How to Free Extend System Partition in Windows Server 2012?

Looking for a free way to extend system partition in Windows Server 2012? Here you can get the best free method to extend C drive in Server OS.

Emily

By Emily / Updated on May 12, 2023

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Need to extend system partition Windows Server 2012

We may found when the Windows Server 2012 system partition runs on low disk space, the overall computer performance will slow down consequently. To get rid of this terrible situation, most users will choose to free up the disk space by deleting unnecessary files or uninstalling some programs. But the C drive will get full soon or later. So, the best method is to extend C drive in Windows Server 2012 with unallocated space or free space in other partitions.

Extend volume greyed out in Server 2012 Disk Management

Generally speaking, we can take advantage of the “Extend Volume” feature provided by the Server built-in Disk Management. However, in most cases, you might find the “Extend Volume” is greyed out and not clickable. That’s because “Extend Volume” only can be used with contiguous unallocated space at the right side of the system partition or other partition you wish to enlarge.

Extend Volume Greyed Out Server 2012

If there is no unallocated space, space, we can shrink one existing partition to get, but “Shrink Volume” can only free up space behind the partition we shrink, while moving partition is not supported by Disk Management. To extend system partition Windows 2012 successfully, deleting the partition behind system partition to get an adjacent unallocated space is the only way we can do in Disk Management. It is at the risk of losing data.

Freeware to extend Server 2012 system partition without deleting any partition

If you don’t want to get a contiguous unallocated space by deleting another partition, you can ask some third-party partition manager for help. And the free AOMEI Partition Assistant Lite is a nice choice for Windows Server 2003, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2019. It can move the partition to make available unallocated space next to the system partition and extend it with ease. You can download the freeware and take the following steps to extend boot partition in Server 2012.

Download Freeware Server 2003/2008/2012/2016/2019/2022
Secure Download

Step 1. Install and run AOMEI Partition Assistant Lite. Right-click the partition in the way of the unallocated space and system partition, and choose “Resize/Move Partition”.

Move Partition

Note: If there is no unallocated space, please first shrink another partition to get one.

Step 2. Next, drag the partition to the right side and click on “Next”.

Drag Silder

Step 3. Now, you will find the unallocated space has been adjacent to the system partition. Now right-click on system drive and select “Resize Partition”.

Unallocated Space Moved

Resize Partition

Step 4. Then drag the slider to the right side to add the unallocated space and click on “Next”.

Extend Partition

Step 5. Finally, you can preview the Server 2012 system partition has been extended. To realize it, click on “Apply”.

Apply

This is how to free extend system partition in Windows 2012. To get easier methods to expand system partition in Windows Server 2012 and other Server environments, you can upgrade to AOMEI Partition Assistant Server Edition. In addition to moving partition, it provides the following features to extend partition more conveniently.

1. Merge Partitions: merge two adjacent partitions into one, or merge unallocated space to another partition no matter the unallocated space locates on the disk.

Merge Partitions

2. Allocate Free Space: directly transfer some free space from one partition to another partition.

Allocate Free Space From D To C Drive

3. Extend Partition Wizard: extend NTFS system partition without rebooting Server or PC.

Extend System Partition

Emily
Emily · Staff Editor
Emily is an English editor of AOMEI Technology; she has a great passion for providing easy solutions for people to tackle with all disk or partition management problems. In addition to writing articles about disk/partition management, she also edits great tutorials on how to back up and restore disk for data security. In her spare time, she loves to learn computer skill to improve herself or stay with her family to enjoy a good day.