Wait a few minutes while Windows figures out how much you can shrink volume C. Now, on the menu bar select Action, then All Tasks, and then Shrink Volume. Select the C: drive in the lower part of the display crosshatches will appear to show the C: drive is selected. You should see a display like the one below. That will open the Disk Management utility. Click the Start button and in the search box type “partition,” then double-click on “Create and format hard disk partitions” in the search results. Now we’re ready to create a new partition using Windows 7’s built-in disk management tools. When you’re done with those steps, you'll have a hard drive that's slimmed down, and a computer running like it’s fresh out of the box. ![]() You'll note that some blocks of data cannot be moved because they contain data that is currently in use, or that must remain where it is so Windows can find it during startup. Both are free, and compatible with solid state (SSD) drives. So for this task, you can use iObit’s Smart Defrag utillty or Defraggler from Piriform. But word on the street is that it's not exactly best of breed. It's true that Windows Vista and later versions include a defragger which runs automatically. That's especially important after deleting lots of unwanted files. The next thing we’ll do is defragment and optimize our C: drive to prepare for a new partition that will hold Windows 10. Privazer is another excellent utility for clean-up and privacy purposes. I use JDiskReport several times a year, and I always find gobs of files that can be deleted. JDiskReport can find duplicate files, or sort files in order of size to help you figure out where all that disk space is going. If your C: drive has less than 20 GB of free space, do some housecleaning to move or delete unnecessary files. PREPARING YOUR HARD DRIVE - Windows 10 requires at least 16 GB of disk space, according to Microsoft for acceptable performance, most experts recommend at least 20 GB. Of course, you can always take the plunge and upgrade to Windows 10 without a dual-boot system. ![]() Resistance is futile, so let's learn how to set up a dual-boot PC, so that you can choose between Windows 7 and 10 whenever you reboot your system. If you buy a new PC now, it will come with Windows 10. In January 2020, support for Windows 7 will end. As of May 2017, Windows 10 installations are up to nearly 27% and climbing.
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