The system C: drive often runs out of space in Windows 2016 and other servers. When this happens, do not waste time recreating partitions and restoring everything from a backup. You can increase the C drive's disk space in Windows Server quickly and easily. If there is free space in another volume on the same disk, you can increase the C drive space by shrinking that volume without losing data. If there is no free space on the same disk, you can clone the disk to a larger one and increase the partition size using the extra disk space. This article explains how to increase partition size in Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 easily and safely.
1. Native Tool to Increase Partition Size in Server 2016/2019/2022
Starting with Windows Server 2008, Microsoft added an advanced "Extend Volume" function to the native Disk Management tool. It is able to increase NTFS partition size without losing data. However, it only works under specific conditions. Windows Server 2016 and all subsequent versions inherited this exact same function without any improvements, so you will encounter the same issues while running this tool.
If you want to increase the size of the C drive in Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 via Disk Management, your disk partition configuration must meet all the following requirements:
- There must be an adjacent partition (such as D) immediately to the right of the C drive.
- No programs or Windows services should be installed on the D drive, allowing you to safely delete it.
- There is a third partition with plenty of free space to save all files from drive D.
- Drive D must be a Primary partition.
To Increase C Drive Disk Space in Windows Server 2016/2019/2022:
- Transfer all files in drive D to another partition (D refers to the partition directly adjacent to the right of the C drive).
- Press the Windows + X keys together on your keyboard and click Disk Management from the list.
- Right-click drive D: and select "Delete Volume"; its disk space will then be converted to "Unallocated".
- Right-click the C: drive and select "Extend Volume". Simply click Next until you reach Finish in the pop-up dialog boxes.
If you want to increase the partition size in a Windows server by shrinking another volume, Disk Management cannot help you. Learn why Disk Management is unable to extend the C drive by shrinking another volume.
2. Increase Partition Size in Windows Server Using a Safe Tool
To decrease and increase partition sizes in Windows Server 2016/2019/2022, third-party software is a better choice because:
- It can resize both NTFS and FAT32 partitions.
- It can create unallocated space on either the left or right side while shrinking a partition.
- It can combine unallocated space into either contiguous or any non-adjacent partitions on the same disk.
There are many server partition software options available, but not all can accomplish this task well. Before shrinking and extending a partition, it is highly recommended to back up your server and run safe partition software.
When resizing a partition on a server, all parameters of the associated disk, partitions, and files must be modified correctly. Files in certain partitions must also be moved to new locations. Additionally, the system boot record must be updated if you need to increase the system partition size. Therefore, any slight error could cause system or partition damage.
Compared to other tools, NIUBI Partition Editor features powerful technologies to protect your system and data:
- Virtual Mode - All operations will be listed as pending for preview; real disk partitions won't be changed until you click "Apply" to confirm.
- Cancel-at-will - If you applied incorrect operations, you can cancel the ongoing operations without causing any damage.
- 1-Second Rollback - If any known error is detected while resizing a partition, it automatically reverts the server to its original status instantly.
- Hot Clone - Clone disk partitions without server interruption.
In addition, it is 30% to 300% faster because of its advanced file-moving algorithm.
To Increase C Drive Space/Size in Windows Server 2016/2019/2022:
- Download NIUBI Partition Editor, right-click the D: drive, and select "Resize/Move Volume". Drag the left border towards the right in the pop-up window (or enter an amount manually in the "Unallocated space before" box).
- Right-click the C: drive and select "Resize/Move Volume" again. Drag the right border towards the right to combine the unallocated space.
- Click Apply on the top left to execute the changes. (All operations prior to this step only work in virtual mode.)
- The steps are similar if you want to increase the disk space of a data volume, for example, when extending the D drive.
- If you want to extend the C drive with a non-adjacent partition (such as E in my server), there is an additional step required to move partition D to the right.
- If you want to increase a RAID partition's size in Server 2016/2019/2022, the process is exactly the same. Note: Do not break the array or perform any operations on the RAID controller.
- If there is no available free space on the same disk, you can copy the disk to a larger one and increase the partition size using the extra disk space.
3. How to Increase Disk Space in VMware/Hyper-V
If you run a Windows server as a virtual machine in VMware or Hyper-V, similarly, check if there is enough free space on the same disk. If so, simply install NIUBI Partition Editor on the virtual server and follow the steps above.
If there is no available free space on the same virtual disk, follow these steps to increase the disk space of Windows Server in VMware/Hyper-V:
- Expand the virtual disk size for VMware VMDK or Hyper-V VHD/VHDX. The additional space will then be shown as unallocated at the end of the original disk.
- Follow the method to move the unallocated space and combine it into the C drive (or other partitions).
Besides shrinking, extending, and moving partitions, NIUBI Partition Editor helps you merge, convert, defrag, hide, and wipe partitions, set read-only attributes, scan for bad sectors, and much more.
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