How to Create Separate Volumes for a MS Windows System

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Print this out and make notes as you complete each step.

   Decide how to group files
   - not just into directories, but on a larger scale.
   
   When you received you computer, the disk was most likely allocated (almost) entirely with one partition or volume.
   
   It's a bad idea for many reasons, including security, reliability, and fragmentation., Get the utility to collect all the data together at the beginning of the partition.
   
   Actually get all the free space together at the end of the volume so you can have an area to make your new volumes., Now might be the time to try another defrag utility.
   
   There are several available free for non-commercial use.
   
   This may be necessary if the defrag utility you normally use leaves used space at the far end of the partition., You will be prompted to do this on the next boot.
   
   Agree and restart the system.
   
   The boot process will take a very long time depending on the size of the disk (not on the amount of data on it since the /r makes chkdsk read every sector on the disk!).
   
   Adding the /r option is a safety feature.
   
   You do not want to discover that there is an unreadable sector on the disk in the later on.
   
   If chkdsk finds and corrects errors, well better now than later.
   
   Correct any remaining errors that occur before continuing which can usually be done by copying the bad file from elsewhere., Like they always tell you: "backup your disk".
   
   At least your address book, browser bookmarks and that project that you'll need next week.
   
   Back up to CD or DVD or another system (laptop or cloud), gparted. download the live CD and write it to a bootable CD or order one., Did you backup your address book? That project that's due next week?,,, Boot windows and see that all is nice.,,,,, Use all the available space., At least one for browser cache and one for your documents.
   
   Maybe one to separate the programs you downloaded or purchased, maybe one for your photos, maybe a separate one for music files, videos and one for email (see plan above).
   
   Don't worry to much about the size since you will be moving files from C: to the new volumes., Boot Windows.,,, (This will be fast!), Boot GParted.,, 8 GB is pretty big., Boot Windows.,,,, Location of paging file in system performance min size pp max size pp where pp is size of paging partition.,, filesystem layout should be something like:,,,
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   Step 2: Defragment.

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   Step 3: Defragment again.

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   Step 4: Run chkdsk /r at the command line.

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   Step 5: Backup.

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   Step 6: Get the partition manager.

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   Step 7: Backup.

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   Step 8: Shutdown MS windows and boot the GParted CD.

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   Step 9: Reduce the size of the current partition (volume) leaving a little free space maybe 1 GB.

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    Step 10: Shutdown GParted.

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    Step 11: chkdsk

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    Step 12: Restart Windows.

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    Step 13: Wait much less than last time chkdsk ran since now it's only doing part of the disk.

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    Step 14: Restart GParted CD.

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    Step 15: Create extended partition.

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    Step 16: Create new partitions (volumes).

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    Step 17: Shutdown GParted.

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    Step 18: Assign drive letters and format volumes.

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    Step 19: Cut & paste files to new locations.

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    Step 20: Defrag C:.

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    Step 21: Shutdown Windows.

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    Step 22: Resize C: leaving 2 to 8 GB free and 4 to 8 GB away from the extended partition.

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    Step 23: Create primary partition for swap space using the space between C: and the extended partition.

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    Step 24: Shutdown GParted.

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    Step 25: chkdsk C: again

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    Step 26: I know this is a pain.

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    Step 27: Boot and wait even less time than before.

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    Step 28: Assign a drive letter to the paging partition and format it.

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    Step 29: Add new paging file.

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    Step 30: Set old paging space on C: to 0.

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    Step 31: The resulting volume a.k.a.

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    Step 32:                                                              C: boot   paging    file   browser   cache           your files                   

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    Step 33: I will get back to this after I check if there is already an article describing this.

Detailed Guide

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