Windows SBS 2011: Extend System Drive Easily with 2 Methods

Windows SBS 2011 C drive running out of space

“My Windows SBS 2011 was installed on an 80GB drive by default. Within a year it was almost full and popped out low disk space warning. Then I deleted all my unnecessary files to release some free space, but it didn’t take long to get full again. So, what else can I do to solve this problem? Or is there a way to extend system drive in Windows SBS 2011.HELP!!!”

Windows SBS (Windows Small Business Server) 2011 was developed for small organizations to manage, process and make use of digital data better. It contains a few efficiency programs and new features such as easy file sharing and storage, automated PC backup capabilities, effortless printer sharing, remote access for anywhere, anytime access to files and applications, and more.

However, with the increased use of the system and all kinds of applications, the Windows SBS 2011 system drive is easy to get full. Deleting unnecessary data frequently to free up the C drive can be a solution, but not the best one. The best solution should be extending C drive in Windows SBS 2011.

Two methods to extend system drive in Windows SBS 2011

To expand system drive in Windows SBS 2011, there are two ways you can have a try. Check them out and choose a proper one.

Method 1. Extend Windows SBS 2011 C drive via Disk Management

For most users, the Server Disk Management should be the prior choice when they encounter some disk partition problem. However, to extend a partition via this Windows built-in tool, there must be an adjacent unallocated space behind the (system) partition you wish to extend. Otherwise, the “Extend Volume” option will be not clickable. If your disk partition layout meets the requirement, you can follow the steps to enlarge system partition in Windows SBS 2011.

Step 1. Open Disk Management (press Windows+R to open Run, type “diskmgmt.msc” in the box and press Enter). Right-click the C drive and select “Extend Volume”.

Step 2. The “Extend Volume Wizard” window will open up. Keep clicking on “Next” .

Step 3. Select the disk with available unallocated space and click on “Next”.

Step 4. Then wait for the process to be done and click on “Finish”. Finally, your C drive will be merged with the unallocated space and the storage space will be increased instantly.

If there is no unallocated space behind the system drive in Windows SBS 2011, you have to delete the partition that is next to the target volume. But you should back up all necessary files on the partition before deleting it because all data will be removed as well.

Method 2. Enlarge Windows SBS 2011 system drive via partition manager

Using Windows native Disk Management to extend system drive will require that you delete another partition when there is not adjacent unallocated space. That makes the whole process become more complicated and time-consuming. Luckily, there is a workaround: applying a third-party partition management software such as AOMEI Partition Assistant Server. To extend system drive in Windows SBS 2011, its “Merge Partitions” and “Allocate Free Space” features are highly recommended.

Firstly, “Merge Partitions” function can merge two adjacent partitions into one, and merge unallocated space (no matter whether it is adjacent to the target partition) into another partition. Please refer to the following instruction:

Step 1. Install and run AOMEI Partition Assistant Server. Right-click the system drive choose “Advanced” and select “Merge Partition”.

Step 2. Tick the unallocated space and click on “Next”.

Step 3. Click “Apply” to commit the pending operation.

Secondly, the “Allocate Free Space” is able to directly assign some free space from one partition to another. If there is no unallocated space on the system disk, this method is a great choice.

Step 1. Right click another partition that has much unused space for extending system drive and choose “Allocate Free Space”.

Step 2. Next, you can decide to allocate how much free space to the Windows SBS 2011 C drive, and choose the C drive as the destination location.

Step 3. Click “Apply” and “Proceed” to commit the pending operation.

See? These two methods can extend system drive in Windows Small Business Server 2011 without damaging other partitions and data. They can also be applied to extend C drive other Windows Server operating systems and Windows PC.

Summary

In this article, you can find the best way to extend system drive in Windows SBS 2011 according to your actual situation. The recommended AOMEI Partition Assistant Server also contains many other practical functions. For example, it can move partition to make unallocated space next to the partition you want to extend, clone hard disk to transfer all data to another storage device, convert MBR and GPT partition styles without deleting partitions, transfer Windows Server OS to new hard drive and more.