How to Merge Partitions on Windows 11/10/8/7 Windows Server Safely

Summary

This article shares the method to merge partitions on the same disk or from two disks.

Andrew Wright

Updated on 2025/01/02

by Andrew Wright

1. Merge partition on Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP

Merging two partitions without losing data would be an easy and safe job to perform by IM-Magic Partition Resizer which is 100% freeware on Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP, the PC platform. As an outstanding partition manager to merge partitions, it can do the job flawlessly.

Why you need Partition Resizer

  • Windows does not provide such merging function for disk volumes when users need to convert two partitions or more into one partition
  • Partition Resizer is 100% freeware on Windows PC Win11/10/8/7 etc.  Windows Server users may need a cost for its Partition Resizer Server edition.
  • 100% safe to use. It employees a Roll-Back Technology that it wont make any damage to your PC if there were expected power failure and you may cancel the merge at will if you change your mind in the process of merging.

[Video1] How to Merge C and E Partitions

[Video2]Merge Partitions with/without Recovery Partition

For Windows 11/10/8/7 => Download Partition Resizer Free [100% Free]

For Windows Server 2022-2003 => Download Partition Resizer Server [Free Demo]

Merge Partitions with Step by Step Guide

Step one: start the Resizer and then right select the C system volume and then allocate its ‘Merge Partition

open partition manager

open partition manager

Step two: select the partitions you want to merge, ie select c and H and then set the location of merging to get all partitions merged to C volume

open partition manager

Step three: apply the changes by confirming yes and you will see its notice of power off to get merging started.

open partition manager

open partition manager

open partition manager

It only takes a few minutes for the merging and everything will be done perfectly. Then open the software to see its big C system volume, or you may open your ‘My Computer’ and see you already have a large C drive. Then C is successfully merged with its neighborhood drive.

open partition manager

2. Merge Partitions on Windows Server 2012/2016/2019/2022/2025

Windows Server is a group of operating systems released by Microsoft. Its first edition was Windows Server 2003. Windows Server supports RAID volume, which is quite popular.

If your system is running Windows Server, you can merge partitions easily using IM-Magic Partition Resizer Server.

Download IM-Magic Partition Resizer Server

Steps are the same as the instructions for other Windows versions mentioned above. Below are additional notes and considerations specific to Windows Server systems:

It is a common problem that your computer's performance slows down over time. This often happens because the capacity of your hard disk drive becomes tight, which affects the overall operation of your system. To improve your system's performance, it might be necessary to extend disk space by merging partitions.

Important Notes:

  • If the two partitions you want to merge are not adjacent, you need to delete the in-between volumes, or we recommend you shrink the large partition to produce unallocated space, and then move the in-between partitions, add the unallocated space to the target partition.
  • This guide primarily focuses on merging the C drive with its adjacent volume.
  • When merging the C drive, a system reboot is required to complete the process. However, merging other partitions typically does not require a reboot.
  • Only adjacent partitions on the same disk can be merged directly. For non-adjacent partitions:
    • Backup the data from one partition to another location.
    • Delete the non-adjacent partition or shrink it to create unallocated space.
    • Redistribute the unallocated space using the "Resize/Move" function.

Tips for Merging Partitions Safely:

  • Always backup your important data before performing partition operations.
  • Ensure sufficient power supply to avoid interruptions during the process.
  • Check the health of the disk using built-in tools like CHKDSK or third-party utilities before proceeding.

By following these steps and tips, you can efficiently merge partitions on all supported Windows Server versions, including Windows Server 2012, 2016, 2019, 2022, and even 2025.

3. Merge Partitions in Disk Management or Using Diskpart CMD

Neither Disk Management nor Diskpart CMD offer a direct option to merge partitions. These tools can only extend existing partitions when adjacent unallocated space is available. For example, you can extend an NTFS volume into unallocated space that is directly next to it, but you cannot combine two separate partitions into one.

To merge partitions using these built-in utilities, you would first need to delete one partition to free up space, then extend the remaining partition into the unallocated space. However, this process can lead to data loss, so it is crucial to back up any important data before proceeding.

If you need to combine partitions without losing data, third-party partition management software, such as IM-Magic Partition Resizer, can be used to safely merge partitions without deleting data.

Here's a quick overview of what you can do with these tools:

  • Disk Management: You can extend an NTFS partition into unallocated space, but merging two partitions is not possible.
  • Diskpart CMD: Similarly, Diskpart allows you to extend volumes but doesn't support partition merging. It also requires you to first delete one of the partitions before extending the other into the free space.

Steps for Extending a Partition Using Disk Management

  1. Open Disk Management by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Disk Management.
  2. Right-click the partition you want to extend (make sure it’s an NTFS partition) and select Extend Volume.
  3. In the Extend Volume Wizard, select the amount of unallocated space to add to the partition.

Steps for Extending a Partition Using Diskpart CMD

  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator by pressing Win + X and selecting Command Prompt (Admin).
  2. Type diskpart and press Enter.
  3. Type list disk to see all disks connected to your computer.
  4. Select the disk containing the partition you want to extend: select disk X (replace X with the disk number).
  5. Type list partition to view all partitions on the selected disk.
  6. Select the partition to extend: select partition Y (replace Y with the partition number).
  7. Type extend to extend the partition into adjacent unallocated space.
  8. Type exit to leave Diskpart.

Example Diskpart Code:


diskpart
list disk
select disk 0    # Replace with your disk number
list partition
select partition 1    # Replace with the partition number you want to extend
extend              # Extend into adjacent unallocated space
exit

Important: This method does not merge partitions, but it will extend an existing partition into the unallocated space next to it. If you need to merge partitions, you will have to delete one partition and then extend the other, which can lead to data loss if not backed up.

Alternative: Use Third-Party Software for Merging Partitions

If you need to merge partitions without data loss, third-party partition management software is recommended like IM-Magic Partition Resizer which allows for more flexibility, including merging partitions without deleting data.

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