How to Merge Two SSD Drives in 2024 [Complete Guide]

Updated by

Linda 

Written by

Linda 

Last updated on April 19, 2024

Solid State Drives (SSDs) are rapidly replacing traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) due to their superior performance. They significantly boost your computer's efficiency by reducing boot-up times, speeding up file openings, and improving program responsiveness. Additionally, they consume less power and are more durable. The only downside is that they can be expensive, especially when purchasing high capacity ones. Fortunately, you can overcome this by combining two cheaper SSDs into one. This way, you save some money while still achieving the desired effect. You might now be wondering how to merge two SSDs. Read on for an in-depth guide explaining the process, along with important tips and tricks.

Requirements for SSD Arrays

Before you proceed with merging SSD drives, it's crucial to be aware of certain prerequisites. We've listed all the requirements below.

• You cannot merge an external hard drive or device.
• You can only merge internal drives and disks.
• To merge disks, there must be unallocated space available.
• You cannot increase C drive space by merging disks.
• Both SSDs should be converted from Basic to Dynamic Disk before you start the merging process.

How to Merge Two SSD Drives Using Partition Master Tool

Partition Master, the disk partition tool, allows users to resize, clone, create, merge, and format partitions and drives. The main advantage of using this software is that you don't need to delete data to merge disks or make any changes to them.

The software can perform many tasks, such as resizing, merging, and moving partitions. If you want to use it to combine two disks, you'll need to purchase the paid version, which is also quite affordable. The Partition Master tool will help you transfer disk space from one drive to another, check for system errors, clone partitions, convert basic disks to dynamic disks, and much more.

The steps to merge two disks with Partition Master are as follows:

Step 1: Infuse the basics with dynamism

Click “Disk Converter,” and then select “Convert Basic to Dynamic.” Click “Convert” to proceed.

Confirm the conversion of a "Basic" disk to a "Dynamic" disk.

• Convert it to a dynamic disk on another disk that has at least 1 MB of free space at the end of the disk.

After both disks have been converted to Dynamic Disks (as shown below), you can proceed with Step 2 to extend the volume on one of the disks into the free space on the other disk.

Step 2: Combine the Two Disks into One Disk

Note: The other dynamic disk must have unallocated space. If not, delete all partitions on it with Partition Master. Besides, you can't merge the system partition even if you have converted it to a dynamic disk.

• Select the entire disk, right click on it, and choose “Resize/Move.”

Select the disk and adjust its size

Use your mouse to drag the partition panel to the left or right to expand the partition's size.

Sometimes, the unallocated space might be to the left of the partition you want to extend. To move the unallocated space, drag the left partition handle to the left to the desired size.

Click Run 1 Task and Apply.

You may also like other features in Partition Master.

Aside from merging two SSDs into one, you can also utilize and optimize the SSD disk performance with the Partition Master tool, which offers the following features:

• Align SSD to 4K
• Migrate OS to SSD
• Clone SSD disk or partition
• Convert SSD to MBR or GPT
• Check file system on SSD
• Test SSD speed, S.M.A.R.T status, etc.

How to Merge Two SSDs Using Disk Management in UTF-8 Encoding

Windows' built-in Disk Management tool can create, delete, or merge partitions. It can also combine two SSD drives into a single volume. There are two types of volumes: Spanned Volume and Striped Volume. The former is for merging drives of different sizes, filling the first SSD before using the second one. The latter, Striped Volume, is suitable for SSDs of the same size, utilizing both for enhanced read and write performance. Choose the one that suits your needs: if you want to combine drives of different capacities, go for a Spanned Volume; if you need faster performance, opt for a Striped Volume. Here are the steps to combine your SSD drives into a volume using Disk Management: 1. **Press Win+X** and select "Disk Management." 2. **Inspect the disk layout**: In the Disk Management window, you'll see all connected drives and their partitions. Ensure the SSD drives you want to merge are not in use by any system or important data. 3. **Create a new volume**: Right-click the SSD drive you want to expand (let's say Drive D) and choose "Extend Volume" (if grayed out, it means direct extension is not possible, and you need to delete the unallocated space next to it). - For a Spanned Volume, you need unallocated space on another drive (e.g., Drive E). - For a Striped Volume, both drives should have unallocated space. 4. **Follow the wizard**: Proceed with the "New Simple Volume Wizard" instructions, selecting the unallocated space during the expansion process. 5. **Choose volume size**: You can select the merge size, but it's recommended to choose all available space for maximum merging. 6. **Format the volume**: Select a file system (e.g., NTFS), allocation unit size, and volume label, then click "Next." 7. **Finish**: After confirming your settings, click "Finish" to start creating the new volume. This may take some time depending on the drive size. 8. **Verify the result**: Once complete, check in Disk Management to confirm the volumes have merged and are functioning properly. Please note that combining hard drives can result in data loss, so ensure you back up important files beforehand.

