Disk partitions are created while installing the operating system or by the computer manufacturer. Many people ask if it is possible to change partition size in a Windows 11 computer without reinstalling the OS and programs. This is because many people encounter disk space issues after running the computer for a period of time. For example, when the C drive is getting full, some people want to decrease D or E to increase C drive space. In some Windows 11 laptops and desktops, there is only a C drive on the system disk, so computer users want to shrink the C drive to create more partitions. This article introduces how to change or increase partition size in Windows 11 without losing data.
How to Change Partition Size in Windows 11 with Disk Management
As in previous versions, there is a native Disk Management tool to help change partition size in Windows 11. In most cases, it can adjust partition size without losing data, but it is not 100% safe. There have been instances where partitions were damaged when shrinking a partition with this tool. If there are both Primary and Logical partitions on a disk, take extra care of your data.
If you want to change partition size in a Windows 11 computer without any software, you can try Disk Management first. However, because of many restrictions, you may encounter problems when shrinking and extending a partition with this tool.
How to decrease partition size in Windows 11:
- Right-click the Windows logo on the taskbar and then click Disk Management in the list.
- Right-click an NTFS partition and select the "Shrink Volume" option.
- Enter an amount of space and click the Shrink button. (Note: 1024MB=1GB. If you do not enter an amount, all available free space will be used by default.)
How to increase partition size in Windows 11 via Disk Management:
- Right-click the right adjacent partition (such as D:) and select the "Delete Volume" option.
- Right-click the left adjacent partition (such as C:) and select the "Extend Volume" option.
- Follow the pop-up Extend Volume Wizard with several clicks.
Restrictions on changing partition size in Windows 11 via Disk Management:
- It can only decrease and increase NTFS partitions; FAT32 and any other partitions are not supported.
- It can only make Unallocated space on the right side when shrinking a partition.
- It cannot shrink a partition beyond the point where unmovable files are located.
- It can only extend an NTFS partition when there is adjacent Unallocated space on the right side.
In Windows 11 Disk Management, you cannot increase a partition's size by shrinking another one. For example, after shrinking the D drive, the Unallocated space is on the right of this partition. It is non-adjacent to the C drive and is on the left side of the E drive; therefore, the Extend Volume option is grayed out.
How to Change Partition Size in Windows 11 with a Free Partition Tool
To decrease and increase partition size in a Windows 11 laptop, desktop, or tablet, NIUBI Partition Editor is a better choice, because it has many advantages over Disk Management, such as:
- It is able to resize both NTFS and FAT32 partitions.
- It can make Unallocated space on either the left or right side when shrinking a partition.
- It can shrink a partition to a minimum size even if there are unmovable files.
- It can add Unallocated space to either adjacent partition in one step.
- It can move Unallocated space and combine it into a non-adjacent partition on the same disk.
Download this tool, and you will see the disk partitions with their structures and other information on the main window.
How to decrease and increase partition size in Windows 11 with NIUBI:
- Right-click any NTFS or FAT32 partition and select the "Resize/Move Volume" option, then drag either border toward the other side to shrink this partition.
- Right-click the partition with adjacent Unallocated space on either side, then drag the border opposite to the other one to merge Unallocated space into this partition.
- Right-click the partition with adjacent Unallocated space on either side, then drag the middle of this partition in the pop-up window to move the partition and the Unallocated space.
Watch the video to see how to resize a partition in Windows 11:
Compared to other tools, NIUBI Partition Editor has Hot-Clone, 1-Second Rollback, Virtual Mode, and Cancel-at-will technologies to protect your system and data. It has a free edition for Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP home computer users. Besides the ability to resize a partition, this free tool helps you move, merge, convert, clone, defrag, hide, wipe partitions, scan for bad sectors, and much more.
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