[SOLVED] I need help merging unallocated space

Jul 22, 2020
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Hi. Just bought a fairly new laptop from craigslist. I wanna know if there is a way to merge the 97 GB from disk 0 into E:. The operating system is located on the SSD, so I'm pretty sure I don't need the recovery or the EFI partitions. From what I understand the previous owner was running another operating system through drive 0, I could probably ask him and find out for sure if its necessary. Anyone know a fix for this?

Here's what my drives look like:
View: https://imgur.com/a/icjAYKa
 
Solution
Look guys, I'm not trying to do a fresh install, all im tryin to do is consolodate all the space on my 2nd hard drive. How do i go about merging all the partitions on it is my question. I tried deleting the partition through command prompt, but it didnt let me delete the EFI partition. Anyone know how to do this ?

That may not be what you want to do, but it's what you should be doing. Since not doing a fresh install on a used laptop is grossly irresponsible, giving advice to aid you in being grossly irresponsible is a very difficult thing for anyone giving good advice to do ethically. It's not an ethical line I'll cross. There can be very serious repercussions for you having someone's old laptop without wiping the hard...

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
"Just bought a fairly new laptop from craigslist. "

For any used PC, your first move needs to be a full wipe and reinstall. All drives.
Completely. You have no idea what the previous users had in there.


 
Jul 22, 2020
5
0
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After the OS installation, you connect that other drive, and DELETE all partitions on that one.
Look guys, I'm not trying to do a fresh install, all im tryin to do is consolodate all the space on my 2nd hard drive. How do i go about merging all the partitions on it is my question. I tried deleting the partition through command prompt, but it didnt let me delete the EFI partition. Anyone know how to do this ?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Look guys, I'm not trying to do a fresh install, all im tryin to do is consolodate all the space on my 2nd hard drive. How do i go about merging all the partitions on it is my question. I tried deleting the partition through command prompt, but it didnt let me delete the EFI partition. Anyone know how to do this ?
You can't delete that EFI partition, because that is what Windows boots from.
This is because of the incorrect install the previous owner did.

And again...any used PC absolutely needs a clean install done by you.
I've seen far too many problems relying on what the old owner did. Sometimes to the point of needing to call the police, due to what was in there. Seriously.
 

DSzymborski

Titan
Moderator
Look guys, I'm not trying to do a fresh install, all im tryin to do is consolodate all the space on my 2nd hard drive. How do i go about merging all the partitions on it is my question. I tried deleting the partition through command prompt, but it didnt let me delete the EFI partition. Anyone know how to do this ?

That may not be what you want to do, but it's what you should be doing. Since not doing a fresh install on a used laptop is grossly irresponsible, giving advice to aid you in being grossly irresponsible is a very difficult thing for anyone giving good advice to do ethically. It's not an ethical line I'll cross. There can be very serious repercussions for you having someone's old laptop without wiping the hard drive.
 
Solution

Math Geek

Titan
Ambassador
this is what i use to accomplish this task.

https://www.diskpart.com/download-home.html?from=en.nav.downloads

it will move all the data around so that that extra space can be at the end of the drive and merged with the E: drive n the pic. make sure you have everything important backed-up since with anything like this it can go wrong and destroy data.

it will take a while as it moves data around but in the end it will do what you want

with that said, i agree with the rest and HIGHLY suggest a fresh install with a used laptop. you have no clue what is on it and how it got there and best to start fresh with your own stuff and not someone else's. the risk you are taking is honestly not worth it. but here's enough rope to hang yourself with!!!

i personally know multiple people who bought used pc's and wound up with the fbi knocking on their door due to tings they did not know was on the pc. do a full drive wipe and start fresh.
 
Last edited:

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Personal experience with used systems and previous user info:

Case 1:
Returned PC on the rack at BestBuy.
HP something, good price.
I asked the floor walker if they wiped all returned systems.
"Oh of course!"
Later, I asked the dept manager the same.
"Yes sir. Every system returned gets a full wipe and reinstall."
So I bought it.
Later that night, poking around through the Registry...
Original owner name, address, phone num, credit card, etc, etc.
He had bought and registered some software before taking it back.
I want no parts of that.

Case 2:
PC on the side of the road, out for the trash.
hmm...might be good for parts.
Get home, power it up...
Boots right into the daughters no password account. 2nd grade homework, classmates, etc etc
All virused up, which is probably why they tossed it
I want no parts of that.

Case 3:
Neighbor lady, Special Ed teacher.
She bought a system from a fellow teacher (male)
As the neighborhood "PC guy", she asked me to take a look at it, to see if she got a good deal.
After about 5 minutes of poking around, I pushed back from the desk.
"Mary, you need to call the police. Right now. If you don't, I will"
The previous 'owner' is probably out of prison by now. Probably.
Some things cannot be unseen...:(


I will never ever just "power up and use" a used PC without a full wipe and reinstall. All drives in the system.
With that, I'm out.
 

Math Geek

Titan
Ambassador
Personal experience with used systems and previous user info:

Case 1:
Returned PC on the rack at BestBuy.
HP something, good price.
I asked the floor walker if they wiped all returned systems.
"Oh of course!"
Later, I asked the dept manager the same.
"Yes sir. Every system returned gets a full wipe and reinstall."
So I bought it.
Later that night, poking around through the Registry...
Original owner name, address, phone num, credit card, etc, etc.
He had bought and registered some software before taking it back.
I want no parts of that.

Case 2:
PC on the side of the road, out for the trash.
hmm...might be good for parts.
Get home, power it up...
Boots right into the daughters no password account. 2nd grade homework, classmates, etc etc
All virused up, which is probably why they tossed it
I want no parts of that.

Case 3:
Neighbor lady, Special Ed teacher.
She bought a system from a fellow teacher (male)
As the neighborhood "PC guy", she asked me to take a look at it, to see if she got a good deal.
After about 5 minutes of poking around, I pushed back from the desk.
"Mary, you need to call the police. Right now. If you don't, I will"
The previous 'owner' is probably out of prison by now. Probably.
Some things cannot be unseen...:(


I will never ever just "power up and use" a used PC without a full wipe and reinstall. All drives in the system.
With that, I'm out.

i have the busineess card for my local detective that handles that stuff. i've learned all about chain of custody and plenty of other things working with people's pc's. it's well worth a full wipe and reinstall. you may get charges dropped if you're lucky but you'll sit in jail for 6 months waiting for that court date!!