How do I increase Partition size?

rdwillette · 05-14-2008, 06:14 PM

I am running Windows Server 2003 R2 (64x). Currently the basic drive it split into two partitions. I want to decrease the size of the secondary partition and add it to the boot partition. Both are set up as NTFS.
Is there a way to do this?
Thanks!

**djaburg** · 05-14-2008, 09:42 PM

If it's a single drive you might be able to use a utility like Patition Magic.

gr8fl1 · 05-15-2008, 09:18 AM

Partition magic has been the thing for me with partitions. You can always convert the drives to volumes and expand from there.

rdwillette · 05-15-2008, 04:58 PM

Sorry, I forgot to mention - it is a 3 disk array made into a virtual drive which was then partitioned.
I guess this means I just have to back up and re-create it?

ganeshkoorpati · 05-16-2008, 04:10 AM

In 2003 server one commandline utility, diskpart.exe is there.using diskpart.exe you can inresase the size...or you can use 3rd party softwares like partition magic....

rdwillette · 05-17-2008, 04:56 PM

Thanks!
I checked this out and it looks like that should work to extend the partition. But I also need to shrink the secondary partition in order to make available space to expand into.
Do you know of a way to do this without removing and reloading the second partition?

longtail · 08-27-2009, 08:31 AM

I don't know why the people recommend partition magic, it doest not support Server 2003, say nothing of 64bit OS. On the other hard, rdwillette needs to shrink the second partition and add to OS partition, diskpart cannot do this. In fact, I faced to the similar problem, but my OS is 2008. At last, I soved the problem by drag and move in disk map, quickly. I refer to http://www.partition-tool.com/resour...-partition.htm , but I think the similar article is much more suit to you. http://www.partition-tool.com/resour...-partition.htm

**bilbus** · 09-01-2009, 12:32 AM

i have had luck with acronis's partition tool

ChemicalAfinity · 09-01-2009, 01:41 AM

the best program i have found is a live CD called GParted. as it is a live cd you can do it with out having windows running and potentially corrupting data.

using it you can decreace/increace the size of any partitions etc...

just remember, backup backup backup before you do anything

bigpig · 09-25-2009, 10:59 AM

I have not used GParted, but I know it is Linux-based, I'm not sure if it compatible with Windows or not. There are many Windows applications that can do this, for example disk director, easeus partition master, etc.
I also use server, the safety is most important. secondly, if it works in Windows without turning off or reboot, it is better. I cannot accept a CD to operate.
bookmarked an article http://www.partition-tool.com/easeus...out-reboot.htm

**bilbus** · 09-25-2009, 03:07 PM

you can not repart a system drive while the os is running, and all of them will be done via a cd or pxe

bigpig · 09-26-2009, 05:56 AM

Of course I can resize the system partition while the os is running, if you enlarge the NTFS partition, no matter it is OS or other partition, without reboot, I have done this successfully, you may check the free version on XP or Vista. http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm

**bilbus** · 09-26-2009, 11:37 AM

Well, if you say so .. not sure how that would work. Not sure how you would repart a disk that is actively being written to.

Jaimel · 09-29-2009, 07:46 PM

Valuable information.

Sara Andrew · 10-19-2009, 11:20 PM

If there is not enough space on the system partition, Windows will alert there is not enough space when your boot partition is our of space.

There is a good way to incrase your Windows Server 2003 C drive, here is a detailed solution which can help you to extend the system partition without reboot and data loss.

How to Increase Windows Server 2003 Partition without Data Loss?

By the way, it also supports dynamic disk and RAID.

It is also useful when you want to Upgrade to a Large Disk or Transfer Data and Backup Drive.

arupkumar · 10-24-2009, 11:06 PM

In case u r running out of disk space in ur C: drive then u could try mounting a partition to an empty folder.Just go to the disk management and map the d: drive volume to an empty folder on drive C;

suzzan · 11-04-2009, 02:58 PM

reformat the system and delete the partition that you want to decrease and set the new size

suzzan

longtail · 11-05-2009, 12:14 AM

arupkumar's advice is fancy, I just tried this "new" method, but failed, windows always prompt that the disk space is not enough if you write new files into it.
suzzan's method is the oldest when there is no partitioning software. Remember that this is a server, backup, delete, reset partition size, restore? time-consuming with huge loss. I still recommend backup the files and repartition the server with a professional partitioning tool, especially without reboot the server.

05-14-2008, 06:14 PM	#1 (permalink)
rdwillette Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 9 OS: Windows XP PRO	How do I increase Partition size? I am running Windows Server 2003 R2 (64x). Currently the basic drive it split into two partitions. I want to decrease the size of the secondary partition and add it to the boot partition. Both are set up as NTFS. Is there a way to do this? Thanks! __________________ Robert -- (Always looking for something new and different that everyone else knows about...) Last edited by rdwillette; 05-14-2008 at 06:15 PM.

05-14-2008, 09:42 PM	#2 (permalink)
djaburg TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,319 OS: XP SP3/Vista/7 Server 2K/2K3/2K8	Re: How do I increase Partition size? If it's a single drive you might be able to use a utility like Patition Magic.

05-15-2008, 09:18 AM	#3 (permalink)
gr8fl1 Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 6 OS: XP SP2	Re: How do I increase Partition size? Partition magic has been the thing for me with partitions. You can always convert the drives to volumes and expand from there.

