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?

Answer 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.

Answer 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.

Answer 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

Answer 4

EaseUS Partition Master Free can do this, and is a reliable free tool which can resize partitions on-the-fly, while running Windows, without any need to reboot.

It can resize "basic" volumes and it doesn't matter if the disk space is on the "left" or "right" side of the partition.

Answer 5

you can use this free application

its really simple and very fast to work with partitions

As Partition Magic alternative, EaseUS Partition Master Professional Edition is an ALL-IN-ONE partition solution and disk management utility. It allows you to extend partition, especially for system drive, settle low disk space problem, manage disk space easily on MBR and GUID partition table (GPT) disk under 32 bit and 64 bit Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Windows 7 SP1/Windows 8. The most popular hard disk management functions are brought together with powerful data protection including: Partition Manager, Disk & Partition Copy Wizard and Partition Recovery Wizard. Moreover,

Top Benefits:

Affordable disk management & PC performance optimization utility costs less than competitors with more robust features.
Easy-to-use wizard allows implementation of professional and reliable disk management in minutes.
Set up partitions for when installing dual boot Windows 7 and Windows 8.
Safely merge adjacent partitions into one without data loss.
Copy Wizard to upgrade system disk to a bigger one or copy partition to another with one-click.
Extend system partition to maximize computer performance on dynamic disk.
Better disk management & PC performance optimization utility under Windows & WinPE based bootable disk.
Use with EaseUS Todo Backup to ensure PC's performance and data security.

Main Features

Resize/Move partitions to avoid data loss, like extending NTFS system partition without reboot to maximize PC performance.
Support dynamic disk - resize volume (including resize system volume) and copy volume, convert dynamic disk, etc.
Hot! Safely merge two adjacent partitions into a bigger one without data loss.
Create multiple-partitions, delete partition, or directly delete all partitions.
Hot! Wipe data on unallocated space.
Wipe disk or wipe partition to permanently wipe sensitive data on disk.
Convert dynamic disk to basic disk and Convert FAT to NTFS file system.
Convert primary partition to logical partition and vice versa: convert a primary volume to logical to create a fifth volume on a disk with 4 existed primary volumes.
Speed up your computer by defragmentation.
Disk surface test to check and find bad sectors and rebuild MBR to boot system again.
Linux partition management: delete, create, format, recover EXT2/EXT3 partition, etc.
Built-in WinPE 3.0 based bootable CD/DVD.
Support all hardware RAID, multiple removable storage device, hard disk and GPT disk (support up to 2TB partition on MBR and 4TB partition on GPT).
Support under Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Windows 7 SP1/Windows 8 (32 bit & 64 bit).

you can learn more here :

http://www.partition-tool.com/easeus-partition-manager/

Answer 6

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