Help with Disk Management and how to simplify the hard drive

Whoa, stop! Do not pass GO.

The previous tech knew exactly what they were doing (except forgetting to delete the orphaned page file). That drive is partitioned in a very logical way: Windows 7 related on C:, permanant Swap on E:, App(s)lications on F:, user Data on G:.

If you just copy over/merge E: and F: into C: then the applications will break - it likely will be a mess. What you propose to do really needs a complete reinstallation of all applications after blowing out and merging partitions into C:. Even then you may not gain much free space.

You have two page files due to a procedural error during initial repartitioning and rebooting. I've done it, no big deal as only ONE of the files is actually used - the one in the current Windows setup. Don't let this bother you, it's a non-issue and easily fixed.

First find which page file is really in use, then delete the orphaned file. From the Control Panel:

1. Open System.
2. Click Advanced system settings.
3. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings.
4. Click the Advanced tab, then under Virtual memory click Change.
5. If selected, clear (deselect or uncheck) the Automatically manage paging file size check box.
6. Click the No paging file radio button.
7. Click the Set button.
8. Click the OK button.

Close all program and windows then reboot the computer.

If there is no longer a paging file in C:, then that was the one in use. If there is a paging file on C: you can now delete it using SHIFT-DELETE.

Go back into the Control Panel and manually set the virtual memory to drive E: with a Custom size of Initial and Maximum of 16384 each (this is for 16GB of RAM). Set, OK and reboot. On reboot the new fixed size (not dynamic) page file will be written on the E: drive.

Next determine if ANY application is installed on the F: drive. If apps are there then you must decide: uninstall each application from F: and reinstall them after reworking the partitions OR leave the installation structure as-is.

If you decide to leave well enough alone, then you can begin shrinking and moving E:, F:, and G:.

Begin with shrinking G: by removing some of its free space. Then do F: and E:.

Move G: to the end (far right) end, move F: up to G: and E: up to F:.

Expand C: out to E:.

This is all you can get out of that drive. If you need more, get a large drive or uninstall unused stuff.
Regards,
GEWB

Itaregid said:

GEWB is absolutely right about messing up your installed programs if they currently are installed on E: F: or G: and suddenly you merge those partitions into C. But it typically is not hard to reinstall them. With Microsoft Office for example, it is a piece of case and in fact, it only takes seconds as the installer will see the old installation and just update the Registry with the new locations. Other programs should be almost as easy. But as I noted before, backup anything you don't want to lose.

There, fixed it for you