How to Merge Hard Disk Partition in Windows 7
Usually，many computer users are able to merge partitions, and there are 2 ways available in order to accomplish this task. One is to use the Windows built-in Disk Management tool, and the other is to 'ask' a third-party partition tool for help.
In this article we'll introduce these 2 ways by providing an example of how to merge C drive and D drive in Windows 7, so that the users could choose the appropriate one in accordance with their actual needs.
A desktop computer. Image credit: Pxhere, CC0 Public Domain
Disclaimer: please always make backup copy of your files before using partition management and recovery software. If not sure about what to do, or whether partitions can be merged successfully, or if they contain important information, seek a qualified assistance before proceeding on your own!
Merge C and D Drive in Disk Management
If you want to merge C and D logical disks via Disk Management tool, user needs to back up all important data on D drive in advance, because all data saved in this drive will be lost.
Assuming that data has been backed up, let's now see how to merge partitions via Disk Management.
Step 1. Load Windows Disk Management. (Press Win+R to call out the Run box, input diskmgmt.msc and hit the Enter key )
Step 2. Right-click partition D and then choose Delete Volume to release unallocated space. This step also deletes the data available in this partition.
Step 3. Right-click partition C to choose Extend Volume button. Then, extend volume C from the Extend Volume Wizard.
As we mentioned in this description and visual demonstration above, Windows Disk Management tool can help us merge partitions and it performs this task well, but it also will lead to data loss unless we back up our files in advance.
But is it possible to merge partitions without the data loss? Of course it is possible, but for this purpose the third-party partition tools have to be used because such functionality is not included in Windows Disk Management software. Obviously, it is much easier to merge C and D drives in Windows 7 when the original information contained in these drives is preserved.
Merge C and D drives with MiniTool partition wizard
In this article, to perform such an operation, we will use the MiniTool Partition Wizard, which offers a bundle of features for Windows users to reorganize their drives while keeping existing content intact.
Please note:
- Drive C and D should be adjacent (no other partition should exist in-between).
- Both C and D partitions should be formatted with NTFS file system. If one of them is formatted using FAT32, please convert it to NTFS in advance.
Step 1. Launch MiniTool Partition Wizard Free version. Its main interface is displayed as shown in the following screenshot.
Step 2. Select C drive and then choose Merge Partition to enter its operating interface. Please note that the currently assigned drive letters can be changed directly in the running Windows OS. Use the Explore Partition feature to confirm.
Step 3. Click the Next button to get the following window.
Step 4. Choose partition D to get it merged and click the Finish button.
Step 5: Click Apply to perform all changes.
Actually, if there is some unallocated space or more partitions that have much of free space, it is a more flexible option to extend the partition rather than merge the partition.
After all operations are done, you have finished merging C and D drive in Windows 7 by using MiniTool Partition Wizard, and no data loss should be generated, if all steps have been completed properly. However, we always advise to use data backup before proceeding with partition management tasks.
Summary
After comparing these two methods of merging two disk partitions, we see that resorting to third-party partition tools can be quite a convenient choice because they can help to combine partitions without associated data loss. See this article which describes how to merge C drive and D drive in Windows 7 to get the more detailed information.
How to Merge Hard Disk Partition in Windows 7
Source: https://www.technology.org/2019/05/28/how-to-merge-partitions-under-windows-7-without-data-loss/