Some years ago I used the popular partition software published by PowerQuest. I used it for some time until the company changed ownership. It was a good program but the thing I really missed was server support. One day I came across the Paragon Partition Manager. It was the first partition program that really did what I needed. The highlight - I finally was able to get rid of these 1- 4 gig boot partitions on the Dell NT servers I inherited. I was able to move and converted extended to primary partitions. I changed 16-bit FAT to NTFS. Yes, the old NT server is still booting and performing well with a 6-gig boot partition (the size of the boot drive). Partition Manager does what it claims and does it well. The Server Edition (SE) handles Microsoft Windows NT4 / 2000 / 2003 servers Including the Small Business Editions. A special license for technicians allows you to use Partition Manager on your clients servers and workstations.

Over the years I found out I'm not the only one with Dell systems and a small C partition and Dell is not the only server with small partitions. Partition Manager works great with your Compaq, HP, IBM and Dell PowerEdge servers. Including the ones with PERC or CERC Raid configurations.

Use Partition Manager with your IBM eServer xSeries x2xx, x3xx, x4xx and the newer x3xxx. I personally use it with and without the add-on ServeRaid 5i and 6i

The Pro and Server editions include a self-booting recovery CD which allows you to boot a PE DOS or Linux version of the Partition Manager. Not to worry - there is no need to know Linux or DOS. You will find a familiar GUI interface. Since the Server Edition includes a technician license you can use it for all the computers you work on. Using the boot CD you don't need to install any software on the machine and there is no chance for a strange windows process to interfere with the operation. Get the Partition Manager SE / Tech license today it belongs in your tool box.

Unsure if Partition Manager is the product for you? Don't hesitate, call us and we will answer your questions. Ceratec (Emailprofessor) offers free pre-sales and 1st level tech support via email, helpdesk and of course by phone. We're making great products from around the world even better by offering advice and support in the US and Canada.

- Peter Banz

Basic Hard Disk Partitioning Operations

• Create, format and delete partitions
  
• Hide/unhide partition, set partition active/inactive
  
• Copy and move partition of any file system, quick and sector-by-sector modes
  
• Set or change drive letter (Windows NT/2000/XP only)
  
• Change hard disk partition label (volume label)

Advanced Partitioning Operations

• Resize hard disk partitions with data
  
• Copy disk to disk
  
• Copy with resize
  
• Convert file system
  - FAT16 to FAT32 and vice versa
  - FAT16/32 to NTFS and vice versa
  - Ext2 FS to Ext3 FS and vice versa
  
• Merge hard disk partitions (even hard disk partitions of different file systems)
  
• Un-delete hard disk partition
  
• Check file system integrity
  
• Convert primary hard disk partition to logical and vice versa
  
• Change hard disk partition ID (hard disk partition signature)
  
• Change hard disk partition primary slot (in Master Boot Record)
  
• Update MBR (Master Boot Record) with standard code
  
• Convert NTFS revision (from anyone to any other within Windows NT, 2000 and XP)
  
• Change FAT parameters—boot size, root size, etc.

File System Performance Optimization

• Change cluster size
  
• Defragment file system
  
• Defragment NTFS core structure—MFT (Master File Table)

Technologies Support

• Supports large hard disks (up to 500GB tested, theoretically not limited)
  
• Supports P-ATA (IDE), S-ATA (SATA), (see list)
• SCSI hard disks and raid controllers (see list)
  
• Supports FireWire™, IEEE1394, USB 1.0, USB 2.0, ZIP® and Jazz® hard disks
  
• Supports NTFS from Windows NT, 2000, XP and 2003
  
• Supports NTFS with compressed and encrypted files and folders
  
• Supports FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, Ext2 FS, Ext3 FS, Reiser FS, HPFS file systems
• Support Flash drives
  
• Executable for:
  - Windows 9x/ME/NT 4.0/2000/XP
  - DOS
  - Linux (on Recovery CD)
  
• Supports long filenames (FAT, NTFS) and filenames in national languages
  
• Supports 64K FAT16 extension

Safety and Recovery

• Recovery CD 4
  
• Power Shield ™ technology—resuming critical partitioning operations after power failure
  
• Treating bad sectors—surface test can be optionally used for format, copy, move and resize operations
  
• Retesting disk surface for partitions with data, relocating files from encountered bad blocks
  
• Automatic generation and sending operations logs over e-mail for quick and easy technical support

Easy To Use

• Virtual pre-execution—Basically, it allows you to do a dry run.
  
• Wizards for most usual scenarios:
  - Partition Merge Wizard
  - Redistribute Free Space Wizard
  - Partition Undelete Wizard
  
• Automatic updating BootManager boot menu after partitioning operations
  
• Operations usually impossible under Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP will be automatically performed in special mode during OS reboot.

Auxiliary utilities

• Built-in simple disk editing utility
  
• Paragon ISO Burner (to burn Recovery CD image or any other CD image in ISO format)
  
• Partition Explorer—browse FAT, NTFS, Ext2 or Ext3 FS partition without drive letter, edit or copy files and folders

BootManager

• Up to 16 operating systems on one PC
  
• Operating Windows 9x/Me along with Windows 2000/XP
  
• Various installations of the same operating system (in different languages or different versions)
  
• Direct booting Linux (skipping LILO)
  
• Installing Linux beyond 1024-cylinder boundary
  
• Boots even unrecognized OS
  
• Importing external bootsector
  
• Password protection against unauthorized booting computer
  
• Boots DOS/Windows 9x/ME from the second hard disk
  
• Different configurations can be created for the same physical installation of operating system.
  
• Dynamically adds newly installed operating systems
  
• Duplicating boot.ini file to create different configurations

Pro and Technician License Package Only

• Convert Dynamic Disks to Basic Disks (Dynamic Disks are available under Windows 2000/XP Pro)
  
• Premium Maintenance
  
• Upgrade Insurance—2 years
  
• Windows NT/2000/2003 Servers and Windows PE support (Server Ed.)
  
• Script Generator
  
• Command Line Support

System Requirement

• System: Windows 9x/ME/NT 4.0/2000/XP Workstation, Home or Professional, Linux
  
• Processor: IBM AT compatible machine
  
• RAM: 32MB
  
• Video: VGA or better
  
• Additional: CD or DVD-ROM drive (optionally with recording capabilities to burn Recovery CD), or Floppy Drive