How to Merge Partitions in Windows Server 2012 R2

When system partition C is getting full after running Windows 2012 server for a period of time, some users ask if it is possible to combine 2 partitions. By merging one partition into another, its unused space will be added to the free space of the destination partition. It seems to be a good idea to increase C drive space, but you'll lose the D drive. This article introduces how to merge partitions in Windows Server 2012 R2 with the native tool and safe partition software. In addition, this article will introduce a better method if you want to extend a Server 2012 partition.

1. Merge Partitions in Server 2012 Disk Management

As with previous versions, there is no 'Merge Volume' function in the Windows Server 2012 native Disk Management tool. If you don't want to use any third-party software, the only way is to use the 'Extend Volume' function to merge partitions indirectly. The major disadvantage is that you must delete the contiguous partition on the right.

How to merge partitions in Windows Server 2012 r2 via Disk Management:

1. Press Windows and X on the keyboard and click 'Disk Management' in the list.
2. Right click D: drive and select 'Delete Volume', then its disk space will be converted to unallocated.
3. Right click C: drive and select 'Extend Volume'.
4. Follow the pop-up 'Extend Volume Wizard' by clicking Next.

Remember to transfer all files in D before deleting. If you installed any programs or services to this partition, do not delete it.

Besides manually transferring files and deleting the partition, there are other disadvantages when merging partitions in Server 2012 with Disk Management:

1. It can only combine a partition to the left contiguous one, for example merge drive D to C, or combine E to D.
2. It cannot merge 2 non-adjacent partitions.
3. The left contiguous partition must be formatted with the NTFS file system. Otherwise, Extend Volume is greyed out even after deleting the right adjacent partition.
4. The partitions to be combined must both be primary or both be logical partitions.

2. Better Way to Merge 2 Contiguous Partitions for Server 2012

With disk partition software, there are no such limitations. Furthermore, it is much easier to operate; you just need to click, drag, and drop on the disk map. Among these tools, NIUBI Partition Editor is highly recommended because it features unique technologies like Hot Clone, 1-Second Rollback, Cancel-at-Will, and Virtual Mode to protect your system and data.

How to merge partitions in Server 2012 r2 without losing data:

Step 1: Download NIUBI Partition Editor, right-click either contiguous partition and select 'Merge Volume'.

Step 2: Check the boxes next to both partitions, and then select the destination partition in the drop-down list.

Step 3: Click OK to return to the main window, then click 'Apply' on the top left to execute. (All operations before this step work in virtual mode only.)

After the merging process is complete, open the D: drive in File Explorer and you will see a folder named 'E to D (date and time)'; all files from the E drive are automatically moved to this folder.

If you want to merge partitions D and C in Windows Server 2012 R2, it is similar. The only difference is that you can't select D as the destination drive. Because the C: drive is where the Operating System is located, it cannot be removed.

3. How to Merge Nonadjacent Partitions in Windows Server

As mentioned above, Disk Management cannot merge non-adjacent partitions, because it cannot move the position of any drives. NIUBI Partition Editor can help you accomplish this task easily.

How to merge non-adjacent partitions in Windows Server 2012/2016/2019/2022:

① Right click E: drive (the right partition) and select 'Delete Volume'.

② Right click D: drive (the middle partition) and select 'Resize/Move Volume'.

4. Resize Server 2012 Partition Instead of Merging

It is easy to merge 2 partitions in Windows Server 2012 R2 and other versions. However, there is a disadvantage that one partition will be removed. If your goal is to extend a partition, it is not recommended to achieve this by merging them. Instead, it is better to shrink a partition to release some free space, and then move it to the partition that you want to expand. In this way, the Operating System, programs, associated settings, and everything else remain the same as before.

How to shrink and extend partition in Windows Server 2012 R2:

Besides shrinking, extending, and merging partitions in Windows Server 2012/2016/2019/2022/2025, NIUBI Partition Editor helps you move, copy, convert, defrag, wipe, optimize, hide, create, and format partitions, and much more. All types of SSDs, HDDs, hardware RAID arrays, VMware, and Hyper-V virtual machines are supported.

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