Solved Problem Merging Non Adjacent Partitions in Windows 7

[Serpentz]

Hey everyone. I've spent a good deal of time today trying to find a solution for this problem. Before I give up and call it quits, I want to see if someone here has done this before successfully. I had a problem with my girlfriends laptop running out of space. She had a 25GB partition on D and a 180 GB partition on E. I backed up the 25GB's on D and went into Disk Management to merge D with the main Windows 7 partition: C

However, looking at the partitions in D.M. you can see the two partitions are not adjacent to each other. Therefore I cannot extend C to D and get that needed space because they are not adjacent to each other. I need to get that unallocated space as part of C drive:

Untitled-2.jpg picture by Ziah691 - Photobucket

I've downloaded some programs to try to move this partition next to C so I can extend C onto it, and I've not had any luck. Even though I've seen some programs say that it can merge two non adjacent partitions, they fail and cannot do this. I've tried creating a partition, logical, primary....anything to get it to move next to C and I've not found a solution. I've tried a bunch of different programs as well.

Before I call it quits and backup the 185GB partition onto a new drive, has anyone successfully merged two non adjacent partitions? If so is there some steps on how to do this? Google search shows a bunch of useless crap and bad English. I download Partition Wizard and they even have some weird tutorial on this, but it has nothing to do with what I need. Some help is greatly appreciated.

 

[whs]

Try this program: BEST FREE Partition Manager Software for Windows supports all 32-bit & 64 bit Windows No-server OS.

 

[Serpentz]

Thanks for the reply...it still does not help me solve the problem of the partitions not being adjacent to each other in order to extend C to D

 

[Brink]

Hello Serpentz, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You will not be able to do this with Disk Management. Did you download and install the free program that WHS posted above to see if you could extend C: into the "unallocated space"?

 

[rap33042]

Serpentz:

I think, perhaps, you misunderstand the concept.
You say you've backed up your D: drive, so delete that partition and extend the C: partition to fill the unallocated space.
That simple maneuver can be accomplished with Windows' Disk Management Tool.

If you had programs on the D: drive, you're going to have to re-install them; simply copying them back won't do the trick.

 

[Serpentz]

Hi there, thanks everyone for the replies. The unallocated space you see in DM used to be the D: partition. I backed everything up on this, removed the pagefile from systems, and then reboot, then deleted the partition. I wanted to merge this unallocated space with C drive because as you can see, it's about out of free space. However, in Disk Management, the unallocated space or the partition you want to extend whatever drive to has to be adjacent. The drive that is adjacent to C is E: that has a bunch of stuff backed up to it. I tried to find a program to move this unallocated space, or even create a partition that would move it next to C. This just doesn't seem possible. See this partition of unallocated space is at the end of System Reserved. you can't extend partitions in Windows 7 to any partition that isn't sitting next to the partition you want to merge. Those partitions have to be sitting next to each other or adjacent. Does anyone understand what I am running into?

Thanks in advance for the help

 

[Brink]

Yes, we understand you, but we need to know if you tried the free program Partition Wizard Home Edition that WHS posted above to see if you could extend C: into the "unallocated space".

 

[Serpentz]

I've downloaded a few programs to try this and none of them will move that partition adjacent to C. None of them will merge non-adjacent partitions. The only solution is to backup and delete E. I figured it wasn't possible but I thought I would ask.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[TVeblen]

Just as a general FYI:

In my experience using the freeware version of Partition Wizard the procedure of merging partitions to the left, or merging non-adjacent partitions, is not possible as those advance features of the program seem to be disabled.

From the help files in free PW it indicates that the paid Professional Version will perform those procedures.

I'm guessing that Brink and the others are using the paid professional version and the OP is, like I was, using the freeware version. Please correct me if I am wrong.

The professional version is only $29 US.

 

[Serpentz]

Yeah...that's possible I guess. I really don't want to pay $30 to try and see if it doesn't work though. I do appreciate the help and responses though

Thanks

 

[TVeblen]

One other option for you would be to remove the W7 System Reserved partition. Then it would be a simple task that could be done with Disk Management.

I don't know if you would want to go to that extent. I would read up on the pros and cons first. But if you are game, see here: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71363-system-reserved-partition-delete.html

I'm still holding out to see what others say about free Partition Wizard. I only tried it that once. There is always the possibility that I am just a "person of diminished intellectual capabilities".

Do you recall what the message was that PW gives you when you attempt to perform the procedure?

 

[madtownidiot]

There's nothing wrong with the current version of gParted either. It's free, and its not some neutered shareware with disabled features (half of which probably don't work as advertised) that can't be accessed until you send your credit card number to their website.

 

[Serpentz]

Hey... a fellow cheap prick! That was my decision too. Cheers!

You should be careful who you call a "cheap prick"

Just because I don't want to blow $30 doesn't give you this right.

Who the **** do you think you are anyway?

I'm not "cheap" - I just don't like throwing money away.

 

[whs]

Hey guys, be nice and cool down. No need to get at each other's throat. I am sure TVeblen made the remark jokingly. I would hate to see you guys banned from the forum.

 

[madtownidiot]

if you have a flash drive that you don't mind formatting, format to fat32 then:
download unetbootin
use unetbootin to download and install gParted or PartedMagic as a bootable flash drive

 

[TVeblen]

I'm sorry Serpentz. I didn't mean to offend. Just a bad attempt at humor.
Please accept my apologies.