Some of the new features in 6.0 give the user the ability to split and/or undelete partitions, it recognizes the new Windows ME, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 2000 operating systems, and the program now has a tree-view interface. One of the first options you notice during the installation is your ability to include BootMagic, a disk management tool and graphical interface which allows you to make safe switches between different operating systems. Each time you start your computer, BootMagic presents you with a list of the installed operating systems and allows you to choose which one you want to use. In addition to Windows, it is compatible with Linux, BeOS, OS/2, and several versions of MS-DOS.

For those not familiar with the PowerQuest programs (they also have DriveImage, DriveCopy, Easy Restore, and others) I think you will find that their User Guides are the most concise, informative and well thought-out manuals on the market. With PartitionMagic, you are stepped through the program installation in a manner that proves to be useful to a beginner or the more experienced user. In this case, I would recommend first that everyone read Chapter 3, as it introduces you to the basics of creating, resizing and otherwise working with partitions and large hard drives. All this information is presented in the context of how PartitionMagic will perform the needed tasks and get the work done with a minimum of time and effort. After absorbing this information, you will not get butterflies in your stomach when you press the "Apply" button to make changes in your working hard drive which has all of your priceless programs and data.

Previous versions of PartitionMagic displayed the partitions of one hard drive at a time in the main window. It was necessary for the user to change his/her view from one drive to another. This main window in 6.0 has now been expanded. There is a Tree-View display on the left and to the right are the partition maps for each hard drive, with the drive information shown in a graphical manner. And, underneath is a partition list for each selected drive which shows the partition information in text form. It is possible to display your partition maps to scale with each partition represented by a different color, based on the file system it uses. Another great feature in this view are small triangle indicators which mark the 2 GB boot boundary and the 1024 MB cylinder limits which are established by your OS. Hard drives larger than 20 GB can be partitioned.

PartitionMagic allows the user to create and delete partitions (and to undelete something where your fingers might have moved in error). You can copy, move, split and merge partitions, and when everything is done, you can scan for errors, check disk information, and format one or more partitions knowing that the integrity of your hard drive is complete. It is also possible to check and correct for cluster waste if you're using the FAT or FAT32 file systems. There are a few advanced disk operations, such as the ability to change a drive letter, hiding and unhiding a partition and resizing the root directory, along with setting an active partition. PartitionMagic also permits you to convert from one type of file system to another in order to use one or another OS on the same disk. There is no data loss.

At the bottom of the program's main window are five wizards which automate common tasks associated with the program. They allow you to create or resize a partition, redistribute free space, and merge or copy partitions. It is also possible to hide these wizard buttons. For the more advanced users, the program includes an ability to change drive letter references with DriveMapper and to change bootable partitions with PQBoot.

PowerQuest includes in their guide an appendix explaining how PartitionMagic works with other programs, i.e.: Norton Utilities, virus protection software, drive overlay programs, and others. There is also a fine troubleshooting appendix which I hope no one will need.

If you have more than a casual interest in the operation of your system and its hard drives, I would strongly recommend that you include PartitionMagic as one of your favorite programs. It allows you to look into the workings of your drives and the OS with confidence and assurance, and I recommend it highly for everyone.

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