Resize, Shrink, Delete, and Manage Partitions in Windows Server 2016 Disk Management

How to Resize Partition Space in Windows Server 2016

When setting up Windows Server 2016, it’s a good idea to create separate partitions for the operating system and data. This prevents the system partition (typically the C drive) from consuming all available disk space. However, as your system grows, you may need to resize, shrink, or delete partitions to free up space. Luckily, Windows Server 2016 comes with the built-in Disk Management tool to help with partition resizing tasks.

Here is a brief comparison table between disk management and Partition Resizer.

	Disk Management	Partition Resizer Server
Shrink fat32 partition	NO
Extend Volume for fat32 partition	YES when unallocated space at right side
Extend Volume for fat32 C drive	NO
Clone disk/partition	NO
Delete/move recovery partition	NO
Delete Volume
Format Disk/Partition	data loss	data loss
Convert logical to primary
Convert basic dynamic
Convert mbr gpt	data loss	no data loss
Extend ntfs C drive	YES when right unallocated space is available
Move unallocated space or partition	NO
		Download Win Server (Free Demo)

Disk Management Tool: Features and Limitations

The Disk Management tool in Windows Server 2016 provides several important functions to manage your disk partitions effectively. Below are the core features of the tool and their associated limitations:

1. Shrink Volume

Shrink Volume allows you to reduce the size of an existing partition to free up unallocated space. For example, you can shrink a data partition to make room for a new partition or to increase the size of another partition.

Limitations: The "Shrink" option may not work if there is unmovable data on the partition or if there's not enough free space at the end of the partition. It may also be grayed out if no unallocated space is available next to the partition.

2. Extend Volume

Extend Volume increases the size of a partition by adding unallocated space adjacent to it. This is useful when you need more space on a partition, such as the C drive, to prevent it from filling up.

Limitations: The Extend Volume option only works if there is unallocated space immediately after the partition. If this space is not adjacent, the option will be grayed out, making it impossible to extend the partition. You can only make the unallocated space adjacent to the target drive by deleting it and there must be no recovery partition standing in the way too. Or use a tool like IM-Magic Partition Resizer Server to help move the unallocated space adjacent to the drive you want to expand.

3. Delete Volume

Delete Volume removes an existing partition, freeing up the space on your disk. This is useful when you want to remove unnecessary or unused partitions.

Limitations: Deleting a volume removes all data from the partition, so make sure to back up any important data before performing this operation. Also, this option may not be available on system partitions or if there are ongoing processes using the partition.

4. Format Disk

Format Disk allows you to erase all data on a partition and reformat it, which is useful when setting up a new partition or cleaning up an existing one.

Limitations: You cannot format a system partition (e.g., the C drive) while Windows is running. To format the system partition, you would need to boot into a recovery environment or use a third-party tool.

5. Convert Between MBR and GPT

Convert MBR to GPT or vice versa. This feature allows you to change the partition style of a disk without losing data, which can be useful when upgrading from a system that uses MBR to one that uses GPT (especially on disks larger than 2TB).

Limitations: You cannot convert a system disk (e.g., the boot partition) from MBR to GPT without deleting all existing partitions. Also, the Convert option is grayed out if the disk contains partitions or is actively being used by the system.

6. Creating Unallocated Space

Creating unallocated space is a key part of partition resizing. The Shrink option, for example, frees up unallocated space on a disk.

Limitations: If there is no free space at the end of the partition, creating unallocated space will not be possible. You may need to delete or move partitions to create the necessary space.

7. Changing Drive Letters and Paths

Change Drive Letters allows you to assign a new letter to a partition, which can help if you need to reorganize your disk structure.

Limitations: Some system partitions cannot have their drive letters changed while Windows is running.

Using IM-Magic Partition Resizer: Overcoming Disk Management Limitations

The built-in Disk Management tool is useful for basic partition operations, but it has several limitations when it comes to more complex partition management tasks. In particular, the inability to extend partitions without adjacent unallocated space or the grayed-out options in certain scenarios can make resizing difficult. This is where the IM-Magic Partition Resizer Server tool comes into play. This third-party tool can overcome many of Disk Management's limitations and provide greater flexibility in resizing and managing your partitions.

Key Features of IM-Magic Partition Resizer Server

1. Resize, Shrink, and Extend Partitions

IM-Magic Partition Resizer allows you to resize, shrink, and extend partitions even if there is no adjacent unallocated space. It automatically handles the space on your disk without requiring you to delete or move other partitions.

How it Overcomes Disk Management's Limitation: Unlike the built-in Disk Management tool, IM-Magic can extend partitions even if unallocated space is not next to the partition you want to extend. You can move unallocated space from other parts of the disk to the desired partition.

2. Merge Partitions

IM-Magic Partition Resizer enables you to merge two adjacent partitions without losing any data. This can be useful if you have multiple partitions with unused space that you'd like to combine.

How it Overcomes Disk Management's Limitation: Disk Management does not offer an option to merge partitions directly. IM-Magic allows you to combine partitions without data loss, a feature that is not available in the native Disk Management tool.

3. Convert MBR to GPT (and Vice Versa) without Data Loss

IM-Magic Partition Resizer allows you to convert your disk from MBR to GPT or from GPT to MBR without deleting any existing partitions or data. This is crucial for upgrading your server’s partition style without having to format the disk.

How it Overcomes Disk Management's Limitation: In Disk Management, converting between MBR and GPT requires deleting all partitions, resulting in data loss. IM-Magic eliminates this need by converting without formatting.

4. Resize System Partition (e.g., C Drive)

IM-Magic Partition Resizer enables you to resize the system partition (the C drive) without needing to boot from another disk or system. This makes it easier to extend your C drive when it's running out of space.

How it Overcomes Disk Management's Limitation: Disk Management does not allow you to resize or extend the system partition (C drive) while Windows is running. IM-Magic can do this safely while the system is active, without needing a reboot or bootable media.

5. Partition Recovery and Repair

IM-Magic Partition Resizer also offers partition recovery and repair tools to fix lost or damaged partitions, which is something the built-in Disk Management tool cannot do.

How it Overcomes Disk Management's Limitation: Disk Management does not have partition recovery or repair capabilities. IM-Magic helps recover partitions that are missing, corrupted, or lost due to various system errors.

Conclusion

While Windows Server 2016's Disk Management tool is powerful for basic partition management tasks, it has limitations when it comes to resizing partitions, merging partitions, and converting disk styles. IM-Magic Partition Resizer Server provides a more flexible and comprehensive solution to manage your disk partitions effectively, without the limitations of Disk Management. It allows you to perform advanced partition operations safely, with no data loss.