Can't install configured system into smaller partition

[dcouzin]

My OS, programs, and personal data now reside on a 32.7 GB partition. I want to squeeze it into a 24.4 GB partition. (The reason is to put Rescue & Recovery backups in the remaining 8.3 GB partition, so I don't have to include them every time I make an uncompressed image of my primary partition.)

After defragmentation, everything on the 32.7 GB partition fit nicely on the initial 24.3 GB. I verified this by measuring the diagram of the defragmentation, and also by watching carefully as an image was made of the partition -- the process flew after 24.3 GB.

Then I formatted the 32.7 GB partition. Then I repartitioned it into 24.4 GB and 8.3 GB NTFS partitions. So far so good.

I injected the image into the 24.4 GB partition. It fit. But XP wouldn't start. It reported a grave error.

What I think happened is that the XP-as-configured as contained in the image expected to find a 32.7 GB partition and didn't find it. Anyhow my method didn't work. How can I do what I want without having to fresh-install XP (or buying expensive partitioning software)?