The same with other Windows versions, hard drive partitions in Server 2019 also runs out of space. In this situation, you can extend this drive without starting over. To extend disk partition in Windows Server 2019, there are two choices: Windows native "Disk Management" and third party disk partition software. Disk Management has "Extend Volume" function to help extend partition without losing data, but it only works when there is adjacent Unallocated space on the right side. Otherwise, Extend Volume is greyed out. Comparing with Disk Management, third party software is much more powerful. In this article, I'll show you both methods to extend volume in Windows Server 2019 without losing data.
How to extend partition with Server 2019 Disk Management
To extend volume in Windows Server 2019 with Disk Management, your disk partition configuration must meet the requirements including:
- There must be another partition adjacent and on the right.
- This right contiguous partition must be the same Primary or Logical drive.
- The right contiguous partition must be deleted in advance.
- There's third partition to save all files in the right contiguous partition, so you can transfer files before deleting.
If your disk partition configuration meet the requirements, you can extend Server 2019 partition without any software.
Steps to extend volume in Windows Server 2019 with Disk Management:
- Press Windows and X together on your keyboard, then select Disk Management in the list.
- Right click the adjacent partition on the right (such as D:) and select Delete Volume, then the disk space will be changed to Unallocated. (Caution: remember to transfer files before deleting.)
- Right click the adjacent partition on the left (such as C:) and select Extend Volume.
- Click Next in the pop-up Extend Volume Wizard window.
- Available disk space is selected automatically, click Next to continue.
- Click Finish to begin extending.
Limitations of Windows Server 2019 "Extend Volume" function
As I said above, Disk Management has limitations that cause you cannot extend volume in Windows Server 2019. Typical limitations include:
1. Unallocated space can only be extended to the left contiguous partition
The built-in Extend Volume functionality only works when there is adjacent Unallocated space on the right side, otherwise, Extend Volume is disabled. As you see in the screenshot below:
- Extend Volume is disabled for C drive, because Unallocated space is nonadjacent to it.
- Extend Volume greyed out when right click drive E, because it is on the right side of the Unallocated space.
You cannot get right adjacent Unallocated space while shrinking volume with Disk Management, so the only way to extend partition with Server 2019 Disk Management is by deleting the right contiguous volume.
2. Only NTFS partition can be extended
Extend Volume only supports NTFS partition, so FAT32 and other types of partitions can't be extended, even though there is adjacent Unallocated space on the right side. As you see in the screenshot, Extend Volumes is grayed out, because drive D is formatted as FAT32.
3. The partitions to delete and extend must be the same
If your hard disk is GPT, there's no such issue. But if this disk is MBR, you should check the type of the partitions that you want to delete and extend. Both partitions must be the same. If one is Primary and the other one is Logical, you cannot extend partition even after deleting the right contiguous one.
Better way to extend hard drive with server partition editor
To extend partition in Windows Server 2019, NIUBI Partition Editor is better choice. Comparing with Disk Management, it has advantages while resizing partition:
- Both NTFS and FAT32 can be shrunk and extended.
- Unallocated space can be made on either left or right while shrinking partition.
- Unallocated space can be extended to either contiguous partition by 1 step.
- Unallocated space can be moved and combined to nonadjacent partition on the same disk.
Better than other server partition software, NIUBI Partition Editor is much safer and faster because of the advanced technologies:
- Virtual Mode - all operations are listed as pending for preview before clicking "Apply" to take effect.
- Cancel-at-will - if you applied incorrect operations, you can cancel the ongoing operations at any progress before finish.
- 1-Second Rollback - if any error is detected while resizing partition, it automatically reverts server to original status in a flash.
- Hot Clone - clone disk partition without rebooting or server interruption. You can clone system disk regularly as backup and boot from the clone disk immedialy whenever the system disk is down.
- It is also 30% to 300% faster because of the advanced file-moving algorithm.
Download NIUBI Partition Editor and follow the steps to extend volume in Windows Server 2019/2022 and other versions:
How to extend system partition C:
How to extend a data partition:
In Summary
Windows Server 2019 Disk Management can only help you extend NTFS partition by deleting the right contiguous volume. If you want to extend FAT32 partition, or extend a partition by shrinking another one, or extend a partition with nonadjacent Unallocated space, you must run third party software. Because of the advanced technologies, NIUBI Partition Editor is much safer and faster. Besides shrinking and extending partition in Server 2019/2022 and previous Server 2016/2012/2008/2003, it helps you do many other disk partition operations.
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