How to extend volume Windows Server 2012 r2 without losing data - 5 ways

5 Ways to Extend volume on Windows Server 2012 (R2 included)

You want to extend volume Windows Server 2012 r2 without losing data. Disk management tool has the capability to resize partitions but it has limitations. These limitations does not allow to use this tool for resizing beyond a point.

Here is one quick way to extend c volume with Windows 2012 server manager. Watch this following video:

 

There are several ways to extend the volume in Windows Server 2012 R2 safely, including:

#1 Disk Management Console:

The Disk Management Console is a built-in tool that allows you to extend the volume in Windows Server 2012 R2. Follow these steps to use Disk Management to extend a volume:

• Open the Disk Management Console by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Disk Management.
• Right-click on the volume you want to extend and select "Extend Volume".
• In the Extend Volume Wizard, select the additional space you want to allocate to the volume.
• Follow the wizard's prompts to complete the process.

Also read: Fixes on extend volume greyed out in Server 2012 Disk Management

#2 Command Prompt:

The Command Prompt is another method to extend the volume in Windows Server 2012 R2. Follow these steps to use the Command Prompt to extend a volume:

• Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
• Type "diskpart" and press Enter.
• Type "list volume" and press Enter to display a list of volumes on your server.
• Type "select volume x" (where "x" is the number of the volume you want to extend) and press Enter.
• Type "extend" and press Enter to extend the volume.

#3 Third-Party Partition Software:

Third-party partition software such as IM-Magic Partition Resizer, EaseUS Partition Master or MiniTool Partition Wizard can also be used to extend volumes in Windows Server 2012 R2. These programs provide more advanced features than Disk Management and can be used to perform a wide range of disk management tasks. However, be sure to select a reliable and trustworthy software before installing it on your server.

Resize disk space with IM-Magic Partition Resizer Server

IM-Magic Partition Resizer software helps in resizing partitions in simple steps. There is a free trial available which you can download from the site. The tool is developed to perform many useful disk related jobs apart from expanding disk space.

IM-Magic Partition Resizer gives you option to move your unallocated partition anywhere. If you are able to move unallocated space, the target drive can be easily extended. Follow below steps to get your problem resolved.

• Download, install and open IM-Magic Partition Resizer.
• Right click the drive you want to shrink if you do not have unallocated partition.
• Select resize/move partition
• Drag the border to right side to shrink the drive. This creates unallocated space to the right side of drive which you wand to extend. Steps to extend volume in Windows server 2011
• To extend the drive, right-click the drive and Select resize/move partition.
• Drag the extender till the size you want to add. Steps to extend volume in Windows server 2011
• Click apply changes and then click OK

If you already have unallocated partition, you can right-click on adjoining drive, select resize/move partition. Then move the drive to the right side. The unallocted partition is shifted next to target drive that you want to extend.

The tool takes few seconds to do disk resizing without touching and removing any files. The rollback feature keeps your data more secure and safe. The tools is available for all the versions of Windows and supports NTFS and FAT file systems.

#4 Storage Spaces:

Windows Server 2012 R2 includes Storage Spaces, which is a feature that allows you to pool physical disks together and create virtual disks. If you need to extend a volume that is part of a Storage Spaces pool, you can add more physical disks to the pool and then extend the virtual disk.

To extend a volume on Windows Server 2012 R2 with Storage Spaces, follow these steps:

• Verify the health of your storage space: Before making any changes, you should check the health of your Storage Spaces to ensure that they are healthy and functioning correctly. To do this, open the Storage Spaces control panel by typing "Storage Spaces" in the Start menu search bar, and select the option from the results. In the Storage Spaces control panel, check the status of each storage space. If any storage space has an issue, you must resolve it before proceeding.
• Add new disks: If you want to extend a volume by adding more disks, you will need to add the new disks to the storage space. To do this, open the Storage Spaces control panel, and select "Add drives" for the storage space that you want to expand. Follow the prompts to add the new disks.
• Create a virtual disk: After adding the new disks, you will need to create a new virtual disk that includes the new disks. To do this, select "Create a virtual disk" in the Storage Spaces control panel, and follow the prompts to create the new virtual disk.
• Extend the volume: Once the new virtual disk is created, you can extend the volume that you want to expand. To do this, open the Disk Management console by right-clicking on "Computer" in the Start menu and selecting "Manage". In the Computer Management window, select "Disk Management" under Storage. Right-click on the volume that you want to extend and select "Extend Volume". Follow the prompts to extend the volume and select the virtual disk that you created in step 3 as the source of the additional space.
• Verify the volume size: After extending the volume, check that the volume size has increased by the amount you added. You can do this by right-clicking on the volume in Disk Management and selecting "Properties". In the properties dialog, select the "Volumes" tab, and you should see the new size of the volume.

Note: The process for extending a volume with Storage Spaces may vary depending on your specific configuration and requirements. Consult Microsoft documentation or contact the vendor's support for assistance if you encounter any issues.

Also read: how to manage disk storage on Windows Server 2012

#5 Hardware RAID:

If your server uses a hardware RAID controller, you may be able to extend the volume by adding more disks to the RAID array. The process for doing this will depend on the specific RAID controller you are using, so refer to the documentation for your controller for instructions on how to extend the volume.

Extending a volume on Windows Server 2012 with hardware RAID can be done by following these general steps:

• Backup your data: Before making any changes to your RAID configuration or disk partitions, it's important to back up your data in case of data loss or corruption.
• Check RAID status: Verify that your RAID is healthy and functioning properly. Check your RAID controller's documentation for instructions on how to do this.
• Add new disks to the RAID: If you want to extend a volume by adding more disks to the RAID array, you will need to add the new disks to the RAID first. The process for doing this will depend on the specific RAID controller you are using, so refer to the documentation for your controller for instructions.
• Expand the RAID array: Once the new disks are added to the RAID, you will need to expand the RAID array to include them. This process will also depend on the specific RAID controller you are using, so refer to the documentation for your controller for instructions.
• Extend the volume: After expanding the RAID array, you can extend the volume in Windows Server 2012. To do this, you can use the Disk Management console or the diskpart command in the command prompt.

Here are the steps to extend a volume using Disk Management:

• Open Disk Management by right-clicking on "Computer" in the Start menu and selecting "Manage", then click on "Disk Management".
• Locate the volume that you want to extend and right-click it. Select "Extend Volume".
• Follow the wizard to select the additional space that you want to add to the volume. You can choose to use all the unallocated space on the disk or a specific amount.
• Once the wizard completes, the volume will be extended.

If you encounter any issues or are unsure of the specific steps to follow, consult your RAID controller's documentation or contact the vendor's support for assistance.