What're the disk partition types? are they logical partition, primary partition, and extended partition? familiar names, right? Yes, they're the partition types name you can see from Windows Disk management, which is the default partition manager for both client os and Server systems, which still can't convert between primary and logical without data loss, in this page, we'll some useful resources on these partition types.
A number of primary partitions on MBR disk can only reach at most four, so if you want to create just one more partition, the Create New Volume option will grey out in Disk management unless you make one of the primary partitions to Extended partition, then create more logical partitions on this. In this snap-in tool, there are no ways to make a logical partition out of primary partitions unless you delete one of them.
When unallocated space does not continue to the primary partition you want to extend, the option Extend Volume will grey out. If you want to extend this volume without the help of partition managing software, Delete Volume on the right side neighbor partition can be the solution. Of course, to do a backup first is needed. But, before you proceed to Disk management, we have a better solution to share.
Primary Partition in Windows Server 2003 often means the first partition, or the system partition, because operating system can only be installed to the primary partition, resize which in Windows 2003 disk management is not that easy, because you don’t have such functions like Extend volume or Shrink volume functions in Windows 2008; diskpart command line in bootable CD is not easy to access if you don’t have unallocated space followed to system partition and you don’t want to delete anything either.
Windows system can only be installed on primary partitions, and there’s always one primary partition in one disk, C Drive, so when you want to extend primary partition, it must be the system partition you want to resize. The rest of the partitions are Data partitions, which always set to Logical partition. Free space with large capacity always stays in the logical partition; when low disk space happens to the primary partition, the simplest way is to extend it with free space from the logical partition.