true.

>>

>> If I use ghost I will have to leave the domain, ghost and then rejoin

>> the domain (I've found in the past that ghosted when on the domain

>> just puts the new machine into a reboot loop).

>>

>> The question is, if I make a ghost image of this 12GB C-drive, when I

>> burn to the server again will it just recreate the 12GB partition or

>> can I rezise to 20GB.

>>

>> Thanks

>>

>

April 29, 2008

Re: Resizing the C drive

Hey Gorge,

Thakns for the update.

If ghost can restore to a bigger partition, then that would be the ideal

method.

--

Jabez Gan

Microsoft MVP: Windows Server

http://www.msblog.org

"Gorge Lucas" <gorge192@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:OP3ZPXYqIHA.4716@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>

> "Jabez Gan [MVP]" <mingteikg@blizNOSPAMhosting.com> wrote in message

> news:739F591B-86C1-4399-AEC3-307D69318904@microsoft.com...

>> Hi,

>>

>> You only wanted to extend the partition, but why are you talking about

>> backing up (using ghost)?

>>

>> Partition magic has never fail me in extending the partition.

>>

>> For your question on ghosting image of 12GB, extending and restore the

>> 12GB partition, the result will be the same 12GB C drive, just like

>> before you extending it (but the D and E would be "unallocated". You can

>> then re-resize to 20GB.

>

> Actually your wrong. You can ghost it back to a bigger parition. This is

> the way I'd do it.

>

>>

>> --

>> Jabez Gan

>> Microsoft MVP: Windows Server

>> http://www.msblog.org

>>

>> "spacemancw" <spacemancw@yahoo.com> wrote in message

>> news:2f72d28e-8228-476d-8578-6ffdf28630ed@a1g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...

>>>

>>> I have a Dell PowerEdge 1850 with a 67GB RAID-1 set runing Windows

>>> Server 2003

>>>

>>> The C drive is 12GB and I want to extend it to 20GB

>>>

>>> I can blow away the D and E drives and recreate them later

>>>

>>> What is the best way to extend the C-drive.

>>> I do not want to rebuild this server as it has apps that I did not

>>> install or configure and I don't wanna have to figure them out.

>>>

>>> I have Partition Magic 8

>>> I have Ghost 7.5

>>> There is also NTBACKUP with ASR

>>>

>>> I thought I read that ASR doesnt restore Applications, just OS. This

>>> can't be true.

>>>

>>> If I use ghost I will have to leave the domain, ghost and then rejoin

>>> the domain (I've found in the past that ghosted when on the domain

>>> just puts the new machine into a reboot loop).

>>>

>>> The question is, if I make a ghost image of this 12GB C-drive, when I

>>> burn to the server again will it just recreate the 12GB partition or

>>> can I rezise to 20GB.

>>>

>>> Thanks

>>>

>>

>

April 29, 2008

Re: Resizing the C drive

On Apr 29, 7:17 am, "Jabez Gan [MVP]"

<mingte...@blizNOSPAMhosting.com> wrote:

> Hey Gorge,

>

> Thakns for the update.

>

> If ghost can restore to a bigger partition, then that would be the ideal

> method.

>

> --

> Jabez Gan

> Microsoft MVP: Windows Serverhttp://www.msblog.org

>

> "Gorge Lucas" <gorge...@hotmail.com> wrote in message

>

> news:OP3ZPXYqIHA.4716@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>

> > "Jabez Gan [MVP]" <mingte...@blizNOSPAMhosting.com> wrote in message

> >news:739F591B-86C1-4399-AEC3-307D69318904@microsoft.com...

> >> Hi,

>

> >> You only wanted to extend the partition, but why are you talking about

> >> backing up (using ghost)?

>

> >> Partition magic has never fail me in extending the partition.

>

> >> For your question on ghosting image of 12GB, extending and restore the

> >> 12GB partition, the result will be the same 12GB C drive, just like

> >> before you extending it (but the D and E would be "unallocated". You can

> >> then re-resize to 20GB.

