Shrink System Partitition in Vista/Windows 7 Immediately after Defrag

[Georges]

Ideal Defragmentation Program

Most Windows 7/Vista users would like to have the capability to shrink the system partition to create another partition  for data backup or dual-boot.

Windows 7/Vista system partitions comprise four zones:
   1. User data
   2. Free space
   3. MFT and other metadata
   4. Free space

To shrink the system partition,
  a. The user data should be consolidated to minimize the size of Zone 1.
  b. MFT and metadata should also be consolidated to minimize the size of Zone3.
  c. Zone 2 should be eliminated/reduced to increase the contiguous free space at the end of the system partition.

Unfortunately, currently Zone 3 is always the middle of the system partition!

Ideally, a defragmentation program should have the capability to
a. Defragment both the user data and system/metadata during the boot-time defragmentation.
b. Move system files and metadata adjacent to Zone during boot-time defragmentation.
c. Then shrink the system partition IMMEDIATELY after moving the system files and metadata, using DiskPart, during the boot-time defragmentation.

Note: If the partition is not shrunk immediately after moving system and metadata, during the next reboot, Windows moves them back into Zone3, om the middle of the partition!!!

Currently, no defragmentation program offers this feature.

[Darlis]

Did you try other partition managers like PartedMagic (GParted)? The Windows integrated one is not the best.

[jeroen]

Ideal Defragmentation Program

Defragmentation programs are not repartition programs. Try the Gnome Partition Editor. It will do everything, move the data and resize the partition.