how to extend C drive?

DF-1 · **how to extend C drive? -** 02-12-2012, 03:54 | posts: 1,384

Hey guys! I have a 3TB HDD that i used to install my OS on.

for some reason i gave the OS partiton only 50GB worth of space. I use 2TB as normal storage and have 750?GB left, unallocated space. i want to put that space into C.

i tried to follow some guide, but its not letting me extend it. (c/d is the 3tb)

any help would be great! thanks!

Lukc · 02-12-2012, 04:00 | posts: 346 | Location: Slovenija

there are programs for that. dunno how good this is.. i used partition magic or smthing like that in past.. now i prefer clean reinstall of os since i'm keeping stuff in other drives (usb keys, external hdd,..)

DF-1 · 02-12-2012, 04:10 | posts: 1,384

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lukc

there are programs for that. dunno how good this is.. i used partition magic or smthing like that in past.. now i prefer clean reinstall of os since i'm keeping stuff in other drives (usb keys, external hdd,..)

i tried it with another program.

both windows default thing and the program it says i can only add space to the 2TB, not the C. but it wont add anything over 2TB anyway.

I got to the point where I cant even drag a jpg on the desktop, the 50GB's are full and its really annoying :S

IcE · 02-12-2012, 05:23 | posts: 6,991 | Location: Toledo, Ohio

Use Windows backup tool to create a system image, insert Windows disk, delete C, and the 750GB partition so it only lists your 2TB partition and unallocated space, then make a new partition out of the unallocated space and restore your backup on it.

jaydeee · 02-12-2012, 06:08 | posts: 56

guess GParted will help you do that.

automaticman · 02-12-2012, 07:14 | posts: 664 | Location: Orange County, CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by ice445

Use Windows backup tool to create a system image, insert Windows disk, delete C, and the 750GB partition so it only lists your 2TB partition and unallocated space, then make a new partition out of the unallocated space and restore your backup on it.

Yeah I think this sounds like the best idea. You can do a system image restore while booting from the Windows disk right?

I think what you need to do is boot from the windows DVD and select install windows, then custom install to get to the drive selection and partition manager. Use this to delete your C: partition and then create a new partition including the 750GB space and format it while still in the install programs partition manager.

Then QUIT the installation without actually installing windows and reboot again from the DVD, this time selecting Repair. Then you can restore from the system image you made.

Personally, I always unplug all of my secondary drives when doing stuff like this to avoid accidentally deleting the wrong partition.

macdaddy · 02-12-2012, 11:12 | posts: 2,297 | Location: AUSTRALIA

do a right click pointing to one of the partition it should offer you to extend it

DF-1 · 02-12-2012, 15:57 | posts: 1,384

Quote:

Originally Posted by macdaddy

do a right click pointing to one of the partition it should offer you to extend it

Exactly! thats the first thing i tried. its grayed out. but the 2TB to the left of it isnt. (although you cant have something larger than 2TB, so it gives an error)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anubis

I'm using EaseUS Partition Master.
It's fast, it's simple, it's free..

http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm

thats exactly what i downloaded. wouldn't let me simply extend either. only the 2TB again.

automaticman · 02-12-2012, 20:23 | posts: 664 | Location: Orange County, CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by macdaddy

do a right click pointing to one of the partition it should offer you to extend it

Doesn't it have to be a special type of partition to offer expansion in the Windows Disc Manager?

Anubis · 02-12-2012, 12:41 | posts: 2,794 | Location: ∞

I'm using EaseUS Partition Master.
It's fast, it's simple, it's free..

http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm

Anubis · 02-12-2012, 18:07 | posts: 2,794 | Location: ∞

ah yea, you won't be able to extend untill you move the D: partition first

So it's like:

( C: ) ( Unallocated space ) ( D: )
instead of
( C: ) ( D: ) ( Unallocated space )

DF-1 · 02-12-2012, 18:37 | posts: 1,384

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anubis

ah yea, you won't be able to extend untill you move the D: partition first

So it's like:

( C: ) ( Unallocated space ) ( D: )
instead of
( C: ) ( D: ) ( Unallocated space )

so i just change the letter of the drive? would that make it C/unallocated? it tells me that some programs may not work because they would be directed to the drive letter.. =/

maybe i can do that, then change it again afterwards?

DF-1 · 02-12-2012, 21:39 | posts: 1,384

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anubis

ah yea, you won't be able to extend untill you move the D: partition first

So it's like:

( C: ) ( Unallocated space ) ( D: )
instead of
( C: ) ( D: ) ( Unallocated space )

well i tried renaming D to A.. didnt move though

not sure what to do

thatguy91 · 02-12-2012, 22:16 | posts: 2,761 | Location: Australia

First, download and install this:
http://www.extend-partition.com/free...n-manager.html

A partition has to be contiguous (that is, continuous). You can't extend your C: drive currently because the free space is after the D: drive.

So, in the partition manager I linked above, extend your D: drive to fill in that space, then shrink your D: partition leaving the extra amount you want on your C: drive set as unallocated space before the partition (say, 300GB).

(When doing the above, you will need to reduce the partition size first, which will add free space after the partition. You can then increase the size before the partition which is taken off the free space after the partition. This will make sense once you use it).

You can then extend your C: drive to fill that 300GB. Of course you can set it to use the entine 746.52GB, or you can leave a couple of hundred of those GB on the D: drive.

Note that all of there operations aren't committed straight away, they're put on the pending list which you can see at the bottom left hand corner of the screen. To apply the pending list, just click on the apply button at the top bar.

Program works perfectly and is safe to use, I have used it myself

(and its only a couple of megabytes to download).

DF-1 · 02-13-2012, 01:25 | posts: 1,384

Quote:

Originally Posted by thatguy91

First, download and install this:
[url]http://www.extend-partition.com/free-partition-manager.html[/url...

I love you!

im not sure i did it the same way, but i did it with that software.

also i got a LOT of errors during the process, but as you can see it seems fine.

Pill Monster · 02-13-2012, 13:17 | posts: 20,464 | Location: NZ

You only had to delete the 2TB partition, then you would have been able to right click on C drive and extend it.

Although why you need an 800GB OS partition is beyond me...

INSTG8R · 02-13-2012, 13:35 | posts: 1,188 | Location: Lost in Norway

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pill Monster

You only had to delete the 2TB partition, then you would have been able to right click on C drive and extend it.

Although why you need an 800GB OS partition is beyond me...

Phffft! I have my OS on a 1.8TB RAID 0 array. Why not?

Pill Monster · 02-13-2012, 13:58 | posts: 20,464 | Location: NZ

Quote:

Originally Posted by INSTG8R

Phffft! I have my OS on a 1.8TB RAID 0 array. Why not?

Well because it's a waste of space, obviously...

automaticman · 02-14-2012, 03:59 | posts: 664 | Location: Orange County, CA

My Steam folder alone is nearly 300GB, it obviously does not live on my SSD with my OS. A 2T OS partition pretty extreme though.

DF-1 · 02-14-2012, 13:50 | posts: 1,384

Quote:

Originally Posted by automaticman

My Steam folder alone is nearly 300GB, it obviously does not live on my SSD with my OS. A 2T OS partition pretty extreme though.

I know. I had a virus problem when windows was on the 500gb drive. I installed win on the new 3tb and got the virus sorted. Had to do with what i could ;P