[resize drive]Need advice

[leesmithg]

Well I found my windows partition on C: is near full, due to rollback rx.

 

So I have my media partition E:, which has 290GB of free space.

 

So I moved into computer management > disk management and removed 200GB of space.

 

It sits there as free space now, I want to add it to C:, but it won't let me.

 

The free space I believe is still connected to E:

 

So it will not allow me to extend C: by adding the free space.

 

Is there a way of doing it (adding the free space to C:) without using a partition program and use disk management in windows?

 

Windows 7 SP1 x64 is my o.p.s.

[+BudMan MVC]

There have been many threads about this topic. Here is where you run into a problem

[c drive][e drive]

If you free up space and shrink e drive you end up with this

[c drive][e drive][free unallocated space]

The built in tools "disk manager" does not allow you to grow/expand C into space that is not right next to it. You would need it to look like this

[c drive][ free unallocated space ][e drive]

Then you could grow C into that space with disk manager. 3rd party tools would allow you to move the e partition to the right so that the space is next to c "contiguous"

You have a few methods without using 3rd party. You could copy off your files you need to external, a completely different disk in your machine so that you can blow away E partition and now have this

[c drive][unallocated space]

expand/grow C to the size you want, then recreate your E and put your files back.

Your other option would be to shrink E, and create a new disk in the now unallocated space - and just mount that to a folder in C drive vs giving it a drive letter. Does not really make C bigger but allows you to use the space like its on c, example c:\morespacefolder\yourfiles

Other option is to change to dynamic disk vs basic. This allows for spanning partitions in 1 drive letter so you have this

[c drive][e drive][c drive] if you look at your partitions in disk manager. I don't suggest this unless you fully understand the difference between a basic disk and dynamic disk.

There are many FREE 3rd party tools that will work for you. http://www.easeus.com/partition-manager/epm-free.html will do it for you, have not used this new version but all the past versions of this software has worked flawlessly in my experience.

Keep in mind you should make sure you have a backup of your critical files as just common practice, but before doing such a thing its good idea to validate your backup. If you have a backup of all the stuff that is on E anyway, or its non critical stuff - just blow it away. Expand C to the size you desire and then recreate your E drive would be my #1 suggestion.

[+Eternal Tempest MVC]

G Parted is free / open source hard drive partition manipulation (shrink, expand), create, delete etc. 

http://gparted.org/

 

Again, as listed as above knowledge of file systems, partitions , etc. is a must to not accidentally wipe out your data.

[leesmithg]

Well, I have C: D: E: [free space] F: G: H: I: J: then 6 virtual drives (Alcohol)

[Aergan]

G Parted is free / open source hard drive partition manipulation (shrink, expand), create, delete etc. 

http://gparted.org/

 

Again, as listed as above knowledge of file systems, partitions , etc. is a must to not accidentally wipe out your data.

 

Gparted wont help if the partition issue is like in Budman's first example: [c drive][e drive][free unallocated space]

[+BudMan MVC]

Can you post a screenshot of your disk manager -- I am guessing your logical in an extended partition as well.

Happy to walk you through your options if I can see the diskmanager layout.

edit: Can always duplicate your disk setup in vm and walk you through it