How do I extend the size of an NTFS partition?

Question

I'm absolutely blown away by how impossible this task appearing to be. I've been through probably a hundred separate Google search results, every single one explaining how to "right click the volume and click extend". Well guess what, the extend button is greyed out. Here's a screenshot of Disk Management:

I can't use the Windows snipping tool with a context menu open (and my keyboard lacks a print screen button), but believe me when I say that the extend button is greyed out when right clicking the Windows 8 partition. I've tried using DISKPART.exe too:

Would anybody care to fill me in on why Windows is refusing to extend the partition? What will I have to do in order to extend the partition with the remaining 140GB on the drive?

Solution 1

Windows 7 "Extend" feature works only if the unallocated size is to the right. Yours is to the left. You will need to use a 3rd party partition application (PartedMagic/GParted).

Before messing around with partitions, backup everything first.

Solution 2

From my experience with dealing with partitions I would suggest 2 options:

1. GParted - a free linux distribution which can be operated from a live CD and hence removes the limitation cause by manipulating partitions from within the system. - it has very thin GUI but helpful.

2. EaseUS Partition Master Professional Edition - An amazing tool which can do almost everything and resize/merge/delete partitions without any problem. I really like this program since you dont have 'step outside' of windows, you just give the orders and then it does everything by itself.

Good Luck.

Solution 3

If you can boot a Linux system from (USB/CD) I would use the comands fdisk, dd and ntfresize to do the job manually:

1. use fdisk to create a new partition of the unallocated space
2. use dd to copy the windows partion into the new one
3. again fdisk to remove the old windows and the new partion, and re-create the new one with the same number of the old windows partion.

At this point you can test already if the windows system is able to boot from the copied partion. The data of the old windows partion is still unchanged (just invisible) and could be re-created easily with fdisk.

4. use fdisk to resize the new partion as big as wanted
5. use ntfsresize to enlarge the ntfs file system

Solution 4

The extend button is greyed out: that's because the Volume that you are trying to resize is a system partition which is in use so you can not do a change on it,

you can resize the Volume with Partition Wizard!

Download Partition Wizard boot able .ISO image then burn it to a CD and boot it.

here are the links below:

ImgBurn

Partition Wizard Boot able .ISO image

View more solutions

Comments

[Hubro]

So is it impossible to extend the partition from Windows 8?

[Logman]

Windows only allows basic partition editing. In your situation I believe you can not Extend the partition because of where the unallocated space exists. You could create a backup system image of the C partition and use a recovery cd/dvd and to combine those two partitions and then restore the system image back onto the merged partition. But it would be simplier and far easier to use a 3rd party application/os to just move the partition/resize.

[Harry Johnston]

Actually these days Windows can extend a volume that is in use.

[Harry Johnston]

+1. It might be possible to extend the volume if you first convert the disk to dynamic. But IIRC the system volume can't be extended that way, because it isn't allowed to be fragmented, so that won't work either in this situation.

[Ruud]

I have free space to the right, and I am still unable to grow the partition.

[Sum None]

It seems not possible also if there is a recovery (or other) partition in between your unallocated space on the right (e.g. system drive connected to another guest to extend).