Managing Unmovable Files When Shrinking a Partition in Windows 11
Here’s where I ran into a snag — trying to shrink a partition on Windows 11 and hitting a brick wall because it kept telling me there were unmovable files blocking the way. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The built-in Shrink Volume feature often stalls when Windows can’t shuffle system files around easily. Files like hiberfil.sys, pagefile.sys, or restore points tend to stubbornly stay put, preventing further shrinking of the volume. These files are usually locked as part of Windows’ safeguards to keep your system stable. But if you’re trying to free up space — say, for an upgrade or just to tidy things up — they can be a real pain.
Why Do Unmovable Files Block Volume Shrinking?
The main reason? Windows keeps these files anchored — almost like they’re glued down. Files such as hiberfil.sys (the hibernation file), pagefile.sys (virtual memory), and restore points are marked as unmovable. They’re crucial for Windows to run smoothly or to restore your system if something goes wrong, so Windows tends to keep them in fixed locations — often in sectors or regions of the drive where moving them is tricky. In terms of the MFT (Master File Table), they’re flagged as non-movable to avoid corruption or system instability. This is particularly frustrating after Windows updates or if features like hibernation or system restore are enabled, which automatically create these files.
Believe me, I’ve encountered this myself after enabling hibernation or creating restore points — suddenly, shrinking a partition becomes impossible because those files just won’t shift. Sometimes, they’re hidden in plain sight, protected by Windows, with no obvious way to free them up unless you do some prep work.
Disabling Hibernation to Free Up Space
For me, the biggest breakthrough came from turning off hibernation. Since hiberfil.sys can take up several gigs if your RAM is sizeable, it often becomes the main obstacle to resizing. Turning off hibernation completely removes this file, which is a quick win. After doing this, I could shrink the volume more easily, and it helped with other files that refused to budge.
Here’s how I did it: opened Command Prompt as administrator (search “cmd”, right-click, select “Run as administrator”), then typed:
powercfg /h offThis command turns off hibernation and deletes hiberfil.sys. Sometimes, I needed to restart the PC afterwards to see the file vanish, but once I did, the disk space was freed up. Keep in mind, if your system uses hybrid sleep or if you’ve enabled fast startup, you may also need to disable fast startup in Control Panel > Power Options. That’s because fast startup re-enables hybrid shutdown, which preserves the hibernation file and can interfere with resizing.
Turning Off the Page File
The next step I looked into was the page file (pagefile.sys) — Windows’ virtual memory. Windows manages it automatically, but it can be quite large and is often locked in place to ensure system stability. To shrink the partition, disabling the page file was necessary.
Here’s what I did: right-click This PC > Properties > then click Advanced system settings. Under the Advanced tab, I clicked Settings in Performance. Then, go to Advanced again and click Change… under Virtual memory. From there, uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives, select drive C:, then choose No paging file. Hit Set, close all windows, and restart your PC.
After rebooting, the pagefile.sys disappeared, freeing up that part of the drive. Just a heads-up: disabling the page file can impact performance and crash dumps. So, I recommend re-enabling it after resizing. Simply follow the same steps and choose System managed size.
Turning Off System Protection to Remove Restore Points
Restore points — those snapshots of your system — can gobble up space and block shrinking. I decided to disable system protection temporarily, which cleared out all restore points and freed the locked space. The downside? You lose all previous restore points, so it’s a trade-off.
Here’s what I did: went to Control Panel > System and Security > System, then clicked System Protection. I selected the drive (usually C:), clicked Configure, then checked Disable system protection. Confirmed, then rebooted. This wiped out the restore points and freed the space, but remember—you won’t be able to perform quick restores unless you enable protection again later.
Third-Party Partition Tools — The Next Step
If Windows’ own tools are stubborn, third-party partition managers like EaseUS Partition Master, MiniTool Partition Wizard, or Paragon Partition Manager can often do the trick. These programs operate outside of Windows, directly manipulating the partition table, so they’re not limited by the same restrictions. They usually can move or resize even those unmovable files — provided you’re using the free versions support it.
Just a heads-up: back up everything beforehand because working at this level carries risks. I recommend cloning your disk or creating a full system image prior to making any changes. Then, follow the software’s instructions — typically, select the partition, choose resize/move, and apply. It’ll probably require a reboot and can take some time, so be patient. Interrupting the process can corrupt your partition, so patience is key.
Tips:
- Always back up your data — disk operations can go wrong!
- Ensure the software supports resizing your specific partition type.
- Run a disk check after resizing to catch any issues early.
Ultimate Solution: Reinstall Windows or Perform a Clean Disk
If nothing else works and you’re after a fresh start, reinstalling Windows from scratch is a solid option. A clean install allows you to partition your drive exactly as you want, without those pesky unmovable files blocking your progress. But — heads up — you’ll need to back up everything first, prepare the install media, and be ready to go through the setup process again.
During installation, you can delete existing partitions and create new ones from scratch. This is a last-resort step but guarantees a clean drive with no stubborn files getting in the way of your resizing plans.
Key Takeaways
TL;DR — if you’re trying to shrink a Windows 11 volume and hit a wall with unmovable files, start by disabling hibernation and the page file, then consider turning off system protection. If that doesn’t do the trick, third-party tools are your mates. And if all else fails, a clean install will sort it out — but don’t forget to back everything up first! These methods saved me a lot of frustration, and I hope they can save you too.
Good luck — I know how frustrating this can be. Hopefully, reading this will save you some late-night hassle!