>

> > Actually your wrong. You can ghost it back to a bigger parition. This is

> > the way I'd do it.

>

> >> --

> >> Jabez Gan

> >> Microsoft MVP: Windows Server

> >>http://www.msblog.org

>

> >> "spacemancw" <spacema...@yahoo.com> wrote in message

> >>news:2f72d28e-8228-476d-8578-6ffdf28630ed@a1g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...

>

> >>> I have a Dell PowerEdge 1850 with a 67GB RAID-1 set runing Windows

> >>> Server 2003

>

> >>> The C drive is 12GB and I want to extend it to 20GB

>

> >>> I can blow away the D and E drives and recreate them later

>

> >>> What is the best way to extend the C-drive.

> >>> I do not want to rebuild this server as it has apps that I did not

> >>> install or configure and I don't wanna have to figure them out.

>

> >>> I have Partition Magic 8

> >>> I have Ghost 7.5

> >>> There is also NTBACKUP with ASR

>

> >>> I thought I read that ASR doesnt restore Applications, just OS. This

> >>> can't be true.

>

> >>> If I use ghost I will have to leave the domain, ghost and then rejoin

> >>> the domain (I've found in the past that ghosted when on the domain

> >>> just puts the new machine into a reboot loop).

>

> >>> The question is, if I make a ghost image of this 12GB C-drive, when I

> >>> burn to the server again will it just recreate the 12GB partition or

> >>> can I rezise to 20GB.

>

> >>> Thanks- Hide quoted text -

>

> - Show quoted text -

Thnks everyone for the feedback

We ended up doing it with BootIT-NG

It makes a boot floppy (or CD) start up from that

following the instructions and resize the C.

That worked fine.

To answer leew, he's correct in saying the C drive should't change

that much.

Our dept didn't build this server. It belongs to a client who has data

on the C drive which we never recommend.

We also build all our servers with a 20GB C drive.

So we wanted to get this server in line with our others and also solve

the data storage issue the client was having.

We will soon get that client to move the data to a different

partition.

Thanks again

April 29, 2008

Re: Resizing the C drive

leew [MVP] <useContactPage@LWComputing.dot.com> wrote:

<snip>

>>

>

> Lanwench,

>

> Can you clarify what folder you are referring to when you say "Windows

> Update Cache"?

>

> Are you referring to the DLLCache, ServicePackFiles, or something

> else?

> Thanks,

> -Lee

All of the above! All of the update uninstallers go in C:\Windows. You can

move them, but then you can't uninstall updates. Plus, with more RAM, a

larger page file. 12GB is not unworkable, but I'd personally prefer more.

Yes, one should first try to clean up what's on there to make as mush space

as possible, but sometimes that doesn't work well enough.

April 29, 2008

Re: Resizing the C drive

spacemancw <spacemancw@yahoo.com> wrote:

> On Apr 29, 7:17 am, "Jabez Gan [MVP]"

> <mingte...@blizNOSPAMhosting.com> wrote:

>> Hey Gorge,

>>

>> Thakns for the update.

>>

>> If ghost can restore to a bigger partition, then that would be the

>> ideal method.

>>

>> --

>> Jabez Gan

>> Microsoft MVP: Windows Serverhttp://www.msblog.org

>>

>> "Gorge Lucas" <gorge...@hotmail.com> wrote in message

>>

>> news:OP3ZPXYqIHA.4716@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>>

>>> "Jabez Gan [MVP]" <mingte...@blizNOSPAMhosting.com> wrote in message

>>> news:739F591B-86C1-4399-AEC3-307D69318904@microsoft.com...

>>>> Hi,

>>

>>>> You only wanted to extend the partition, but why are you talking

>>>> about backing up (using ghost)?

>>

>>>> Partition magic has never fail me in extending the partition.

>>

>>>> For your question on ghosting image of 12GB, extending and restore

>>>> the 12GB partition, the result will be the same 12GB C drive, just

>>>> like before you extending it (but the D and E would be

>>>> "unallocated". You can then re-resize to 20GB.

