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Some of you probably had the experience. Windows Disk Management works faultlessly in managing hard drive volumes at times, however, sometimes does not. One of the commonly seen problems is that "Extend Volume" option is greyed out. For the case of unavailability of extending a volume or a partition, we've figured out why you can't extend volume by using Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 7 disk management tool and how to troubleshoot the issue with ease.
Why Is "Extend Volume" Option Greyed Out
The following three major reasons are responsible for the case of not being able to extend volume in Windows Disk Management.
1. There is no unallocated space on your computer hard drive. Or even if there is such free space, it's not next to the partition you want to extend.
2. The target partition is a FAT partition. Windows Disk Management (including Windows 10/8.1/8/7) only works on NTFS partitions.
3. The partition needs enlarging is about a primary partition or a system partition that contains crucial boot files.
Solution: Windows Disk Management Alternative Makes "Extend Volume" Available
Seeing that the issues discussed above can't be solved by Windows Disk Management, here we find you a free alternative. EaseUS Partition Master helps resize partition without any hassle. This free partition manager can extend system partition, primary partition, FAT partition, NTFS partition... Following are solutions for how to increase a partition when there is no unallocated space or space is not continuous with EaseUS Partition Master Free. Let's choose C drive as the target partition and give an example.
Step 1: Launch EaseUS Partition Master
Step 2: Add space to the System C drive
1. Shrink partition and leave unallocated space for extending C: drive:
- Right-click on a partition next to the C: drive and select "Resize/Move".
- Drag the end of the partition that is next to the C: drive and shrink it, leaving unallocated space next to the system C: drive, and click "OK".
2. Right-click on the System C: drive and select "Resize/Move".
To add space to the C: drive, drag the system partition end into the unallocated space.
Step 3: Confirm to extend system C drive
Click the "Execute Operation" button, it will list the pending operations, and click "Apply" to execute the changes and extend the C drive.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Why Choose EaseUS Partition Master?
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"I've used Partition Master Professional many times to create, delete, format, move, rename, and resize partitions." —PCWorld
"Partitioning tools have come a very long since the days of complicated command line utilities and EASEUS Partition Master is one of the most advanced programs available." —TECH ADVISOR
"I love that the changes you make with EaseUS Partition Master Free aren't immediately applied to the disks. It makes it way easier to play out what will happen after you've made all the changes." —Lifewire
- Will the "Migrate OS" feature transfer the Windows system files only or the whole C drive?
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To ensure that the migrated system will boot normally, the Migrate OS feature will transfer all the files in the system and the boot partitions. Generally, the boot partition is the C drive so the transfer will include all the files in C.
- Does EaseUS Partition Master license apply to multiple computers?
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The license of Partition Master Professional and Server editions can be used on 1 computer only, while that for for the Technician and Unlimited editions can be used on multiple machines.
- What is the difference between EaseUS Partition Master Trial version and the Free version?
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Free is for home users only, with most basic functions available such as partition resize and clone. While trial can help you understand how this product works and test what a full license can do on a business or server OS machine.
- Will it cause any data loss after resizing the partition in EaseUS Partition Master?
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Generally, it will not cause any data loss or boot issue by resizing a partition. However, in order to protect your data, we suggest that you backup the partition before resizing, in case of any unexpected situations such as power outages, computer hardware failures, etc. You can use EaseUS Todo Backup to backup the partition and its trial version is fully functioned for 30 days.
- What should I prepare before resizing the partition?
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On the partition that is going to be operated, there might be some files being occupied by other programs. To ensure a successful operation, we suggest that you close all the unnecessary software before resizing that partition. Otherwise, EaseUS Partition Master will detect the partition being locked by the other software and require a reboot to resize the partition under boot mode.
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About EaseUS Partition Master
All-round disk & partition management software for personal and commercial use. Let it manage your storage drive: resize, format, delete, clone, convert, etc.