GParted and most Linux distros wont touch a hibernated Windows NTFS disk. Unfortunately by default Windows saves its kernel in hibernation files on shutdown to shave a few seconds off boot, this anti-fearure is called Fast Startup/Boot. When Windows hibernates it make gparted and other partitioning tools default to read only mode when mounting NTFS partition.

I believe you can run ntfsfix /dev/sda2 (replacing sda2 with the drive name, see fdisk -l for names of drives) to resolve this from a terminal in gparted and other OSes.

You can also try to disable Fast Startup.

For partitioning, EaseUS has a great partitioning tool (Windows only) that works well with Windows partitions, it fails with anything more advanced than Ext2.

My home server is a HP prebuilt desktop built to get abused in scools with a AMD (A4-5000 APU) Mobile CPU in it. It came with a shitty fan that rattled but once i replaced that fan with a Bequiet (and forced a normal fan socket into the lovely HP proprietary fan header (i did check the pins were the same)) it is almost silent (perfect for the bedroom even though PSU fan is a bit louder than i would like). Very low power (~40 Watts) with three spinning disks.

Basically a workstation for professional development and gaming on the side.

End goal config is basically Xen base and 4ish VMs (when I get more RAM), Linux for Dev with whole of JetBrains Toolkit Running (also when I get more RAM), Firefox open with ~700 ish tabs avg open (when i get more RAM), Debian VM for Docker, automated tasks (compiling) and a rootkitted Windows VM on the side casual social gaming (solitare, chess, tetris, Fortnite, Ghenshin).

Maybe ML in the future when I am employed again and decided to invest in a GPU. Also video rendering with Blender (the best FOSS video editor, slightly better than shotcut) and handbrake (+ MakeMKV) for those DVD and Blu-ray rips (legal in the UK while in possession of original medium).