Cannot using the Unallocated Space

nicboy · Jul 24, 2022

I took some space (unallocated 70.6GB) from C: boot driver and want to use it for M:, but when using extend partition function, it cannot find the unallocated 70.6GB, anyone please help?

FreeBooter · Jul 24, 2022

Use free edition of MiniTool Partition Wizard.

Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Wizard Free

As an all-in-one free partition manager and disk manager software, MiniTool Partition Wizard Free helps manage disk space safely on Windows 11/10/8/7.

www.partitionwizard.com

PerpetualCycle · Jul 24, 2022

The unallocated partition has to be contiguous to the partition you want to add to. So you will have to move some partitions around first. As suggested MiniTool Partition Wizard can do this.

SIW2 · Jul 24, 2022

nicboy said:
I took some space (unallocated 70.6GB) from C: boot driver and want to use it for M:, but when using extend partition function, it cannot find the unallocated 70.6GB, anyone please help?

View attachment 34919

View attachment 34920

Because that function takes free space from an existing partition to use elsewhere.

That is why it does not show unallocated space which is not in a partition.

glasskuter · Jul 24, 2022

Make sure all data is backed up first!! Use at your own risk.

How Do I Extend Partition to Non Contiguous Space Effectively

You may want to extend partition to non contiguous space for better partition management. This post will show you the best way to achieve the purpose.

www.partitionwizard.com

cereberus · Jul 25, 2022

glasskuter said:
Make sure all data is backed up first!! Use at your own risk.

How Do I Extend Partition to Non Contiguous Space Effectively

You may want to extend partition to non contiguous space for better partition management. This post will show you the best way to achieve the purpose.

www.partitionwizard.com

Interesting, I have never done it this way. In example, I would have moved F to right, then expanded G.

This seems to do it all in one step.

One to try next time I need to do this (after using MRH of course).

glasskuter · Jul 25, 2022

@cereberus I didn't either. I've always manipulated from right to left until I got unallocated at the end of whatever partition I was going to extend and have continued to do so even after I was aware of this.I can't help but be a little paranoid about what extenuating circumstances this might affect. Will disk management be affected? When a major version update comes down the pike will it see the partition as haywire? What about if one needs to do a clean install? If one deletes the windows partitions during the install and installs on unallocated space, that noncontiguous space is going to go right back where it was.

Yeah, I'm too old school in my thinking. I'll keep doing it the old way with minitool. Or back up and let Macrium resize my partitions during a restore which makes a lot more sense to me. .

nicboy · Jul 30, 2022

cereberus said:
Interesting, I have never done it this way. In example, I would have moved F to right, then expanded G.

This seems to do it all in one step.

One to try next time I need to do this (after using MRH of course).

What do you mean by move F to right, where is F? and how to move it around?

nicboy · Jul 30, 2022

FreeBooter said:
Use free edition of MiniTool Partition Wizard.

Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Wizard Free

As an all-in-one free partition manager and disk manager software, MiniTool Partition Wizard Free helps manage disk space safely on Windows 11/10/8/7.

www.partitionwizard.com

The tool I'm using now is Minitool Partition Wizard, it just won't allow you to extend it!

Edwin · Jul 30, 2022

Don't you have to create a New Simple Volume out of the Unallocated Space before you can shuffle it around???

SIW2 · Jul 30, 2022

yes, obviously if he wants to use that function.

glasskuter · Jul 30, 2022

I think @cereberus typo-ed.

If it were me and I wanted to keep the disk space allotted to my partitions contiguous,(and personally I would for the reasons given in Post 7), I would back up the entire drive using Macrium and then resize my partitions during restore. Restore Partitions with Resize and Reorder

If you want to add the unallocated space to M as non-contiguous space then the Minitool procedure given on post 5 will do that.
Warning: No matter what method you use to extend a partition , be sure to backup the entire drive FIRST. Re-partitioning can get hairy so you want to protect your data.)

glasskuter · Jul 30, 2022

Edwin said:
Don't you have to create a New Simple Volume out of the Unallocated Space before you can shuffle it around???

I always have, but according to the Minitool article I gave in post 5, Minitool can extend into non-contiguous space now. If this were only a data disk, I might do it, but since this disk also contains the 4 OS partitions that are in the middle of the split disk space, I would question the end result. But that's just me.

nicboy · Jul 30, 2022

Edwin said:
Don't you have to create a New Simple Volume out of the Unallocated Space before you can shuffle it around???

