Resize NTFS partitions

Whether you need to install Linux on an XP box, or if you just want to make another partition on your Windows box, Linux contains a great set of tools for resizing NTFS.
The ntfsresize command is a part of ntfsprogs (http://www.linux-ntfs.org). The site contains much more information .. but I just thought it's always good to read one more experience.

So .. to resize your partition you have to:
1. Use ntfsresize to actually physically resize the partition
2. Update your partition table using fdisk.

Note: This is the experience I had on Mandriva and Fedora, don't know about Debian based editions.

basic assumptions:
the partition we are resizing is /dev/hda1
we want to resize it to 8Gig
We have some bad sectors on the disk (typical in older computers)

First, resize your partition (assuming the partition name is /dev/hda1):
1. This command will just tell you how much is used from the partition
ntfsresize --no-action -b --info /dev/hda1

2. This command will simulate the resize (assuming we want to resize to 8Gig)- always a good idea if you care about the source
ntfsresize --no-action -b -s 8000M /dev/hda1

3. This is the actual resize command
ntfsresize -b -s 8000M /dev/hda1

Then - you have to redo your partition table:
run : fdisk /dev/hda1
p - to see your current settings (write them down)
d - delete the ntfs partition you just resized
n - add a new partition (make sure the starting cluster is the same is the one you deleted), allocate a new size to the partition - it must be at least the same or bigger than the resized size.
a - if necessary, toggle the boot flag on the partition
w - write partition table and exit

All set - you now have a freshly minted and resized ntfs partition.
As always - if the data on the ntfs partition is critical - make sure to back it up before the process.

Enjoy!