HDD Partition + Windows 7 issue

[Xiauj]

Hey everyone! I need help urgently!

I'm trying to figure what the hell I did when I made this system MANY YEARS AGO..... lol.

 

So TLDR: I'm trying to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 (Because Microsoft is stopping system updates etc., in January 2020) via the ISO I downloaded from Microsoft's Website and, in this system, there's one 1TB Western Digital Hard Drive which is split into 3x sections as shown below:

Spoiler

I don't know how / can't remember why this is split into 3x sections but just now, I shrinked 10GB out of the (G:) Drive and for some reason, I can't put the 9.77GB unallocated space I just took from (G:) into the (C:) Drive. The "Extend Volume..." option is greyed out when I right click the (C:) Drive.

 

The 9.77GB I took from (G:) HAS TO GO INTO THE (C:) Drive in particular so that I have enough free space (8GB or more) to let the Windows 10 ISO do its magic (aka upgrade the OS to Windows 10). There's only 5~ ish GB free which is why I'm doing taking some capacity from the (G:) Drive, lol.

 

Soo..... any advice on what to do? I just cannot figure out why the option is greyed out, it makes zero sense... and like I said, there's only one 1TB Western Digital Hard Drive

Please and Thanks!

~Xiauj

[Levent]

Try using minitool partition wizard.

[vanished]

That's because that's not how that works.  When you shrink or expand a partition using Windows, it always shrinks from and expands to the right.  To move the left side would not be a simple expansion or reduction it would be, as stated, a move, since partitions are referenced from the left. 

 

You're not totally out of luck though.  I know gparted on Linux can move a partition like this no problem.  Fire up a live USB and you should be good to go.

[Xiauj]

1 hour ago, Levent said:

Try using minitool partition wizard.

What is that and how does that work? I'm completely clueless, haha.

 

55 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

That's because that's not how that works.  When you shrink or expand a partition using Windows, it always shrinks from and expands to the right.  To move the left side would not be a simple expansion or reduction it would be, as stated, a move, since partitions are referenced from the left. 

Ok now I'm really confused

 

51 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

Fire up a live USB and you should be good to go.

So wait, install/fire... what up onto a USB-Drive? I'm confused.  I thought You meant Linux for a second there Ryan but I dunno, lol.

If You mean moving to Linux, I dunno if that's an option or not because I'd lose all My already-installed applications, wouldn't I? And Idk if they'd even work. Things like Adobe programs, CINEMA 4D, some other editing applications, VLC and a few others.

 

I DO NOT want to lose them what so ever! 

[vanished]

8 minutes ago, Xiauj said:

Ok now I'm really confused

I'll try to explain this more clearly but I'm not sure I can.  Every partition "starts" at a certain position, and has a certain size or length.  Windows can easily expand or reduce that length, but it cannot move the starting position.  When you shrunk your G partition, it opened up new space at the end of the drive, but this is useless to you.  You wanted to expand your C, but to do that, you'd need to move the G partition.  That's where the next part comes in.

Quote

So wait, install/fire... what up onto a USB-Drive? I'm confused.  I thought You meant Linux for a second there Ryan but I dunno, lol.

If You mean moving to Linux, I dunno if that's an option or not because I'd lose all My already-installed applications, wouldn't I? And Idk if they'd even work. Things like Adobe programs, CINEMA 4D, some other editing applications, VLC and a few others.

Yes, I mean Linux, specifically ubuntu because it's common and easy.  You don't need to switch to it, just make a bootable USB stick, edit your partitions using it, and then go back to Windows.  I have never experienced corruptions as a result of the tool, but I will always strongly advise having a backup before making such an edit.

[Xiauj]

19 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

I'll try to explain this more clearly but I'm not sure I can.  Every partition "starts" at a certain position, and has a certain size or length.  Windows can easily expand or reduce that length, but it cannot move the starting position.  When your shrunk your G partition, it opened up new space at the end of the drive, but this is useless to you.  You wanted to expand your C, but to do that, you'd need to move the G partition.  That's where the next part comes in.

Ok I've just remerged the 10GB I took from the (G:) Drive and re-added it back to the (G:) Drive.

 

Is there any other ways to "move" the (G:) Drive and take the aforementioned 10GB from that and add that to the (C:) Drive within Windows besides doing via Ubuntu?

Or am I pretty much screwed?  It's not because I don't have much Linux knowledge (Which actually I don't, still kinda learning it) or anything like that but I also don't have a spare low capacity USB-Drive for the Linux distro =/

Edited November 26, 2019 by Xiauj
Typo

[vanished]

10 minutes ago, Xiauj said:

Ok I've just remerged the 10GB I took from the (G:) Drive and re-added it back to the (G:) Drive.

 

Is there any other ways to "move" the (G:) Drive and take the aforementioned 10GB from that and add that to the (C:) Drive within Windows besides doing via Ubuntu?

Or am I pretty much screwed?  It's not because I don't have much Linux knowledge (Which actually I don't, still kinda learning it) or anything like that but I also don't have a spare low capacity USB-Drive for the Linux distro =/

It's possible that some Windows software exists that will do this for you but I'm not aware of any.  I just know that the built in tool isn't capable of it.

 

Also, in order to move G and to expand C, you will of course have to have empty space so whether you use the built in tool or something else, it will need to be shrunk back down at some point.

[Xiauj]

Just now, Ryan_Vickers said:

It's possible that some Windows software exists that will do this for you but I'm not aware of any.  I just know that the built in tool isn't capable of it.

 

Also, in order to move G and to expand C, you will of course have to have empty space so whether you use the built in tool or something else, it will need to be shrunk back down at some point.

Ah I see. Would the one that Levent kindly suggested be able to solve this, do You think?:

2 hours ago, Levent said:

Try using minitool partition wizard.

@Levent Any idea/input as to if this could work?

[Levent]

3 hours ago, Xiauj said:

Ah I see. Would the one that Levent kindly suggested be able to solve this, do You think?:

@Levent Any idea/input as to if this could work?

What seems to be the problem? tool I suggested has a feature where it will move your data to other sectors if your partitioning needs cannot be done otherwise, other than tool is really straight forward and never had a single issue.

[Xiauj]

@Ryan_Vickers & @Levent,

Alright so... I've just used Minitool Partition Wizard and it seems to have worked  I just allocated roughly 10GB to (C:) from (G:) and I'm currently upgrading over to Windows 10 via the ISO from Microsoft's website lol. Thanks again guys!  I appreciate it!

 

I'm gonna miss Windows 7 after this is done  Why did Microsoft stop giving updates for it, damn it. Oh well.

[Xiauj]

Update:

https://linustechtips.com/main/profile/360847-xiauj/?status=250683&type=status

 

It went well and didn't manage to fuck up!  

Thanks again by the way @Ryan_Vickers & @Levent