[SOLVED] Have trouble expanding back my disk

[StSpider]

I have a new laptop with a SSD disk and a 1TB data disk. I decided to dualboot and install Mint, only to decide at a later date that it's more convenient for me to virtualize because I don't use Linux that much anymore.

I had installed Linux on the HDD and allocated 50 GB to it. Now I've deleted the Linux partition but I'm unable to expand back my data disk.

Situation is as shown here:

https://imgur.com/kLmRYDF

View: https://i.imgur.com/kLmRYDF.png


I think Linux created a bunch of new partitions and other than the deleted one (that is now free space, the 46.39 GB one) but I can't delete anything via diskmgmt,msc

Maybe a bunch of partitions other than C and D where there from the start, and that's ok, but I wish I could add back those 50 GB to my data disk. Unfortunately expanding doesn't work, I get "Insufficient space".

I've also tried turning the free space into a new partition, copy the stuff on DATA there, delete DATA and then expand the new partition, thinking the problem could be that the free space and the data disk were separated, but that too doesn't work, I get the same "insufficient space" error message.

It could probably work if I could delete that 512 MB partition (which I have no idea what is for) but I'm not able to.

Can anyone help or recommend some free tool for the task? Thanks a lot, it's driving me nuts.

EDIT: I decided to delete the 512 MB partition with a gparted live usb, which worked and I was able to expand back the data disk partition.

I still don't know if the two "extra" partitions on C are supposed to be there or not tho.

If someone can chime in I'd be grateful.

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

Those two partitions on Disk 1 that flank the OS partition are indeed meant to be there, they were created when Windows was pre-installed.

First partiton is EFI System Partition.
Last partition is required for factory recovery process.

 

[howtobeironic]

Diskpart/diskmgmt can't move partitions around easily. So you have 2 options here (take a backup)

A) You delete the backup partition, move things around and (optionally) rebuild that partition again. (What you did)
B) You use a third party tool to move partitions around. (Usually takes longer than option A). Can be MiniTool, AOMEI Paritition Assistant (I use this one frequently for virtual drives) etc. Those have a move/resize partition option (or merge partition button, so you can make a partiton on empty space and merge with the DATA) which boots you into a RE mode to do the changes.

 

[StSpider]

Those two partitions on Disk 1 that flank the OS partition are indeed meant to be there, they were created when Windows was pre-installed.

First partiton is EFI System Partition.
Last partition is required for factory recovery process.

Thank you! I suspected as much but I came across a guide online that said "In the Disk Management app, locate the Linux partitions, right-click them, and delete them. You can identify the Linux partitions because they have no label under the “File System” column, while Windows partitions will be identified by their “NTFS” file system. " (which is here btw https://www.howtogeek.com/141818/ho...ting into Windows,click them, and delete them. ) and that didn't sound right.