Interested in trying the the Windows 7 beta version on your Vista PC? Vista includes a "Shrink Tool" that can re-size your Vista partition to make room for Windows 7. This can get complicated, but in this detailed step-by-step guide we cover shrinking the Vista partition and installing Windows 7.
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Obtain the Beta Version
First, you’ll need to have downloaded a Windows 7 beta version and have obtained an activation code for it. As this was written, the starting point for the official download was here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/default.aspx
The beta is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Which to install? It’s always safe to install the same version as your previously installed Vista. To find out, right-click “Computer” and select "Properties.” The dialog will show you both the name of your processor and the operating system type.
You may wish to upgrade to the 64-bit version if you have a capable processor. If you’re not sure that your CPU can handle a 64-bit OS, search Google with a phrase like “Is Intel Duo 2 Core 64-bit?” (It is, as is the AMD 64x2 dual-core processor.) The main advantage of the 64-bit version is that it can use all of 4 GB of RAM.
Create the Bootable Install DVD
Once you’ve decided on the version to download, you’ll need to burn the image (.iso file) to DVD. You can do this with Nero ROM or Roxio if you have it. If not, an excellent free alternative is ImgBurn.
Backup Your Hard Drive
I strongly suggest that you back up your computer before doing this! With the price of external hard drive media having fallen steeply in the last few years, making whole disk backups is more available and reasonable than before. And, if you have Vista Ultimate, Enterprise, or Business, the Vista Backup Center already offers whole-disk backups.
If you have one of the Home versions of Vista, you’ll need a third-party application to provide a full-disk backup. Acronis True Image Home 2009 (reviewed here) can do so admirably.
Shrinking an Existing Partition
Once you have your hard drive backed up, you can create the free space for Windows 7. To do this, press the Windows key and type in “Administrative Tools.” Then press Enter. (Or, alternatively, go to Control Panel, System and Maintenance, and select Administrative Tools in the list.) Then click “Computer Management” and clear the prompt if you have User Access Control (UAC) active on your PC. You should then see this dialog. (Click the image to enlarge.)
In the Computer Management dialog, click “Disk Management” in the left-hand pane.
The current system requirements for Windows 7 include a 1 Ghz CPU, 1 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of drive space. If you are planning on extensively testing Windows 7, running an antivirus program, and installing and testing some applications, I suggest that you make your partition somewhat larger, based on how much space you can afford to give up – don't cut into needed and already used space.
My 500GB hard drive has a small (apprx. 7 GB) "Recovery" partition and a 456.9 GB C partition. (The partitions don't actually add up to 500 GB because of different conventions on how big a GB actually is.) Clicking “Computer” shows me that I have 227 GB free space. I plan to shrink that by 50 GB for the new partition. In this case, it’s slightly complicated by the Recovery partition on the hard drive. I don’t want to change or lose this, so I may have to alter the drive letter assignments. It’s also possible that I’ll have to repair the master boot record (MBR) before the PC will allow me to boot back into Vista.
I have a real Vista installation disk that I’m holding in reserve – just in case I need it.
Unexpected Results from the Shrink Tool
And here we run into the first problem. The Shrink tool is not offering to free enough space. Despite having 227 GB free space on the drive…
… the Shrink Tool is only offering …
… 407 MB, which is far less than the 50 GB that I want. The dialog says, “Size of available shrink space can be restricted if snapshots or page files are enabled on the volume.”
“Volume Snapshot Service” is what powers “Previous Versions” and “Restore Points” in Vista. Of course it’s enabled. Page files are virtual memory, which allows Windows to use some hard drive space as a memory swap file, and it too, of course, is enabled.
When you look at this, you may even find that Vista shows zero shrink space. This means that files have been written near or at the end of the partition, preventing any shrinkage.
In either case, a smaller offer than we wanted, or no offer at all, the next step is to find out how the files are arranged on the hard drive.
Next: Visualizing the Drive Space, Cleaning the Hard Drive, and Disabling Some Vista Services