Windows Refuses to Expand Partition

[gmatting]

I installed a new hard drive twice the size (750GB v 320GB) of the old one. I have Windows 7 64bit on the primary partition and Windows Vista on a secondary partition in order to run some old 32bit programs. I tried to expand the existing partitions to take advantage of the nearly 400GB of unallocated space. Performing this operation in Disk Management from the primary partition, I clicked on the partition I wanted to expand. I should then be able to click on the “Extend Volume” option to extend into the unallocated space. However, the Extend Volume option is grayed out – I can’t click it.



What gives?

 

[gregrocker]

Please post back a screenshot of Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image
so we can help you better.

The space needs to be adjacent unless using Partition Wizard boot CD to extend partition easily with Partition Wizard - video help.

However if you're mixing Primary with Logical it may take extra steps to sort it out,

 

[gmatting]

Screenshot attached. I have designated the unallocated space as a primary partition, thinking that might allow me to expand the other partitions. No go. Still grayed out expand option.

 

[gregrocker]

I would move the data off of D onto C temporarily , the delete D and F (which is empty anyway) to extend C as desired. Partition or Volume - Delete
Partition or Volume - Extend

Note that you must delete D twice to first delete its Volume and then Delete it's Partition in Disk Mgmt. Logical partitions are strange like this.

Once you extend C where you want it, you can create a new partition to its right if desired in Disk Mgmt: Partition or Volume - Create New

If you want to leave what you have and just annex space to/from one or the other, you can still extend partition easily with Partition Wizard - video help. Let us know if it gives you any problem with the Logical partition, but it should't because PW treats Logical and Primary partitions pretty much interchangeably. If not you can always rightclick D to Modify>Set to Primary, OK, Apply.

 

[drisrail]

Aomei

You can use Aomei partion assistant for this, i hope you will do it..

Free Partition Manager - AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard

 

[gmatting]

If I delete partitions D and E, does it matter which one I delete first?