Step 1. Press Win+R on your keyboard, then type diskmgmt.msc to open Disk Management.

Step 2: Right-click the disk and select "Convert to Dynamic Disk".

Step 3: You can convert multiple disks to dynamic disks at the same time.

Step 4: You may receive a warning that you are about to convert your basic disk to a dynamic disk. Click Yes.

Step 5: Select a disk, for instance, Disk 2. Right-click on it and choose “Delete Volume” to create unallocated space.

Step 6: After you have deleted all partitions on Disk 2, right-click Disk 1 and select "Extend Volume".

Step 7. In the next window, select the unallocated space and click on "Add."

Step 8: Click Finish to confirm that you want to merge the two disks.

Step 9. Finally, your two disks should appear as one in Disk Management.

If you find this content helpful for RAID SSD setups, feel free to share it with others who might benefit from it using the button below.

Conclusions

By combining two SSDs, you can address the major issue with SSDs: the high cost of high storage capacity SSDs. You can do this with the advanced version of Partition Master Tool, which will make the task easier, or opt for free disk management methods. Either way, both options will help you accomplish the task quickly!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Combining Two SSDs or Merging Them Into One - UTF-8 Encoding

If you still have other doubts about how to combine two SSDs into one, you can find the answers you want in this part.

How can I use two SSDs at the same time?

1. First, ensure that both SSDs are correctly connected and installed on your computer. 2. Secondly, initialize both disks with the same disk partition style - either MBR or GPT. 3. Thirdly, use a third-party disk conversion software, such as Partition Master, to convert both disks to Dynamic Disks. 4. Then, create partitions using unallocated space on both SSDs and merge them into a single partition.

When you're done, you'll be able to use both SSDs at the same time.

How to merge Disk 0 and Disk 1?

• Launch Partition Master and go to the “Disk Conversion” section. • Choose “Basic Disk to Dynamic Disk,” select Disk 0, and click “Convert.” • Repeat the process to convert Disk 1 to Dynamic Disk as well. • Create partitions on the unallocated space of both disks. • You have successfully merged Disk 0 and Disk 1 this way.

3. Can two drives work together as one?

Yes, of course. You can combine two hard drives into one using the following methods: 1. **RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)** - **RAID 0**: This combines the two hard drives into a single large drive with data striped across both, offering increased read and write speeds. However, be aware that RAID 0 does not provide data redundancy; if one drive fails, your data will be lost. - **RAID 1**: RAID 1 operates in mirror mode, writing data to both drives simultaneously, providing data redundancy. The total capacity is equal to the smallest drive. 2. **Windows Folder Junction** - In Windows, you can create a symbolic link or junction point on an NTFS file system to merge folders from both hard drives. This doesn't physically combine the drives but gives the user the impression of working within a single folder. 3. **Third-party software** - Tools like Acronis Disk Director or tools Partition Master can create dynamic volumes or virtual disks, simulating RAID-like functionality. 4. **Windows Dynamic Disks** - The Windows operating system supports dynamic disks, which allow you to combine the drives by creating spanned or striped volumes. Choose the method that best suits your needs. Before proceeding with any of these options, ensure you back up important data to guard against unexpected issues.

Create a storage space with two hard disks. Convert the two hard disks into dynamic disks and combine them into one.