Merge multiple partitions into one partition on the hard disk [without formatting]

Merge multiple partitions into one partition on the hard disk [without formatting]

Some manufacturers of desktop and laptop computers divide the built-in internal storage units into multiple partitions, so that there is one partition dedicated to the operating system, applications and programs, and another empty partition to store personal files such as photos, videos, documents, etc.

This will allow you to organize your files properly and not lose them if you want to reinstall Windows — which will happen if your hard drive has a single partition and is running Windows 7 or lower.

I say this because if you are using Windows 8, 8.1 or 10 there is an option in Settings that will reset Windows to its default settings without erasing your personal data, even if they are both on the same partition ( C :).

Also, having two different partitions on the storage unit may over time lead to the strange problem where one partition is full due to the large number of installed programs, and the other partition has barely any used space.

Fortunately, you can use these methods to merge multiple partitions into one, it's not complicated, everything is done from within Windows.

Watch these practical steps in the video to merge a hard disk partition or to increase the space of a partition such as the C partition on the hard disk

Method 1: Delete one partition and then expand the other

This method does not require any external programs or tools, we will rely on the Disk Management tool that comes pre-installed with the Windows operating system.

But to apply this method you will need to delete one of the partitions and then merge it with the other partition. That is, if your device has an operating system partition and another empty partition, we will erase the empty partition.

But if the other partition is not empty and contains some data, then you should move it to the first partition you want to merge with; if it does not contain enough space for your files, you can temporarily move these files to an external storage unit or USB flash memory. The important thing is to remove these files from the partition that will be deleted, otherwise you will lose them forever. Because the files will be deleted completely

When you're ready, launch the Disk Management tool by pressing Win + R together, typing " diskmgmt.msc " into the Run window, and then pressing Enter.

Now locate the two partitions you want to merge together; let's say you want to merge partition (D:) with system partition (C:). These two partitions must be on the same storage unit, if each partition is on a separate disk, this method will not work.

So all you have to do now is right click on the partition and choose "Delete Volume" to delete the partition with all its contents.

Next, right-click on the space of the deleted partition, highlighted in black, and choose “Extend Volume”.

Now you will see a pop-up window to control the partition settings, most likely you will not need to make any changes in these settings, so keep pressing the Next button until you reach the stage where you press the Finish button to end this process,

Then the first partition will be expanded and the space of the second partition will be merged with it.  Just that simple, and the change will be immediate and will happen without restarting the computer.

Watch these practical steps in the video to learn how to hide a partition in Windows without programs and without formatting

See also:  How to create a password for a flash drive , external hard drive, USB, or any partition without programs

The second method: Merge partitions together at once without deleting files

The first method may not be suitable for all cases as it requires deleting one of the partitions first, for example when you do not have an external hard drive to transfer files from the second partition to before the merging process.

But thanks to disk management software, it has become possible to merge partitions without losing any data and with extreme ease.

In this explanation, we will rely on the  MiniTool Partition Wizard Free program  because it is considered one of the most efficient programs in this field and it packs a set of very useful tools, including the Merge Partition tool that we will use to merge partitions.

All you need to do after installing and running the program on your computer is right-click on the partition you want to merge and choose “Merge” from the menu.

Now the Merge Partition window will appear, where you select the primary partition that you want to keep. After that, click the Next button and select the partition that you want to merge with the previously selected partition.

Note that you can also merge more than one partition and not just one partition per operation. Once done, click the Finish button below to save your changes.

You can now see the partitions on the storage unit, after merging the partitions they should all appear as one partition on the main interface of the program as shown in the image above.

But these changes are only superficial, to make them real and apply these changes click on the Apply button in the top bar and then confirm by clicking on the Yes button.

The process will take some time, so wait a little while until you see a message confirming that the process was completed successfully. If you now go to Windows Explorer you can check the new changes. In this way, multiple partitions are merged into one partition on the hard disk without losing any files. And without deleting files

This video will interest you if you want to partition a flash drive or USB hard drive into more than one partition without programs.