How can i extend my primary partition?

When I choose the partition where to install Windows, can I extend my C then? Without losing any data from D?

Hi beckhamstef,

You have a couple of options.

Use a 3rd party tool to convert the Extended partition (dark green )
into a Primary partition (dark blue - like the other one ) - should be able to do it without data loss.

Then use that same partition program to move the data on that new Primary to the higher addresses , i.e. to the right of it, leaving free space on the left , into which C can be extended.

The Paragon Partition Manager, for example, has a Redistribute free space option which does just that - you would need to convert it Primary before doing so.

There's a lot of data to move - could take an hour or more to move it safely - with any of these operations it is important not to interrupt them.


Alternatively, copy what's on the Extended partition to an external HD - use an imaging program , like this excellent free one

Macrium Reflect Free Edition - Free software downloads and reviews - CNET Download.com

Then just use Disk management to delete the partitions within the Extended container, then the delete the container itself and resize your C. Disk management can then make another (smaller ) D partition as a Primary.

Then replace the data from the external HD.

Did you check out the links I gave earlier - the one at the bottom of that post ?


You may like to get the 30 day trial of the Paragon - I do not know what the limitations are on then trial product - got to be worth getting it to see if it will do the job - worth trying both the program , and the recovery cd ( this is a bootable partition manager ) download

Partition Manager - download demo


Hope it helps

SIW2

I was hoping you had found a way to resize the extended partition boundaries without resorting to 3rd party apps.

I have good partitioning apps, so no problem for me - just curious.

We're getting a lot of these kind of questions now people are wanting to dual boot 7. Sadly, not much in the way of free apps. for x64 .

SIW2

To extend the partition in disk management would it have to be configured as a Dynamic disk?

beckhamstef said:

Well, it's all in the title :). How can i extend it? It seems i can extend only my secondary one. I must not be getting something... Help!

In trying to resize my own Windows 7 Ultimate install partition, I came up with this trick in my head. Just now testing if it works:

The partition just to the right of your OS install partition is your data partition. This data partition has less than half of its entire partition size occupied by data (ie. if its's 150 GB large, 75 GB or more of it can be shrunk - at least after a good defrag).

Out of this new allocated space (75 GB to the right of the data drive) I now create a new NTFS formatted data drive.

I move my 75 or less GB of data from the original Data partition (now in the middle of the Device managers illustration) to the new partition (in the right side of the Device managers illustration).

I then will delete the middle partition, hopefully leaving me allocated space right next to my OS install partition, thus being able to expand this from 40 GB to around 70-75 GB - and then expand my data drive once more to its maximum possible size using up the rest of the allocated space in the middle of the Device managers illustration.

I'm in the proces of moving this data, it will take time (an hour or more) but then the results should be in...

Please excuse my poor english, but it isn't my first language

Ingwersen

That should work fine if your data partition is a Primary.

It's easier to use a partition manager - there are now some very good free ones that work very well on 64 bit: Partition Wizard Free Home Edition

SIW2 said:

That should work fine if your data partition is a Primary.

It's easier to use a partition manager - there are now some very good free ones that work very well on 64 bit: Partition Wizard Free Home Edition

It is a primary and it does work (!)... - though it takes some moving files around a couple of times. But someone in here asked if it could be done with no third party tool/application - so I decided to try, since I had to do it anyways

But it is surely easier with a partition manager

Ingwersen