05-15-2008, 04:58 PM	#4 (permalink)
rdwillette Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 9 OS: Windows XP PRO	Re: How do I increase Partition size? Sorry, I forgot to mention - it is a 3 disk array made into a virtual drive which was then partitioned. I guess this means I just have to back up and re-create it? __________________ Robert -- (Always looking for something new and different that everyone else knows about...)

05-16-2008, 04:10 AM	#5 (permalink)
ganeshkoorpati Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 5 OS: win2000.winxp,win2k3,etc	Re: How do I increase Partition size? In 2003 server one commandline utility, diskpart.exe is there.using diskpart.exe you can inresase the size...or you can use 3rd party softwares like partition magic....

05-17-2008, 04:56 PM	#6 (permalink)
rdwillette Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 9 OS: Windows XP PRO	Re: How do I increase Partition size? Thanks! I checked this out and it looks like that should work to extend the partition. But I also need to shrink the secondary partition in order to make available space to expand into. Do you know of a way to do this without removing and reloading the second partition? __________________ Robert -- (Always looking for something new and different that everyone else knows about...)

08-27-2009, 08:31 AM	#7 (permalink)
longtail Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: London, UK Posts: 13 OS: Server 2k3 R2	Re: How do I increase Partition size? I don't know why the people recommend partition magic, it doest not support Server 2003, say nothing of 64bit OS. On the other hard, rdwillette needs to shrink the second partition and add to OS partition, diskpart cannot do this. In fact, I faced to the similar problem, but my OS is 2008. At last, I soved the problem by drag and move in disk map, quickly. I refer to http://www.partition-tool.com/resour...-partition.htm , but I think the similar article is much more suit to you. http://www.partition-tool.com/resour...-partition.htm

09-01-2009, 12:32 AM	#8 (permalink)
bilbus TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 949 OS: OS2 Warp	Re: How do I increase Partition size? i have had luck with acronis's partition tool

09-01-2009, 01:41 AM	#9 (permalink)
ChemicalAfinity Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 108 OS: Apple Mac OS X 10.5; Windows Server 2003	Re: How do I increase Partition size? the best program i have found is a live CD called GParted. as it is a live cd you can do it with out having windows running and potentially corrupting data. using it you can decreace/increace the size of any partitions etc... just remember, backup backup backup before you do anything

09-25-2009, 10:59 AM	#10 (permalink)
bigpig Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 10 OS: Server 2003 SP2	Re: How do I increase Partition size? I have not used GParted, but I know it is Linux-based, I'm not sure if it compatible with Windows or not. There are many Windows applications that can do this, for example disk director, easeus partition master, etc. I also use server, the safety is most important. secondly, if it works in Windows without turning off or reboot, it is better. I cannot accept a CD to operate. bookmarked an article http://www.partition-tool.com/easeus...out-reboot.htm __________________ It's never too late to learn

09-25-2009, 03:07 PM	#11 (permalink)
bilbus TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 949 OS: OS2 Warp	Re: How do I increase Partition size? you can not repart a system drive while the os is running, and all of them will be done via a cd or pxe

09-26-2009, 05:56 AM	#12 (permalink)
bigpig Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 10 OS: Server 2003 SP2	Re: How do I increase Partition size? Of course I can resize the system partition while the os is running, if you enlarge the NTFS partition, no matter it is OS or other partition, without reboot, I have done this successfully, you may check the free version on XP or Vista. http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm __________________ It's never too late to learn

09-26-2009, 11:37 AM	#13 (permalink)
bilbus TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 949 OS: OS2 Warp	Re: How do I increase Partition size? Well, if you say so .. not sure how that would work. Not sure how you would repart a disk that is actively being written to.

09-29-2009, 07:46 PM	#14 (permalink)
Jaimel Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 4 OS: xp	Re: How do I increase Partition size? Valuable information.

10-19-2009, 11:20 PM	#15 (permalink)
Sara Andrew Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 27 OS: xp	Re: How do I increase Partition size? If there is not enough space on the system partition, Windows will alert there is not enough space when your boot partition is our of space. There is a good way to incrase your Windows Server 2003 C drive, here is a detailed solution which can help you to extend the system partition without reboot and data loss. How to Increase Windows Server 2003 Partition without Data Loss? By the way, it also supports dynamic disk and RAID. It is also useful when you want to Upgrade to a Large Disk or Transfer Data and Backup Drive. Last edited by Sara Andrew; 10-19-2009 at 11:22 PM.

10-24-2009, 11:06 PM	#16 (permalink)
arupkumar Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 2 OS: xp service pack 2	Re: How do I increase Partition size? In case u r running out of disk space in ur C: drive then u could try mounting a partition to an empty folder.Just go to the disk management and map the d: drive volume to an empty folder on drive C;

11-04-2009, 02:58 PM	#17 (permalink)
suzzan Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 15 OS: win xp	Re: How do I increase Partition size? reformat the system and delete the partition that you want to decrease and set the new size suzzan

11-05-2009, 12:14 AM	#18 (permalink)
longtail Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: London, UK Posts: 13 OS: Server 2k3 R2	Re: How do I increase Partition size? arupkumar's advice is fancy, I just tried this "new" method, but failed, windows always prompt that the disk space is not enough if you write new files into it. suzzan's method is the oldest when there is no partitioning software. Remember that this is a server, backup, delete, reset partition size, restore? time-consuming with huge loss. I still recommend backup the files and repartition the server with a professional partitioning tool, especially without reboot the server.