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Entered CNET Catalog: 09/28/2002
SKU: PM80ENK1
Manufacturer: PowerQuest Corp.
Manufacturer description
Partitioning allows you to manage your hard drive more efficiently. Your computer views each partition as a separate hard drive, automatically giving it a drive letter, allowing you to conveniently organize your hard drive and maximize the performance of your system. Dividing your hard drive into separate partitions plays an essential role in maintaining your computer-preventing conflicts, protecting data, improving efficiency, and increasing performance. PowerQuest's award-winning PartitionMagic 8 allows you to separate data files, operating systems, applications, games, and downloads by creating and resizing partitions quickly and easily, without reformatting your hard drive or harming your data. BootMagic, included with PartitionMagic, enables you to safely load and run multiple operating systems (OSes) on the same computer without conflict. Test a new OS without giving up the stability of the OS you are currently using. PartitionMagic also includes PQBoot, which enables you to select which OS to run on your next reboot while running in Windows.CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 10/21/2002
Cleaner interface
With the aid of the included quick-start guide, PartitionMagic 8.0 installs easily within a standard Windows setup routine. Launch the program, and you'll see an XP-style interface that has a more organized and cleaner look than version 7.0's. Buttons on the left lead to the software's key functions and launch so-called tasks--wizards that guide you through common procedures.
On the right, you'll find easy-to-understand tree diagrams that show the partition structure, free space, and color-coded file system formats. Click a drive diagram and select the function you wish to perform. Once you're finished specifying all your changes, select Apply. In some cases, PartitionMagic will perform the modifications live within Windows, but usually, it will automatically restart the PC and perform the changes during the boot process. If you change your mind, you can always reverse your current course of action and start over.
Version 8.0 adds only a few features of note. A file browser lets you copy files and directories from one partition to another, and now, PartitionMagic supports partition sizes up to 160GB as well as Linux Ext3 partitions and FireWire and USB 2.0 drives within Windows. A new feature in PQBoot, the helpful PartitionMagic utility that lets you juggle multiple operating systems, lets you specify within Windows which operating system to run on restart.
Danger lurks within
But don't let PartitionMagic's ease of use fool you; considerable danger is inherent in futzing with hard disk partitions--even with PartitionMagic. For example, it's all too easy to make a partition disappear or make your entire system unbootable. When things do go wrong, you must boot to DOS with rescue floppies that you created during the software installation process (or, you can boot from the PartitionMagic installation CD). It would be nice if PartitionMagic would alert you of potential operations that might make your system unstable.
If you do get yourself into a partition pickle, PowerQuest's toll-free phone technical support is available for free for 30 days, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT, Monday through Friday. After that, you'll have to fork over $30 per incident and $95 per incident after business hours. E-mail support is offered free for the life of the product. We sent in a query via the company's Web site and received a satisfactory reply the next day. The site also includes detailed FAQs and an extensive searchable troubleshooting database. But alas, although PartitionMagic 7.0 came with a 150-page printed manual, 8.0 includes information in a PDF file--especially vexing since you'll need to refer to the manual when you may not be able to boot Windows to view it.
If you're already using PartitionMagic 7.0, the few new features in 8.0 aren't worth the $49.95 to upgrade. However, for anyone who deals with disk partitions regularly or wants to run multiple operating systems, the power and flexibility of PartitionMagic is hard to beat.
PartitionMagic 8.0's wizards simplify the process of setting up disk partitions--even if you run multiple operating systems.
User opinions
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User Rating: 
6/10
Not bad but there are better
Pros: Easy to learn if you are an advanced user
Cons: interface could be a little less congested
Updated on Oct 16, 2008After further tests, I find Partition Magic to be just fine (glitch in original install). Acronis 8, Hard Disk Manager 2008 have also been tested. I like them all. My favorite is still HDM 2008.
User Rating: 
1/10
Worth nothing
Pros: Not found any
Cons: You loose data
Shortly, first use of the product was to merge 2 partitions... some error came up and I lost one partition, I lost the data in that partition.
