Partitions size are changing all the time when Windows is running, reading and writing data to hard drives, sometimes it gains size automatically even when no one is downloading files from the internet. Windows Server administrators may be more aware of this since the log file is consistently increased self’s size when Server is working.
We have many ways to change partition size, the default Disk Management, diskpart command line and third-party partition managing software. In this page, we’ll use Disk Management (DM) and partition software (Partition Expert) to decrease and increase partition size.
Right-click on the Start button and choose Disk Management and follow the step:
Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box and type diskmgmt.msc press
Enter to open Disk Management and
but the option Extend Volume grayed out…, then search for reasons, the official Disk Management support says:
To active Extend Volume option, Disk Management needs continuous unallocated space to the target volume
Which means, there need to be unallocated space next to C Drive, to create such space, shrink other volume is not going to make this work but delete the drive next C will make sense, we can’t extend C Drive unless we delete D Drive…
Download Partition Expert, since our mission is to resize partition, we don’t need to install the program, so we just download the portable edition would be just fine, run the 64-bit program from the package and do the followings:
Run Partition Expert again and do the followings to extend C Drive with 20G:
| Missions\Tools | Disk Management | Partition Expert |
|---|---|---|
| Increase 20G to C Drive | Failed | Success |
| Decrease 20G from E Drive | Success | Success |
| Create Unallocated space | Failed | Success |
| Don’t delete any partitions | Failed | Success |
| Don’t reboot Windows Server | Success | Success |
Why Partition Expert able to move partition without data loss
Partition Expert moves data from one partition to another partition with advanced data moving algorithm enables moving and resizing ease and safe. With the unique Roll-back technology and Cancel-at-will technology, Windows hard drives are in well-protected when emergency situations happen to computers for home or for Server.