>>

>>> Actually your wrong. You can ghost it back to a bigger parition.

>>> This is the way I'd do it.

>>

>>>> --

>>>> Jabez Gan

>>>> Microsoft MVP: Windows Server

>>>> http://www.msblog.org

>>

>>>> "spacemancw" <spacema...@yahoo.com> wrote in message

>>>> news:2f72d28e-8228-476d-8578-6ffdf28630ed@a1g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...

>>

>>>>> I have a Dell PowerEdge 1850 with a 67GB RAID-1 set runing Windows

>>>>> Server 2003

>>

>>>>> The C drive is 12GB and I want to extend it to 20GB

>>

>>>>> I can blow away the D and E drives and recreate them later

>>

>>>>> What is the best way to extend the C-drive.

>>>>> I do not want to rebuild this server as it has apps that I did not

>>>>> install or configure and I don't wanna have to figure them out.

>>

>>>>> I have Partition Magic 8

>>>>> I have Ghost 7.5

>>>>> There is also NTBACKUP with ASR

>>

>>>>> I thought I read that ASR doesnt restore Applications, just OS.

>>>>> This can't be true.

>>

>>>>> If I use ghost I will have to leave the domain, ghost and then

>>>>> rejoin the domain (I've found in the past that ghosted when on

>>>>> the domain just puts the new machine into a reboot loop).

>>

>>>>> The question is, if I make a ghost image of this 12GB C-drive,

>>>>> when I burn to the server again will it just recreate the 12GB

>>>>> partition or can I rezise to 20GB.

>>

>>>>> Thanks- Hide quoted text -

>>

>> - Show quoted text -

>

> Thnks everyone for the feedback

> We ended up doing it with BootIT-NG

> It makes a boot floppy (or CD) start up from that

> following the instructions and resize the C.

> That worked fine.

>

> To answer leew, he's correct in saying the C drive should't change

> that much.

> Our dept didn't build this server. It belongs to a client who has data

> on the C drive which we never recommend.

> We also build all our servers with a 20GB C drive.

> So we wanted to get this server in line with our others and also solve

> the data storage issue the client was having.

> We will soon get that client to move the data to a different

> partition.

Actually, that is the *first* thing you should do when you run into this

kind of problem, I think.

>

> Thanks again

April 29, 2008

Re: Resizing the C drive

Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] wrote:

> leew [MVP] <useContactPage@LWComputing.dot.com> wrote:

> <snip>

>>>

>> Lanwench,

>>

>> Can you clarify what folder you are referring to when you say "Windows

>> Update Cache"?

>>

>> Are you referring to the DLLCache, ServicePackFiles, or something

>> else?

>> Thanks,

>> -Lee

>

> All of the above! All of the update uninstallers go in C:\Windows. You can

> move them, but then you can't uninstall updates. Plus, with more RAM, a

> larger page file. 12GB is not unworkable, but I'd personally prefer more.

> Yes, one should first try to clean up what's on there to make as mush space

> as possible, but sometimes that doesn't work well enough.

Honestly, I do not find those to fill up that fast. In my web page, and

in all instances to date where I have checked, the entire C:\Windows

folder on installs that are fresh or 3 years old, don't exceed 6GB.

Then the program files folder is another 2 at most (in most cases), and

Documents and settings are 1 GB or less (I tend to consider anything

over 500 MB to be excessive on a non-Terminal Server).

Add these up and that totals less than 9 GB, leaving more than 25% on a

12 GB drive.

I always move the pagefile off the C: drive and most other things that

can be moved. I tend to leave the DLLCache, ServicePackFiles, and

related stuff on C:, though I do periodically clean up 9 months or so of

old $NTUninstalls... (meaning any that are older than 9 months).

Now, in fairness, I WOULD make my C: drives 15-20 GB TODAY, but for a

drive that's already in use, 12 does not bother me... may require a

*LITTLE* more attention... but hardly enough, in my opinion, to justify

resizing, considering that resizing CAN cause corruption...

Anyway, that's my take...

-Lee

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