Can’t Extend the Drive in Windows 10/11? Here’s What to Do

The solutions listed here are confirmed by our experts

4 min. read

Updated onOctober 23, 2023

updated onOctober 23, 2023

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Most users install their programs (games and applications) on the system (C:) drive by default. If you use too many applications, the drive will run out of free space. You can use the Disk Management tool to extend the volume to increase the C: drive size.

However, when users sometimes try to extend the volume using the Disk Management tool, some notice that the Extend Volume option is greyed out, and they cannot extend the drive. Here is how to fix the greyed-out Extend Volume option inWindows 10.

What to do if you’re unable to extend a drive in Windows 10?

1. Use AOMEI Partition Assistant to Merge Partition

AOMEI is a free partition assistant tool that allows you to extend and shrink thedisk partitionwithout deleting any otherpartition. This option is better than the second method, where you would have to delete the D: drive to extend the C: drive volume. Here is how to do it.

What to do if you don’t have unallocated space to extend the volume?

AOMEIPartitionAssistant allows you to allocate free space from the D: drive to C: drive without deleting thepartition. Here is how to do it.

AOMEI Partition Assistant

2. Create Qualified Unallocated Space

The reason why the Extend Volume option is greyed out in the disk management tool is because of the unallocated space is not right contiguous to the C drive. To make it work, you need to put the unallocated space right next to the C drive and then extend the volume. Here is how to do it.

To do this, you need to delete thepartitionnext to the C: drive that is D: drive in most of the cases. So, begin with taking the backup of your data in theD: > drive.Once the backup is ready, proceed with the following steps.

Now, you will see thepartitionnext to the C: drive is unallocated. You can easily extend the C: volume without any problem.

You see how simple it is tomerge unallocated space in Windows.

These are the two ways to extend the volume for C:driveand fix the Extend Volume greyed out in thediskmanagement tool.

I prefer the first method as it is easier, offers more options, and it does not require deleting anypartitionsto extend the C:drive. However, if you don’t want to install third-party software to extend thedrive, you can go with the second method to the same effect.

Can’t Extend the Drive in Windows 10/11? Here’s What to Do#

What to do if you’re unable to extend a drive in Windows 10?#

1. Use AOMEI Partition Assistant to Merge Partition#

AOMEI Partition Assistant#

2. Create Qualified Unallocated Space#

Can’t Extend the Drive in Windows 10/11? Here’s What to Do

What to do if you’re unable to extend a drive in Windows 10?

1. Use AOMEI Partition Assistant to Merge Partition

AOMEI Partition Assistant

2. Create Qualified Unallocated Space