Unable to Extend C Drive? Fix It Now

Installing numerous programs or updating the Windows system often results in the C drive running out of space, which is a prevalent issue in Windows-based computers. To rectify this, you can utilize the Windows Disk Management tool to expand the C drive using available space. Nevertheless, you might encounter a situation where the "extend volume" option is disabled, preventing you from extending the C drive.

The reasons behind your inability to extend the C drive can vary. Don't worry. In this guide, tools will outline all possible reasons for this issue and present four reliable methods tailored to different scenarios.

How to Fix Unable to Extend C Drive - 4 Methods

Before diving straight into the details, let's first examine an overview of these four methods in the following basic information table:

If you can't extend the C drive, the following potential reasons might cause this issue:

1. No unallocated space on your disk: If your C drive has no free space, follow Method 1/2/4.
2. No adjacent unallocated Space: If you already have free space but not contiguous to the C drive, proceed with Method 1 or 2 to learn how to resolve it.
3. System restriction: Windows does not permit allocating space from an extended partition to extend the C drive. Try Method 1 or 2.
4. The disk only has one partition (C drive): In this scenario, you can use a tool like Partition Master to allocate space from another disk, following Method 3.

Way 1. Extend C Drive with or without Adjacent Unallocated Space

Windows only permits users to extend a partition with unallocated space beside or behind it. However, fret not. If you have unallocated space on the hard drive, either adjacent or non-adjacent to the C drive, you can resort to tools Partition Master Professional, which is your most dependable disk space management software.

It provides several solutions to tackle the "C drive cannot be expanded" issue. Firstly, its "Resize/Move" feature allows users to adjust the size of the C drive, even without contiguous free space.

Here are the steps to resize the C drive space: 1. Boot your computer and log in with administrative privileges. 2. Press the Windows key + X on your keyboard and select "Disk Management" from the menu. 3. In the Disk Management window, locate the C drive (usually labeled as "Drive C:" or "OS (C:)"). 4. Right-click on the C drive and choose "Resize/Extend Volume" from the context menu. 5. If there is unallocated space immediately following the C drive, the system will allow you to extend the volume directly. If not, you'll need to shrink another partition to create unallocated space: - Select a non-system drive (e.g., D, E, or F) with enough free space to be resized. - Right-click on it and choose "Shrink Volume." - Enter the amount of space you want to shrink and click "Shrink." This will create unallocated space. 6. Now, return to the C drive and right-click on it again. Choose "Extend Volume." 7. In the Extend Volume Wizard, follow the on-screen instructions and select the unallocated space to add to the C drive. 8. Click "Next" and then "Finish" to apply the changes. The resizing process may take some time, depending on the size of the partitions involved. Be patient and avoid using the computer excessively during this period. Once completed, your C drive will have the new size.

Step 1: Locate and select the target drive/partition

Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant and go to Partition Manager, select the target drive/partition to adjust its size, right-click on it and choose "Resize/Move Partition".

Step 2: Resize or move the partition

1. To shrink it, just drag one of its ends to free up unallocated space. When you're done, click “OK”.

2. To extend the partition, make sure there is unallocated space beside it (if not, follow the above steps to create some). Similarly, drag your mouse into the unallocated space. Click "OK".

3. To move a partition, you need to have unallocated space next to the target partition. If not, free up some unallocated space first.

Right-click the target partition and select “Resize/Move”. Then drag the partition leftward or rightward to change its position. Click “OK” to confirm.

Step 3: Confirm the result and apply changes This step involves verifying the translation or the outcome of the process and making sure the changes are implemented correctly. It could refer to various situations, such as: 1. **Translation Confirmation**: If you're translating text, read through the translated content to ensure it accurately conveys the meaning of the original text. Check for grammar, syntax, and cultural appropriateness. 2. **Software or Setting Updates**: If you've made changes in a software application or system settings, review the new configuration to confirm that it meets your requirements. Test the updated features to ensure they work as expected. 3. **Document Editing**: After editing a document, review the changes to verify that they are correct, consistent, and improve the overall quality of the content. 4. **Project Completion**: In project management, this step might involve reviewing the final deliverables against the project goals and confirming that all tasks have been completed satisfactorily. 5. **Data Entry**: If you've entered data into a database or spreadsheet, double-check the entries to ensure accuracy before applying and saving the changes. Always remember to save your work and, if applicable, communicate the changes to relevant parties.

Here, you'll see the new disk partition info and graphs.

To save the changes, click the "Execute Task" button and then "Apply".

Method 2: Allocate Unallocated Space from Another Partition

If you don't have any unallocated space on your hard drive, you can use tools like Partition Master to extend the partition without unallocated space. With its "Allocate Space" feature, you can easily combine free space from another partition to expand the C drive.

Follow the simple tutorial to allocate space and extend the C drive:

Step 1. Right-click on the D: partition with sufficient free space and choose "Allocate Space".

Step 2. Select the target partition - C: drive and drag the partition panel rightward to add the free space from D: drive to C: drive. Then click "OK" to confirm.

Step 3. Click the "Execute Task" button and hit "Apply" to commence the process of moving free space from Drive D: to Drive C:.

Method 3: Extend C Drive with a Second Drive

The Partition Master tool can assist you in extending the C drive using an unallocated disk. Here's your step-by-step guide:

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, go to "Partition Manager," right click the C drive, and choose "Migrate OS to SSD/HDD."

Step 2. Select the data you want to migrate and click "Next" to proceed.

