Please followup-To alt.comp.os.windows-10. (Note this is not just a
Windows question, but I believe the Windows newsgroup is more
appropriate: perhaps there are other system's shrinking tool that could
help me here. Thanks for any ideas.)

I'm interested in installing a new operating system. Haven't decided
which yet---perhaps FreeBSD, perhaps GNU Guix. I've got 195 GiB free in
my c: drive plus 655 MiB unallocated which I was able to get from
shrinking the c: drive using the Windows 10 Disk Management tool.

Disk Management (how my storage looks right now)
https://prnt.sc/WZ1fF5S9ARJ1

Disk Management is not able to shrink more. It says it has been done
what it could with those 655 MiB.

https://prnt.sc/ez9O5JUVUVXv

I turned hibernation off, restarted and tried again. Same thing.
Looking at the defrag event in the application log, I find:

--8<-------------------------------------------------------->8---
A volume shrink analysis was initiated on volume (C:). This event log
entry details information about the last unmovable file that could limit
the maximum number of reclaimable bytes.
Diagnostic details:
- The last unmovable file appears to be: \System Volume
Information\{fba11b84-afde-11ef-adfe-48684ad40403}{3808876b-c176-4e48-b7ae-04046e6cc752}::$DATA
- The last cluster of the file is: 0x76e787e
- Shrink potential target (LCN address): 0x466119b
- The NTFS file flags are: ---AD
- Shrink phase: <analysis>
To find more details about this file please use the "fsutil volume
querycluster \\?\Volume{f5e639db-a758-4dfa-9804-d5d4d0286fb7}
0x76e787e" command.
--8<-------------------------------------------------------->8---

Using the fsutil command, I get:

--8<-------------------------------------------------------->8---
C:\Windows\system32>fsutil volume querycluster \\?\Volume{f5e639db-a758-4dfa-9804-d5d4d0286fb7} 0x76e787e
Cluster 0x00000000076e787e used by ---AD \System Volume
Information\{fba11b84-afde-11ef-adfe-48684ad40403}{3808876b-c176-4e48-b7ae-04046e6cc752}::$DATA
--8<-------------------------------------------------------->8---

Anything else I could try? I have not tried to use other system's
shrinking programs. Could they do a better job? Perhaps this is not
the best newsgroup to ask this question.

On 24/12/2024 20:22, Salvador Mirzo wrote:

>
> Anything else I could try?

Ya. You can format the hard disk before installing a new operating
system. Worth a try Linux junkie!!

> I have not tried to use other system's
> shrinking programs.

Well then don't do it. It' a complete waste of time.

> Could they do a better job?

No.

> Perhaps this is not
> the best newsgroup to ask this question.

I agree. Such questions are better dealt with by the individual and not
by asking on a public newsgroup where all have views of their own.