This post tells how to extend system partition into non-contiguous space without losing data.
Many disks are partitioned with C drive and D drive maybe even more volumes in Windows 7/8/10/11 and in its previous versions. However, one of the most common problems in partition management is the volume is out of space, and mostly the volume is the system drive C: /.
If there is free space on the same disk and it is separated by other data partitions, you will need to extend to non-contiguous space to enlarge the system drive (as shown below). If there is no free space on the disk, you can replace this small drive with a larger disk, and the likely consequence is you will find a large amount of unallocated space at the end after cloning.
And now, you will face the same situation as above to extend partition into non-adjacent space. But, how do you achieve the goal? Find the answer in the following part.
In most cases, if you directly right-click on C drive in Disk Management, you will find that the Extend Volume is grayed out. And if you insist on using Disk Management to extend non-adjacent partition or free space, you'll have to backup everything important because it will ask you to delete the in-between partitions. You need to extend D: / to the unallocated space first and make it an unallocated space by deleting it later. The Extend Volume will be usable by then.
But deleting the partition means you will lose the contents inside of it. In most instances, this is not a wise choice. Alternatively, you can try the easiest way to merge non-adjacent partitions and unallocated space using the handy and reliable partition manager AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard.
This software is free for Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 and Windows XP/Vista. There is no need to delete partitions or to convert partitions to dynamic one. Just within a few clicks, the task would be done. The installer package is small since there is no ad-ware bundled, so free download it and have a try.
After you Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, we can start.
Right-click the partition you want to extend and click Advanced, then select Merge Partitions.
Check the target partition and the unallocated space box here and click OK.
Now the target partition C: / drive is enlarged from 51.87 GB to 608.32 GB.
You can click Apply and Proceed to execute the operation.
As you can see, only four steps are needed, you are able to extend partition into non-contiguous space using AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard, whether it is a system drive or not.
In fact, it's not a very tough problem to extend partition into non-contiguous partition. With AOMEI Partition Assistant, you can easily perform various disk-managing tasks. For example, you can reformat the partition to FAT32 with it, or shrink C: drive to enlarge other partitions, or partition C drive without losing data.
What's more, if you need more help, some other features like transferring OS to a new hard drive, creating bootable media, and cloning disk/partition, moving installed apps are also available in the Professional Edition of this handy tool.
How can I identify non-contiguous space on my hard drive? You can use disk management tools like Disk Management (in Windows) or third-party partition management software to identify non-contiguous space. It will typically appear as unallocated space on your drive, but it might be separated by other partitions.
Can I extend a non-system partition into non-contiguous space without losing data? Yes. AOMEI Partition Assistant is a safe and reliable disk space manager. You can easily extend a non-system partition into non-contiguous space without losing data.
Are there any risks associated with extending a partition into non-contiguous space? Yes, there are risks, especially if you're not using reputable partition management software. But, AOMEI Partition Assistant can help you merge chosen partitions securely. Besides, this tool also offers data recovery service to help you just in case.