C: drive low disk space is common issue in all Windows servers. When it happens, it can't be better if you can extend C drive by moving disk space from other partition. Nobody likes to waste a long time to start over. Besides C: drive, the partitions for database, exchange, backup may become full, too. The same with previous versions, there's "Extend Volume" function in native Disk Management tool. However, this tool is not well designed and it has many limitations. Many people feedback that Extend Volume is grayed out in Windows Server 2022/2025 Disk Management. This article introduces why Extend Volume greyed out in Server 2022/2025 and how to solve this problem easily.
Why Extend Volume greyed out in Windows Server 2022/2025
There are 5 common reasons why "Extend Volume" greyed out in Server 2022/2025 Disk Management. I'll explain the reasons one by one.
1. No unallocated space on the disk
Partitions on a disk can be resized but the size of a physical disk is fixed. Before extending a partition, there must be "unallocated" space on the same disk. You may either delete or shrink a partition to make unallocated space. If you did not make unallocated space on the disk in advance, of course you cannot extend partition.
2. Unallocated space is nonadjacent or on the left
To extend partition with Disk Management, unallocated space must be adjacent and on the right of this partition. This is because Disk Management cannot change start position of a volume. This is also the reason why it can only make unallocated space on the right when shrinking a partition. After shrinking D drive, C drive is non adjacent and E drive is on the right of this unallocated space . This is the most common reason why Extend Volume greyed out in Server 2022/2025 Disk Management.
3. Partition is FAT32
Only NTFS and ReFS partitions can be shrunk and extended in Server 2022 Disk Management. If the partition to be extended is FAT32, Extend Volume option is grayed out even if there's adjacent unallocated space on the right.
4. Partition type are different
If you want to delete a partition to extend the left adjacent one with Disk Management, both partitions must be the same primary or logical drives. C drive is always primary on MBR and GPT disk. Therefore, if you want to delete D to expand C, D must be primary partition, too.
This issue only exists on MBR disk, because all partitions on GPT disk are primary. It is not suggested to delete any partition especially if this partition has programs or any Windows services.
5. 2TB restriction on MBR disk
MBR disk has another major shortage, it can only create maximum 2TB partition and manage 2TB space on the disk. That means, if you have a 2TB partition or several partitions with 2TB used space, Extend Volume is greyed out in Server 2022/2025 Disk Management even if there's adjacent unallocated space on the right side.
What to do when Extend Volume option is grayed out
There are many reasons why "Extend Volume" greyed out in Windows Server 2022/2025, but to solve this problem, you just need 1 tool. I'll introduce the corresponding solutions one by one.
Method 1: Shrink partition to make unallocated space
When there's no unallocated space, shrink any NTFS/FAT32 partition on this disk with NIUBI Partition Editor. It is able to make unallocated space on either left or right. If you want to shrink a nonadjacent partition, this tool can move unallocated space to be adjacent.
Download NIUBI Partition Editor and follow the steps in the video to shrink and extend partition:
Method 2: Move unallocated space
As I explained above, nonadjacent unallocated space is the most common reason why Extend Volume is disabled in Server 2022/2025 Disk Management. To solve this problem, you just need to run NIUBI Partition Editor and move unallocated space adjacent to the partition that you want to extend. Follow the steps in the video:
Method 3: Resize partition with NIUBI
To NIUBI Partition Editor, there's no difference to shrink, extend, move NTFS or FAT32 partitions. When you cannot shrink or extend FAT32 partition, simply follow the method in the first video above.
If the partitions to be shrunk and extended are different, it doesn't matter to NIUBI Partition Editor and the steps are the same to resize these partitions.
Method 4: Convert MBR to GPT
When you cannot extend a partition to 2TB+ or use full space on MBR disk, convert MBR to GPT, then this problem can be solved easily.
When Extend Volume greyed out in Windows Server 2022/2025 Disk Management, follow corresponding method above according to your own disk partition configuration. Besides shrinking, moving, extending and converting disk partition, NIUBI Partition Editor helps you clone, defrag, hide, wipe, optimize partition, scan bad sectors and much more.
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