Merge non-contiguous partitions (SSD)

ThrashZone said:

Another option might be delete F and right click C and extend and point to the unallocated space.

Hi @ThrashZone @Megahertz
It appears I can use the Extend Partition that is available for free based on this tutorial for non-contiguous space - How to Extend Partition | MiniTool Partition Wizard Tutorial

steve108 said:

Hi Kat,
Be sure to test booting to recovery afterlyour disk surgery, as I suspect it may not work without updating the BCD store to point to the updated recovery partition id. I would have your Macrium Reflect Rescue USB handy just in case you have boot problems.

Hi Steve,
Thanks for the heads up, the "BCD" is quite new info to me. If I follow MiniTool's tutorial above (which looks simple enough), do you think I will encounter an issue afterwards?

What escapes me is the reason you want to merge F with C when F has very little data at all on it according to your OP screenshot. Just move that little bit of data, if there actually is any, over to where you like it on C and then delete F. From there it's a simple matter of sliding partitions to the right (with Mini-Tool, for instance) and then expanding C when the unallocated space is next to it.

For that matter, you might want to move that 585 MB recovery partition out to the end of the disk. That will break Windows recovery but that's easily remedy using a diskpart command.

Word Man said:

What escapes me is the reason you want to merge F with C when F has very little data at all on it according to your OP screenshot. Just move that little bit of data, if there actually is any, over to where you like it on C and then delete F. From there it's a simple matter of sliding partitions to the right (with Mini-Tool, for instance) and then expanding C when the unallocated space is next to it.

For that matter, you might want to move that 585 MB recovery partition out to the end of the disk. That will break Windows recovery but that's easily remedy using a diskpart command.

Yep - using merge tools is a sledgehammer to crack a nut. This is is the best answer, and free!

Word Man said:

What escapes me is the reason you want to merge F with C when F has very little data at all on it.

Hi, I don't want the data from F to C, I need the free space from it. It is nearly empty because F originally came from D which is the free space (~32GB) I intended to be added to C. Somehow, there's a small data occupied in F during creation even after I formatted it. From the screenshot, I couldn't slide either C or D because of the 585MB wedged between them which was how I ended up creating F in the first place. And no, I don't want to lose WinRE and like keep it functional.

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Megahertz said:

The first link is for a (give away) professional version that can merge partitions (they have to be side by side)

Hi Mega, yes most free editions have basic adjacent merges available. For advanced non-contiguous merges, they are usually paid. It seems I cannot move the WinRE (585MB) partition wedged between without losing the recovery functionality.

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steve108 said:

All I'm saying is be prepared:
1. Have a full backup image of your drive
2. Have a Macrium Reflect Rescue USB nearby

What you want to do is doable. You may or may not run into a fixable problem.

When I played musical partitions recently, it didn't go so smoothly - I had to use my MR USB and do some other things - but it all worked out in the end.

Thanks Steve, re-assuring to know it is doable. If only Windows created WinRE before C the space would've been contiguous and partitions would be easy to slide.

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[SOLVED]

ThrashZone said:

Another option might be delete F and right click C and extend and point to the unallocated space.

Special thanks to @ThrashZone - Extend Partition was closer to the solution I needed over Merge and WinRE is still functional on boot without spending a dime. I just followed the official tutorial from the website. +reps for you mate

Final output:



Most of the non-contiguous space has been extended leaving around ~2.7GB on F (slider won't allow me to go all the way to 32GB) and WinRE intact without messing with diskpart. This should be easier to manage now since D, F, E are contiguous.

Also thanks to @steve108 for always the good hints. This time the disk surgery went without hitch in 2-3mins with MiniTool v9. It also did not require a reboot. :)

Congrats Kat and thanks for the update

@krollo Kat - did you make sure you can boot to recovery - forgot to ask earlier.

No worries mate. I always put how it turned out in case someone else encounters the same need.

Cheers!