[SOLVED] Moving data before deleting partition ?

[WitheredRose]

I have 2 partitions on my SSD and I want to delete the D drive and move everything to system C drive, however I don't have any means of doing a backup.

(I will call a D drive partition 1 and system C drive partition 2)
So I want to know if something like this is possible: I'll shrink as much as I can 1st partition and extend 2nd partition, then I'll move all the files the storage will let me from 1st to 2nd partition and repeat it until all files from 1st partition is moved to 2nd and all volume is shrinked from 1st(I'll be able to delete it then, right?) and extended for 2nd partition. With current storage on both partitions I'll need to do that 2-3 times(shrinking/extending, files moving)

Can I do it?

 

[TerryLaze]

While possible you are just begging for problems, also the C drive should not change partition numbers, if C is actually the second partition on the drive you will lose boot if it turns into the first partition of the disk.

 

[WitheredRose]

While possible you are just begging for problems, also the C drive should not change partition numbers, if C is actually the second partition on the drive you will lose boot if it turns into the first partition of the disk.

C is the first one, I just called them this way for clarity.

What kind of problems could occur?

 

[CountMike]

If your D partition is next to C: you can just merge them.

 

[WitheredRose]

If your D partition is next to C: you can just merge them.

Without losing any data?

 

[TerryLaze]

What kind of problems could occur?

Except for loosing all your data?
Every time you resize partitions there is a chance (very small one but existing) that the data isn't written correctly and you end up with a raw ssd with no partitions on it. Same goes for moving files, if it gets interrupted for any reason you lose that file.

 

[CountMike]

Without losing any data?

Yes, no loss of data if nothing goes wrong but that can happen in any change of partitions. You should really have a backup. No storage device lasts forever.

 

[WitheredRose]

Yes, no loss of data if nothing goes wrong but that can happen in any change of partitions. You should really have a backup. No storage device lasts forever.

Is it like an option in windows disk management? Or do I need specific 3rd party program for that?

 

[CountMike]

Is it like an option in windows disk management? Or do I need specific 3rd party program for that?

https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/macrorit_partition_extender_free_edition.html
or
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/gparted_live.html
Have more options.

 

[USAFRet]

Any manipulation of partitions should only be done with a full backup of ALL data involved.

Please show us a screencap of your Disk Management window.

 

[WitheredRose]

Any manipulation of partitions should only be done with a full backup of ALL data involved.

Please show us a screencap of your Disk Management window.

 

[USAFRet]

What data is in the D partition?

 

[SkyNetRising]

So I want to know if something like this is possible: I'll shrink as much as I can 1st partition and extend 2nd partition, then I'll move all the files the storage will let me from 1st to 2nd partition and repeat it until all files from 1st partition is moved to 2nd and all volume is shrinked from 1st(I'll be able to delete it then, right?) and extended for 2nd partition. With current storage on both partitions I'll need to do that 2-3 times(shrinking/extending, files moving)
Can I do it?

You need ony ~170GB of additional secondary storage to move all data away from partition D : .
Can't you get some external USB drive for this?

If that is absolutely not possible, then this is, what you could do:

1. Move pagefile away from partition D: to C: . Partition with pagefile can not be deleted.​

2. Shrink partition D: in half, so you have 170GB in D: and 170GB unallocated.​

3. Create another partition E: in unallocated space.​

4. Move all data from D: to E: .​

5. Now partition D is empty and you can delete it. Delete it.​

6. Extend C: to all unallocated space from after deleting D: .​

7. Move all data from E: to C: .​

8. Delete now empty partition E: .​

9. Extend C: to all available space.​

Done.

 

[WitheredRose]

What data is in the D partition?

2 games, some programs dedicated to gaming/video making/music and the rest of it are photos/videos of various things, some important, some not so much.

You need ony ~170GB of additional secondary storage to move all data away from partition D : .
Can't you get some external USB drive for this?

If that is absolutely not possible, then this is, what you could do:

1. Move pagefile away from partition D: to C: . Partition with pagefile can not be deleted.​

2. Shrink partition D: in half, so you have 170GB in D: and 170GB unallocated.​

3. Create another partition E: in unallocated space.​

4. Move all data from D: to E: .​

5. Now partition D is empty and you can delete it. Delete it.​

6. Extend C: to all unallocated space from after deleting D: .​

7. Move all data from E: to C: .​

8. Delete now empty partition E: .​

9. Extend C: to all available space.​

Done.

What is the reasoning behind creating partition E instead of allocating it to C straight away?
Also, don't know if it changes anything but I managed to free 19GB from partition D, so now there would be 189GB unallocated instead of 170GB.

 

[USAFRet]

2 games, some programs dedicated to gaming/video making/music and the rest of it are photos/videos of various things, some important, some not so much.

Programs will make this problematical.

Merging the C and D results in only a C.
Any programs installed in the D drive letter will then live in the C, and almost certainly fail.

 

[SkyNetRising]

What is the reasoning behind creating partition E instead of allocating it to C straight away?

Because that is not possible due to distribution of partitions on the drive.
You can extend partition only, if there's unallocated space next to it.
If there's some other partition between C: and unallocated space, then you can't extend C: .

managed to free 19GB from partition D, so now there would be 189GB unallocated instead of 170GB.

Even better. Now you have less data to move around.

 

[WitheredRose]

Programs will make this problematical.

Merging the C and D results in only a C.
Any programs installed in the D drive letter will then live in the C, and almost certainly fail.

I could just write down those programs and install them again after getting rid of partition D, right? Same with games, it would just take me some time. But there wouldn't be any problem with moving pictures and videos(jpg's, png's, mp4's)? They are the things that take most of my D storage. So this way I could go on with what @SkyNetRising had proposed?

 

[SkyNetRising]

I could just write down those programs and install them again after getting rid of partition D, right?

You'd have to reinstall those programs anyway. Because they're not on drive D : anymore.
Not every software can keep functioning after this without reinstall.

 

[USAFRet]

I could just write down those programs and install them again after getting rid of partition D, right? Same with games, it would just take me some time. But there wouldn't be any problem with moving pictures and videos(jpg's, png's, mp4's)? They are the things that take most of my D storage. So this way I could go on with what @SkyNetRising had proposed?

Pics and vids are no problem.

Anything other than trivially small applications do not transfer across drive letters.
They'll need a reinstall.