Why do you need that, my picture shows that you can directly grab the Unallocated Space of 230Gb, but just not this one that split from C: drive.

Edwin · Jul 30, 2022

nicboy said:
Why do you need that, my picture shows that you can directly grab the Unallocated Space of 230Gb, but just not this one that split from C: drive.

Okay. I was just tossing an idea in the air, I could be mistaken. My apologies.

nicboy · Jul 30, 2022

glasskuter said:
I think @cereberus typo-ed.

If it were me and I wanted to keep the disk space allotted to my partitions contiguous,(and personally I would for the reasons given in Post 7), I would back up the entire drive using Macrium and then resize my partitions during restore. Restore Partitions with Resize and Reorder

If you want to add the unallocated space to M as non-contiguous space then the Minitool procedure given on post 5 will do that.
Warning: No matter what method you use to extend a partition , be sure to backup the entire drive FIRST. Re-partitioning can get hairy so you want to protect your data.)

How Do I Extend Partition to Non Contiguous Space Effectively

You may want to extend partition to non contiguous space for better partition management. This post will show you the best way to achieve the purpose.

www.partitionwizard.com

I have followed your instruction exactly which is the same as the normal partition process, I really don't how it different what I have been doing of over hundred of times. But this time is the Free Space From drop down list does not include the Unallocated Space of 75GB, which I want to use. This is really confusing here!

glasskuter · Jul 30, 2022

If you no longer have the 70 gb unallocated space, what is now the size of the M partition?
You did backup that entire disk before you started...right?

SIW2 · Jul 30, 2022

nicboy said:
How Do I Extend Partition to Non Contiguous Space Effectively

You may want to extend partition to non contiguous space for better partition management. This post will show you the best way to achieve the purpose.

www.partitionwizard.com

But this time is the Free Space From drop down list does not include the Unallocated Space of 75GB, which I want to use. This is really confusing here!

Because Free space is different from unallocated space.

Free space is inside a partition.

Unallocated space is not inside a partition.

the message in your screenshot says:

User can extend specified partition by taking free space from other partition on the same disk

I have no idea why it shows the 230gb unallocated in the dropdown, it is contrary to the wording of the message..

You could extend C to incorporate that 70.6gb unallocated space.

When it is inside partition C it becomes free space.

I dont know if that partitioning program will allow harvesting space from the os partition while you are booted into it.

I took some space (unallocated 70.6GB) from C:

Did you apply that change, or is it just showing virtually in the partition manager window?

It is possible that message is badly worded and it would offer unallocated as well as free space. But if the change has not yet been apllied that could be why the 70.6gb is not showing. Doesnt seem very likely because you posted abouit days ago.

Most partition managers show virtual changes and expect the user to confirm by clicking an Apply button or sometimes it is called Save Changes button. Often at top left of partition manager window.

What does disk management show?

nicboy · Jul 31, 2022

glasskuter said:
If you no longer have the 70 gb unallocated space, what is now the size of the M partition?
You did backup that entire disk before you started...right?

I have the 70GB, it is not shown under the drop down list when you are trying to do extend, which means it cannot be chosen! So that is the problem, why this is not useable.

nicboy · Jul 31, 2022

SIW2 said:
Because Free space is different from unallocated space.

Free space is inside a partition.

Unallocated space is not inside a partition.

the message in your screenshot says:

I have no idea why it shows the 230gb unallocated in the dropdown, it is contrary to the wording of the message..

You could extend C to incorporate that 70.6gb unallocated space.

When it is inside partition C it becomes free space.

I dont know if that partitioning program will allow harvesting space from the os partition while you are booted into it.

Did you apply that change, or is it just showing virtually in the partition manager window?

It is possible that message is badly worded and it would offer unallocated as well as free space. But if the change has not yet been apllied that could be why the 70.6gb is not showing. Doesnt seem very likely because you posted abouit days ago.

Most partition managers show virtual changes and expect the user to confirm by clicking an Apply button or sometimes it is called Save Changes button. Often at top left of partition manager window.

What does disk management show?

Sorry if it is clearly stated before. I have too much unused space in C: OS system partition, so I split it and here is the 70.6GB Unallocated space. I tend to extend M: partition to include the 70.6GB but the it is not doable as the extend drop down list does not even show this Unallocated sapce. The 230.6Gb is the one I reserved aside for other use and tend not to touch it now, that one is selectable as always under the extend menu. So I would like to know how is possible to be able to add the 70.6GB to M: drive.