Step 3. Select a target partition to migrate and click "Start" to execute the task.

Step 4. Once the migration is over, you'll have more free space on your C drive.

If you find this tool useful and it does help you allocate space to increase C drive, please share it to help more of your friends online:

< strong >Read Also:< /strong > If you are a Windows 11 user, Partition Master also helps to extend your C drive size.

Method 4: Delete Volume to Create Unallocated Space [Return to TOC](#toc)

If you prefer Disk Management, you'll need to remove or shrink the adjacent partition to create unallocated space behind the C drive, which can be complicated and may result in data loss. Therefore, it's essential to back up your data unless this partition is unnecessary or empty. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to delete a volume using Disk Management:

< strong > Stage 1. Delete volumes to create free space. < /strong >

Translate the following text into English:
• Press "Windows + X" keys to open "Disk Management."
• Right-click on the partition next to the target C drive, select "Delete Volume," and click "OK."

Delete Volume on Hard Drive Click on the "Delete Volume" option to remove an existing volume from the hard drive, as shown in the screenshot below:

< strong > Stage 2. Increase the space of the C drive. < /strong >

• Right-click on the C drive and select the "Extend Volume" feature to modify its size.
• Click "OK" to confirm the action.

Click Extend Volume in the right-click menu.

If you have partitions with a lot of free space, you can opt to shrink them and create unallocated space. You can refer to the relevant article for guidance:

How to Shrink Partition in Windows 11/10

This article will present three methods to shrink partitions in Windows 10/11, solving the issue of "insufficient unallocated space."

Why Can't I Extend C Drive?

After successfully fixing the "Can't extend C drive" issue, let's dive into the reasons behind this problem in depth. Keep scrolling to uncover the main causes listed below and grasp why the "Extend Volume" option is unavailable in your Disk Management.

• No Unallocated Space: To extend a partition using Disk Management, you must have sufficient unallocated space on the target disk.
• Non-contiguous Unallocated Space: Due to a Windows limitation, Disk Management can only expand a partition with contiguous unallocated space.
• Supports Only NTFS/Raw File Systems: The Extend Volume feature in Disk Management is applicable only to RAW or NTFS partitions. Therefore, you cannot extend a FAT or other file systems on a Windows system.

Here are the links to mainstream social media platforms that allow you to share this helpful post quickly:

Conclusion

When there is no unallocated space or contiguous free space on your hard drive, the Extend Volume option will become greyed out, and you cannot extend the C drive. Beyond these two reasons, this post also mentions two additional factors: the 2 TB limitation of MBR and incompatible file systems.

Furthermore, we provided five useful methods to resolve the issue stemming from the four typical causes. As a comprehensive disk management tool, Partition Master offers all-encompassing solutions to overcome Windows limitations and address the "unable to extend the C drive" problem. Additionally, we have prepared articles highlighting other remarkable features of Partition Master.

Frequently Asked Questions About Unable to Extend C Drive

You may have resolved the issue of unable to extend the C drive using the methods mentioned above. In this section, we've compiled a list of related questions, and you can find the answers below:

**1. How do I force extend my C drive?**

If your hard disk lacks sufficient unallocated space, you can allocate space from another drive using a professional disk management tool like tools Partition Master. Here's a detailed guide on how to proceed: 1. **Download and Install Partition Master**: First, visit the official website of tools and download the Partition Master software. Install it on your computer. 2. **Launch Partition Master**: After installation, open the Partition Master application. You'll see a graphical interface displaying all the drives connected to your system. 3. **Select the Drive to Resize**: Identify the drive from which you want to allocate space. It should have more free space than the target drive needing additional space. Right-click on that drive and select "Resize/Move Partition." 4. **Free Space Adjustment**: In the pop-up window, you'll see a partition map. Drag the left or right arrow of the partition to adjust the size. Move the arrow towards the unused space to create unallocated space. 5. **Allocate Space**: Now, right-click on the drive that needs more space and choose "Resize/Move Partition." In the same partition map, drag the arrow of this drive to occupy the newly created unallocated space. 6. **Preview and Execute Changes**: Before applying the changes, you can preview the new partition layout. If everything looks correct, click on "Execute Operation" and then "Apply" to start the process. 7. **Wait for the Process to Complete**: The software will now resize the partitions. This may take some time, depending on the amount of data being moved. Do not interrupt the process. 8. **Verify the New Allocation**: Once completed, check your drives to confirm that the space has been successfully allocated. Remember to back up your important data before making any changes to your partitions to avoid potential data loss.

Step 1. Download this tool, right-click on another partition with sufficient free space, and select "Allocate Space."

Step 3. Click the "Execute Task" option and choose "Apply" to allocate the free space.

The recovery partition serves as a last resort for restoring a malfunctioning computer. Therefore, it's not advisable to delete the recovery partition to expand the C drive. Instead, you can utilize tools like Partition Master to merge non-contiguous spaces into the C drive. Please refer to the specific tutorial below:

Step 1. Go to Partition Manager to locate the C drive and apply the "Resize/Move" feature.

Step 2. Drag the partition end to add the unallocated space into the C drive and click "OK" to confirm.

Step 3. Click the "Execute Task" button and then "Apply" to proceed.

3. Why is my "Extend Volume" option greyed out?

When the "Extend Volume" option on your computer is grayed out, it's because there is no unallocated space on your hard drive, or no available free space that is contiguous to the partition you wish to extend. This is why the "Extend Volume" option is disabled and appears greyed out.