Fwd: shrink drive c: to install a new operating system

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From: 186282@ud0s4.net <186283@ud0s4.net>
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Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2024 20:11:22 -0500
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On 12/24/24 3:22 PM, Salvador Mirzo wrote:

Please followup-To alt.comp.os.windows-10.  (Note this is not just a
Windows question, but I believe the Windows newsgroup is more
appropriate: perhaps there are other system's shrinking tool that could
help me here.  Thanks for any ideas.)
 I'm interested in installing a new operating system.  Haven't decided
which yet---perhaps FreeBSD, perhaps GNU Guix.  I've got 195 GiB free in
my c: drive plus 655 MiB unallocated which I was able to get from
shrinking the c: drive using the Windows 10 Disk Management tool.
    Disk Management (how my storage looks right now)
   https://prnt.sc/WZ1fF5S9ARJ1
 Disk Management is not able to shrink more.  It says it has been done
what it could with those 655 MiB.
    https://prnt.sc/ez9O5JUVUVXv
 I turned hibernation off, restarted and tried again.  Same thing.
Looking at the defrag event in the application log, I find:
 --8<-------------------------------------------------------->8---
A volume shrink analysis was initiated on volume (C:). This event log
entry details information about the last unmovable file that could limit
the maximum number of reclaimable bytes.
    Diagnostic details:
  - The last unmovable file appears to be: \System Volume
    Information\{fba11b84-afde-11ef-adfe-48684ad40403}{3808876b-c176-4e48-b7ae-04046e6cc752}::$DATA
  - The last cluster of the file is: 0x76e787e
  - Shrink potential target (LCN address): 0x466119b
  - The NTFS file flags are: ---AD
  - Shrink phase: <analysis>
    To find more details about this file please use the "fsutil volume
  querycluster \?\Volume{f5e639db-a758-4dfa-9804-d5d4d0286fb7}
  0x76e787e" command.
--8<-------------------------------------------------------->8---
 Using the fsutil command, I get:
 --8<-------------------------------------------------------->8---
C:\Windows\system32>fsutil volume querycluster \?\Volume{f5e639db-a758-4dfa-9804-d5d4d0286fb7} 0x76e787e
Cluster 0x00000000076e787e used by ---AD \System Volume
Information\{fba11b84-afde-11ef-adfe-48684ad40403}{3808876b-c176-4e48-b7ae-04046e6cc752}::$DATA
--8<-------------------------------------------------------->8---
 Anything else I could try?  I have not tried to use other system's
shrinking programs.  Could they do a better job?  Perhaps this is not
the best newsgroup to ask this question.

   Winders can make a kind of a mess out of "C:" with
   'unmovable' files and 'recovery' stuff kinda scattered
   all around.
   If you are using a desktop then just install another
   HDD and use that. Some laptops have a socket for another
   m12 card or similar. "-ix' systems are much smaller than
   Winders, so you don't need a huge second drive.
   Otherwise, if even gparted or the 'Acronis' version
   for your existing HDD won't straighten it out there's
   little choice but to back up, manually format the
   disk with gparted into two distinct partitions and
   re-install Winders. Not terribly attractive ...
   I've wondered if the Win scheme is a subtle form of
   Bill "linux-proofing" PCs  :-)