I need to move Windows from 128 Gig.SSD w/ a 500 Gig.SSD

My Windows Ver.# 22H2 (OS Build19045,3448)
Hello all, and thank you for this forum and the opportunity to find the help I need.
I know my way around the keyboard so I'm not a novice. However, it has been a number of years since I did the tech support thing.
The problem I'm having right now is that I replaced the 128 Gig. SSD that came with my laptop with a 500 Gig. SSD and I am attempting to move Windows over to the new drive without any data loss.
I'll try to keep this post as short as possible and still cover everything...
I cloned the original (128 Gig.) drive using a tool called "Macrium Reflect".
I installed the new 500 Gig. SSD in the computer and installed the original 128 Gig. SSD in a M.2 SSD Enclosure and then simply restored the data from the 128 Gig. to the 500 Gig.
The problem is that (as you would expect) restoring the cloned Windows OS has partitioned the new drive so that instead of using the entire 500 Gigs. (which is what I want) it is right back to the original 128 Gigs. (actually, 118Gigs) with the remainder as New Volume: D:/ containing the balance of the drive.
I could live with that except that when I try to update Windows I get the same error that prompted me to purchase the new drive. Not enough space!!!
This shouldn't be this hard. I know I'm missing something simple and I'm sure I'll feel like an idiot when I discover what it is.
Thank you so much for any help.
Forgive my ignorance.

delete d and extend c

or if you already transferred data onto d , first shrink d from the left using a 3rd party tool then extend c into the unallocated space

diskgenius free or aomei part assist free etc.

SIW2 said:

delete d and extend c

or if you already transferred data onto d , first shrink d from the left using a 3rd party tool then extend c into the unallocated space

diskgenius free or aomei part assist free etc.

Thank you SIW2 for the immediate response. I have thought of that. In fact I have tried it. The problem is that I'm not sure how to do it from the cmd prompt using the diskpart tool. I can delete a partition but I'm not sure how to delete a volume if that can even be done.
I have to admit, I am better at Linux than I am Windows.

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SIW2 said:

delete d and extend c

or if you already transferred data onto d , first shrink d from the left using a 3rd party tool then extend c into the unallocated space

diskgenius free or aomei part assist free etc.

Thank you SIW2 for the immediate response. I have thought of that. In fact I have tried it. The problem is that I'm not sure how to do it from the cmd prompt using the diskpart tool. I can delete a partition but I'm not sure how to delete a volume if that can even be done.
I have to admit, I am better at Linux than I am Windows.
I apologize. I didn't give you enough time to respond to my post. I just read what you posted.
I will try following your instructions and see what happens.

Assuming D is on the right of C and there is nothing on D

then it is very simple. No need for 3rd party tools or diskpart commands.

use windows disk management (diskmgmt.msc )

rt click d and select delete

then

rt click c and select extend

you can select how much to extend it. You might want to leave some unallocated space to create another partition later on

a partition is a type of volume. Windows gave it the label new volume. You can rename partitions to whatever you want.

Pentagon said:

@Teaghlach
Separate your personal files from the OS-Partition (C:). this can be done easily by replacing the Letter from
C ==> D and just click OK. (don't click Move) All files will be moved to D: without any problem. Do this for all folders in your C:\Users\your name\ directory.
Then you should have enough space on C: and your system is much safer.

@Pentagon
Thank you for your help. Your suggestion is something that I never even considered. Just to be clear--my D:/ drive is a solid state-1TB drive. Are you suggesting that I move all files in the user directory to the D:/ drive?

This can all be done with Macrium Reflect while you are cloning to a new drive. You must do it while you are cloning though (the partition resize I mean).
I would explain but it has already been explained, probably better than I could explain it, in the Macrium forum thread below.


Cloning to larger SSD - Unallocated space issue

See the first reply from et_and_family: as below

When you clone as per tutorial: Cloning a disk - KnowledgeBase v7 - Macrium Reflect Knowledgebase - KnowledgeBase v7 - Macrium Reflect Knowledgebase At step 4. it is important to drag the partitions one at a time from the source to the destination. Immediately after dragging a partition you wish to resize you need to click on 'Cloned partition properties' where in a new dialog you can resize this partition as per tutorial: Modifying restore destination partition properties - KnowledgeBase v7 - Macrium Reflect Knowledgebase - KnowledgeBase v7 - Macrium Reflect Knowledgebase

Do not click on 'Next' at step 4. as this will mean you are not going to resize partitions

If there are partitions in the Destination you wish to remove before you start dragging, then before you start dragging partitions select the partition you wish to remove and click on 'Delete existing partition', after doing this you can drag the partitions from the source to the destination.

and last reply from jphughan:


You can't "move over" a partition that already exists on the disk without a live partition management solution. If you don't have a solution like that, you have two options to achieve your goal here:

#1: Delete the BIOS Recovery partition (using a tool like diskpart), expand the OS partition to fill the unallocated space minus the amount required to restore that Recovery partition (using a tool like Windows Disk Management), and then restore/reclone just the Recovery partition into the leftover space.
#2: Run the entire clone again, and this time configure the desired partition sizing in the first step of the wizard. To do that, since you've already got stuff on the destination, first choose to delete all existing partitions in the destination (click each one and choose "Delete existing partition"), and then instead of just clicking "Copy selected partitions" this time, drag each source partition down into the Destination area one at a time, and after you drag one down that you want to resize as part of the clone, click "Cloned Partition Properties", adjust as desired, and THEN proceed dragging down remaining partitions.

Fyi, this article called "Cloning a disk" from the V7 User Guide shows how to do things like this. Macrium's documentation is better than most, so it's worth checking out if you run into issues, or just to discover capabilities of the application that you might not realize are available.

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Years ago I re-directed my Documents folder to a separate drive.
I had to re-install Windows and when I re-directed once more to that Documents folder on the separate hdd I received a message saying that the destination was not empty and if I proceed I would lose all the data in the destination folder (my user data in other words).
Maybe this has been resolved or fixed since then (it was Windows XP) but, after that most horrible experience I never trusted WInblows with my data again.

I keep all my data on a completely separate hdd and I do not use the documents folder at all - literally everything is on separate hard-drives. Documents, multi-media, steam libraries all of it.

The only thing on drive C is Windows itself and my installed apps. On a 2TB drive this leaves TONS or room for temp directories, scratch disks, downloading of very large files etc,etc. Anything I am keeping long term gets moved to the appropriate disk.
All use data is backed up to three separate disks. two on my server and one Offline disk I keep in a docking station.

Each to their own but I offer the idea because of the dozens of people I personally know who lost all their data from Winblows boondoggles in the past. They are no IT savvy people but Windows proclaims to protect the data from non-technical people to avoid data loss.

Do a search on google for Windows lost all my data and see how many hits there are.

I have marked this thread Solved. Thank you all for your help concerning this matter. I received some very helpful suggestions during this problem and I am very grateful. So, I thank each and every one of you for your help and suggestions.