Norton PartitionMagic 8

Are you afraid to leave Windows XP and commit to Window Vista? Or do you want to try Linux? With Norton PartitionMagic 8, you can carve out space on your existing Windows XP machine and install a second operating system on a new partition. Creating a hard drive partition divides a single, physical hard drive into two or more virtual drives so that you can have multiple file systems and operating systems on that drive. Normally, you can't change your drive's partitions without reformatting it and, in the process, deleting all the data on the drive. But PartitionMagic's wizardry overcomes this limitation, letting you make extensive changes without losing a thing. While we found Norton PartitionMagic 8 to be easy to use, novices should take care; one false step could cripple your system.

Setup
Norton PartitionMagic 8 runs under Windows 98 through Windows XP Home or Professional editions. A version for Windows Vista is not yet available. PartitionMagic 8 requires a DVD or CD for installation. Norton's wizard-style setup makes installing PartitionMagic 8 easy and continues to assist when embarking on tasks such as resizing or merging partitions.

Should you want to uninstall Norton PartitionMagic 8, there is no uninstall icon. You'll need to use Windows' Add or Remove Programs to uninstall PartitionMagic. However, after a reboot we still found remaining system registry and file folders left behind.

The interface hasn't change in years, but that doesn't deter from the powerful tools within.

Interface
Symantec bought PartitionMagic from PowerQuest in 2003, and on first glance it appears there has been only a little rebranding. The interface is exactly the same, and a few new features are tucked away here and there. The Windows-based interface consists of color-coded bar diagrams of the partitions on each hard drive. The diagrams display the location, size, and type of the current partitions. Modify your partitions by manipulating the placement of these bars within the diagram.

Wizards make the process of creating or deleting a hard drive partition easy.

An Explorer-style file/folder tree on the left offers another way to view and modify your drives and partitions. Once you've created the desired partition configuration, click Apply Changes. PartitionMagic will then restructure your hard drive. For insurance, we suggest making a good backup first.

Features
New features added to PartitionMagic 8 after the Symantec purchase include the capability to create partitions up to 300GB; conversion of FAT, FAT32, and NTFS drives without losing data; and the capability to enlarge an NTFS partition without restarting your computer.