Second use... to merge the unused space on the disk. Guess what? Another error. Luckily, I had backed up my disk.
So, you want to re-arrange your partitions? Copy all the data on some other drive, delete all partitions, create new ones, then move the data back. But you do not need PartitionMagic to do this, right?
KEEP YOUR MONEY
User Rating: 
3/10
Look elsewhere
Pros: works with basic disks
Cons: does not work with dynamic disks
User Rating: 
4/10
Have on 4 computers
Pros: I have had PM since PM7. I have it on 3 desktops and 1 laptop all with WinXP. Haven't had any problems until now.
Cons: On my main desktop I just did a clean install from W2K that had PM7 and then PM8 on it to WinXP. When I tried starting PM up, it would lock up computer, tried repair same thing. Uninstalled and then put it back on with patch, same thing. Uninstalled and
User Rating: 1/10
formerly PowerQuest's biggest fan
Pros: When their products work they work well, although the documentation has not been improved with the products.
Cons: Every drive function (copy/backup/partition) is a different product to buy. Upgrade$ are mandatory to get any bugfix $upport, even if you just bought the last version. PartitionMagic 7 orphaned 20GB of my WinXP hard drive and stopped working at all (ERROR
User Rating: 1/10
PartitionMagic won't work in Win XP Home
Pros:
Cons: The one thing that I've tried to do, create a new partition, doesn't work. I keep getting "Error 1513 Bad attribute position in file record." So far I've contacted PowerQuest twice - no response. Their web site says to download 8.01, which I did - I st
User Rating: 
9/10
No problems on XP Home or with Norton Systemworks
Pros: I've had none of the problems other reviews mention. So far I used PM 8.0 to: delete a partition, resize a partition (bigger), convert a partion from FAT to NTFS, create a new partition using free space, change a partition size (smaller)
Cons: None here
User Rating: 
8/10
Good Partitioning Utility
Pros: I wasn't much towards installing this software after reading all the reviews of its performance on Windows XP. But, since my computer performance was bad, I went ahead and installed it. The actual partitioning of the disks took less than half an hour, inc
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User Rating: 6/10
good,but be aware
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User Rating: 4/10
Boot Magic Doesn't recognize other drives
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User Rating: 8/10
Miraculous, but...
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User Rating: 1/10
Killed My Drive!
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User Rating: 8/10
Works well with Win 2K
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User Rating: 
7/10
Excellent tool if you are not a novice
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User Rating: 3/10
PQMagic 8 has XP Pro problems
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User Rating: 
10/10
Works fine with 95/98/Me/XP
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User Rating: 7/10
DOES NOT WORK WITH XP NTFS FILE SYSTEMS DUE TO A NEW FILE FORMAT
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User Rating: 8/10
Worked great with XP Home
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User Rating: 
5/10
The Last Copy I'll buy(V7.01)
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User Rating: 10/10
JUST WONDERFULL
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User Rating: 8/10
Works Perfectly With XP
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User Rating: 10/10
The best partitioning software you can get.
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User Rating: 4/10
Boot Magic does not work with NTFS
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User Rating: 6/10
It works very well with XP
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User Rating: 10/10
Awesome,Great Product
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User Rating: 6/10
Won't work with my XP Partition.
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User Rating: 
2/10
XP what?
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User Rating: 3/10
OK but beware of booby-traps
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User Rating: 6/10
Very good, apart from its lack of compatibility with XP
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User Rating: 2/10
Expensive lesson
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User Rating: 9/10
The Best Hard Disk Manager
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User Rating: 7/10
Performed as adverstised with WinXP
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User Rating: 10/10
The Best Hard Drive Management Utilty Out There.
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User Rating: 10/10
It works with XP - Who are these losers?
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User Rating: 5/10
Why Bother?
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User Rating: 8/10
Neat Browser
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User Rating: 1/10
crashs win xp
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User Rating: 2/10
Isn't XP compatible; bad service
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User Rating: 9/10
The King of Partitioning Solutions
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