As in previous versions, the C drive runs out of space in Windows 11 as well. Many people ask if it is possible to merge the C and D drives in a Windows 11 computer so that there will be more free space in the C drive again. The answer is yes. You can combine the C and D drives with the Windows 11 native Disk Management tool or third-party software. Because of some restrictions, Disk Management cannot merge partitions in some cases, so it is not the best tool. This article introduces how to merge the C and D/E drives in a Windows 11 computer using both the native tool and free partition software.
How to Merge the C and D Drives in Windows 11 Without Software
Disk Management has no "Merge Volume" option, but it can merge the C and D drives indirectly using the "Extend Volume" function. The problem is that you must delete the D drive manually in advance.
Caution: If you installed programs on the D drive or if there is no third partition to transfer all the files from the D drive, do not use this method.
Steps to merge the C and D drives in Windows 11 without any software:
- Transfer all files in the D drive to another partition.
- Press the Windows and X keys together on your keyboard, then click Disk Management in the list.
- Right-click the D: drive and select the Delete Volume option.
- Right-click the C: drive, select the Extend Volume option, and then follow the pop-up Extend Volume Wizard.
If you want to merge the C and D drives in Windows 11 without software, the D drive must be a Primary partition. In addition, it must be contiguous and on the right side of the C drive.
A Better Way to Combine the C and D Drives in Windows 11
Better than Windows Disk Management, NIUBI Partition Editor can move all files from the D drive to the C drive automatically while merging these partitions. Therefore, it does not matter if you have no third partition to transfer files to. To merge partitions in Windows 11 and perform any other operations, you just need to click, drag, and drop on the disk map. It provides a free edition for Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP home computer users. With this free tool, you can merge 2 adjacent partitions easily, whether they are NTFS or FAT32, Primary or Logical.
Note: Drive D: here means the contiguous partition on the right of the C drive. If it is E: in your computer, simply replace D with E in the steps below.
How to merge the C and D drives in Windows 11 with NIUBI Partition Editor:
- Download NIUBI Partition Editor, right-click the C or D drive, and select "Merge Volume".
- Click the checkboxes for both partitions in the pop-up window.
- Click OK to go back to the main window, then click Apply on the top left to take effect.
To avoid mistakes, NIUBI is designed to work in its Virtual Mode in advance; real disk partitions will not be changed until you click Apply to confirm. Besides this feature, it has Cancel-at-will, 1-Second Rollback, and Hot Clone technologies to protect your system and data.
How to Merge the C and E Drives When They Are Non-Adjacent
If there is not enough free space in the contiguous partition D and you want to merge the C drive with a non-adjacent partition, Windows Disk Management cannot help you because it cannot move partitions or Unallocated space. Drive E: here means a non-adjacent partition to the C drive.
Steps to merge the C and E drives in Windows 11 with NIUBI Partition Editor:
- Transfer files in the E drive to another place.
- Right-click the E: drive and select Delete Volume.
- Right-click the middle partition D and select Resize/Move Volume. In the pop-up window, put the mouse pointer in the middle of the D drive and drag it rightward.
- Right-click the C: drive and select the Resize/Move Volume option again. Drag the right border rightward to combine the Unallocated space.
Watch the video to see how to combine the C drive and the non-adjacent E drive in Windows 11:
If you just want to extend the C drive, it is not suggested to achieve this by merging it with another volume because the other partition will be deleted or removed. You had better shrink a partition on this disk to get Unallocated space and then add it to the C drive. In this way, the operating system, programs, and everything else remain the same as before. Follow the method in the video.
Besides shrinking, extending, and merging partitions in a Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP computer, NIUBI Partition Editor helps you perform many other disk partition management operations such as moving, converting, cloning, defragging, hiding, wiping, and scanning for bad sectors.
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