Overview
The disk management tool built into Windows can create a partition, delete one and extend one into space that happens to sit directly to its right. Anything more useful than that, which is most of what people actually need, it refuses to do. Partition Assistant does the rest: resizing in both directions, moving a partition along the disk, merging two into one, splitting one into two, converting between partition table types without wiping the disk, and migrating a whole system onto a new drive so it still boots.
This build carries the licensing for all four editions, so the features that are normally split across Professional, Technician, Unlimited and Server are all present in one install. The bootable environment is included and is the part that matters most, because the operations involving the system partition cannot complete while Windows is running from it.
Resizing, moving and merging
Free space rarely sits where you need it. Resizing a partition here can pull space from either side, and a partition can be moved along the disk to bring free space adjacent to where it is wanted. Merging two partitions keeps the data from both, putting the second one into a folder inside the first, and splitting works in the other direction without a reformat.
Every operation is queued rather than executed immediately. You set up the whole sequence, look at the preview of what the disk will end up as, and only then apply it. Anything that cannot be done from inside Windows is automatically deferred to the bootable environment, which restarts, performs it and boots back.
Migration, cloning and conversion
System migration is the feature most people arrive for. It copies a Windows installation from one drive to another, adjusts the boot configuration, and produces a target that boots on its own. Moving from a mechanical drive to a solid state drive with a different size works, and the tool will resize partitions to fit rather than refusing on a size mismatch.
Conversion between the older and newer partition table types happens in place with the data left alone, which is what makes an older install bootable in the modern firmware mode without a reinstall. File system conversion between the common Windows file systems is also non destructive, as is converting between basic and dynamic disks.
The bootable environment and recovery work
The included environment builds a bootable USB stick that runs the same tool without Windows underneath it. That is the only way to work on the system partition properly, and it is also what you use when the machine no longer boots at all. From there you can rebuild the boot record, check and repair a file system, and recover partitions that have been deleted but not yet overwritten.
Wiping is handled properly as well, with multiple overwrite passes for a disk being disposed of, and a separate option that wipes only free space so deleted files cannot be recovered while the live data is untouched. Alignment for solid state drives is applied automatically on any partition the tool creates or moves.
What you get
- Resize in both directions, move, merge and split partitions without data loss
- Queued operations with a preview of the resulting disk before anything runs
- System migration to a different drive with the boot configuration adjusted
- Disk and partition cloning with resizing to fit a different sized target
- Non destructive conversion between partition table types and file systems
- Bootable environment on a USB stick for system partition work and recovery
- Partition recovery for deleted volumes that have not been overwritten
- Multi pass wiping of a whole disk or of free space only
- Automatic alignment for solid state drives
Inside the archive
- Partition Assistant installer with all four editions unlocked
- Bootable environment builder for USB media
- Language packs for the interface list shown above
- Notes on which operations require the bootable environment
- Checklist for a system migration to a new drive
System requirements
| Operating system | Windows 7 or newer, or a supported Server edition |
|---|---|
| Processor | Any x86 or x64 processor |
| Memory | 1 GB minimum, 2 GB for the bootable environment |
| Storage | 500 MB for the program |
| Media | USB stick of 1 GB or larger for the bootable environment |
| Privileges | Administrator |
Installing it
- Back up anything irreplaceable before touching a partition table. No tool makes this step optional.
- Suspend real time protection and run the installer as administrator.
- Build the bootable USB stick straight after install, before you need it.
- Queue your operations, read the preview, and only then apply.
- Let any deferred operation finish in the bootable environment. Do not power the machine off partway through.
Mirrors
| Route | Region | Note | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct, primary | Europe | No wait, resumable | Online |
| Direct, secondary | North America | No wait, resumable | Online |
| Torrent magnet | Global | Optional at this size | Online |
Release history
- Bootable environment rebuilt with current storage drivers
- Fixed a stall when migrating a system with a hidden recovery partition
- Alignment now applied on moved partitions as well as new ones
- Partition table conversion reworked for disks above 8 TB
- Free space wipe no longer touches shadow copies
- Server edition features merged into the same build
- Fixed the preview misreporting sizes on dynamic disks
Questions about this release
Do I need the bootable stick?
For anything involving the system partition, yes. Windows cannot move the volume it is running from, so the tool defers that work to the bootable environment.
Is conversion between partition table types really non destructive?
It is designed to be, and it works on a healthy disk. Back up first anyway, because a power cut during the operation is not survivable.
Which edition is this?
All four. The features normally split across Professional, Technician, Unlimited and Server are present in one install.
Can it migrate to a smaller drive?
Yes, as long as the used data fits. The tool resizes partitions to suit the target rather than refusing on a size mismatch.
Comments
Made the boot stick before I needed it, which turned out to be the smartest thing I did all month.
Converted an old install to the new partition table type in place, no reinstall. All four editions really are unlocked.
Comments are read before they appear. If a build stops working, say so here and it gets rebuilt rather than quietly left up.
Migrated a 1 TB mechanical system drive onto a 500 GB SSD, booted first time. Recovery partition came across too.