Cannot back-up, not enough space, but then I cannot extend volume?

[Cabyo]

I have a Lenovo G580 - It comes with it's own OneKey Recovery system which doesn't work. But neither does Windows 7 recovery.
When I try to back it up, it does but then it stops half way and says there is not enough space in the D drive to back-up. So I went into Disk Management and saw that it was limited to 25GB - So I tried to extend the volume but it has been greyed out so I cannot select it. What can I do?
I can't back it up or anything! I also had an error message which is the above: 0x80780048

Thanks in advance

 

[summmer]

there are two methods for you. 1, you need to delete your OEM partition to change it into an unallocated space, and then use extend the volume funtion to extend D drive. Windows built-in disk-managment tool can only extend a volume when there is an unllocated space right behind it. 2, you can use a free partition software, AOMEI Partition Assistant, if you don't want to delete the partition. it can help you merge two adjacent volumes without data loss.
really help the above-metioned methods can help you.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You shouldn't be backing up to Lenovo D: anyway. It has a specific purpose and isn't the right place to store your own files.

Nor should you be backing up to Disk 0 in general. You should use some other disk, probably external. What good would it do you to back up to any partition on Disc 0 if Disc 0 fails? Answer: none.

 

[Cabyo]

What is OEM?

That's exactly what I was thinking, I've only had the laptop for the day as well, so if I was to have a USB external HD would that be able to boot the recovery at start up if the HD fails, wouldn't the drivers also fail?

But if I was to save it on to my HD other than on lenovo, where would I save it to? Windows7 doesn't make sense to back it up to?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

What is OEM?

That's exactly what I was thinking, I've only had the laptop for the day as well, so if I was to have a USB external HD would that be able to boot the recovery at start up if the HD fails, wouldn't the drivers also fail?

But if I was to save it on to my HD other than on lenovo, where would I save it to? Windows7 doesn't make sense to back it up to?

OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. In this particular case, OEM means that it was placed there by Lenovo (the OEM of your PC).

A Windows installation on a PC made by a home builder would not have a Lenovo partition or an OEM partition---and might not even have that "System_DRV" partition. My primary drive has exactly 1 partition: C.

Your OEM partition contains something Lenovo wants you to have. Possibly tools, possibly some files necessary to restore your PC to factory specifications. I would not delete it or alter it in any way unless you knew for certain exactly what it contained and knew for a fact that you had no interest in whatever it was designed to do.

If you make a Macrium image, you don't then "boot the recovery at startup" from a USB external. You boot from a burned CD you have personally made. You examine the interface provided by that burned CD and then select the image file you previously made that you intend to restore---and the location to which you want to restore it. If that CD does not boot, you cannot restore.

If you are using Windows built-in imaging, I assume you boot from a Windows install disc or a Windows repair disk. I dunno---I don't use it.

You CANNOT save an image file to a partition contained in the image. So, an image of C cannot be saved to C. Which leaves your 3 smaller partitions. NONE of them are good choices for several reasons, such as:

They are quite small and image files can be quite large.

They are best left alone as they have a specific purpose that you should not interfere with.

All 3 of those partitions are on your only hard drive. If that drive drops dead, your saved image file is also dead and gone.

That's why you need some other drive, probably external.

Incidentally---if you do decide to image your C partition, you also need to make an image of that "System_DRV" partition. Windows needs it to boot.