How to Expand C Drive Space in Windows 11 [2024 Guide]

Updated by

Linda 

Written by

Tracy King 

Updated on April 19, 2024

Follow this tutorial guide and get the direct solutions on how to extend C drive in Windows 11 immediately on your own with more than 3 Windows disk management tools:

Windows 11 is the name bestowed upon Microsoft's latest operating system, which melds the strengths of Windows 10, providing a network-focused approach for a wide range of devices, from tablets to data centers. Rather than releasing another incremental update, Microsoft has ventured into something entirely novel, aiming to captivate PC users.

This page is designed to guide you through resolving one specific issue with Windows 11, as outlined here:

In the following section, you'll discover 3 dependable Windows disk management tools that effectively handle how to extend the C drive in Windows 11. Proceed to the respective guides and begin expanding your C drive space right away.

How to Extend C Drive in Windows 11 [3 Effective Methods]

Here are the translations:
1. For Windows 11 beginners, a third-party partition manager software like tools Partition Master is the simplest and most efficient solution for expanding the C drive.
2. For experienced and even professional Windows users, the built-in Windows 11 disk management tools - Disk Management and CMD Diskpart, are adequate to help you extend the C drive space.

So, which Windows disk management tools do you choose? Disk management makes it more difficult to expand the drive space if there's no unallocated space in the partition. In this situation, Partition Master is easier to use and proves quite helpful.

Method 1. Use Partition Master Tool - Easiest

tools Partition Master Free is an excellent partition manager that can expand C drive space without data loss. It enables you to manage, rearrange, and merge two adjacent partitions to create a new, larger one. With tools Partition Master, disk partitioning becomes more flexible.

It even works to extend your system volume without unallocated space. Follow the steps here to extend the Windows 11 C drive now:

Step 1: Free up unallocated space for C drive.

If there is no unallocated space on the system disk, go to Partition Manager and right-click on a partition next to the C: drive and select "Resize/Move". Drag the left panel of the partition to shrink and create unallocated space behind the system C: drive, then click "OK".

Step 2: Increase C drive space.

1. Right-click on the C: drive and select "Resize/Move".

2. Drag the end of the system partition into the unallocated space to extend C: drive and click “OK”.

Step 3: Keep all the changes to extend C: drive.

Click "Execute Task" and then "Apply" to save all changes and extend the system C: drive.

Whether you're a beginner or an advanced user, you can safely manage partitions with a reliable partition manager tool. It offers full support for all Windows operating systems, including Windows 11, and surpasses the limitations of Windows' native disk management capabilities.

If you find this method easy and effective to extend the C drive, please share this solution online to help more friends around you:

It also supports more advanced functions, including:

Create bootable discs or USBs for managing disk drives. Modify partitions' system files dynamically, etc. Migrate the operating system to SSD/HDD without reinstallation. It also enables you to merge partitions effortlessly.

Most importantly, the user interface of the disk partition manager tool is tailored specifically for everyday users, making all operations super user-friendly. There are no limits on the number of partitions you can create for data storage, and it lets you make disk partitions of pretty much any size you need.

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Method 2: Using Disk Management

The methods for using Disk Management to increase the C drive space with or without unallocated space may vary. First, check if you have unallocated space adjacent to the C drive. Then, follow the respective guide to extend your C drive's capacity:

#1. Expand C Drive with Unallocated Space

If you find unallocated space on your drive, follow the below steps:

Step 1. Press Windows + X and select "Disk Management" from the list.

Step 2. Right-click on the C drive, and select "Extend Volume".

Right-click the C drive and select "Extend Volume" in Windows 11.

Step 3. In the Extend Volume Wizard, click "Next".

Step 4. Select the available disk that contains the unallocated space you want to add to the C drive and click “Add”, then click “Next”.

Step 5. Click “Finish” to start extending the C drive space.

When the process finishes, close the Disk Management tool. The Disk Management tool has successfully expanded the C Drive space in Windows 11. Additionally, feel free to share this guide to assist more people in increasing their C drive space if it worked for you:

#2. Increase C Drive Space without Unallocated Space

Search for any unallocated space behind your system C: drive. If you don't find any unallocated space, follow these steps.

Step 1. Press the Windows + R keys and type diskmgmt.msc, then press Enter.

Step 2. Right-click on a neighboring partition next to the C drive and click on "Shrink Volume".

Click Shrink Volume in the right-click menu.

Step 3. Enter the amount of space (in MB) that you want to shrink for extending the C drive, and then click "Shrink" to proceed.

Step 4. Right-click on the C drive and select "Extend Volume."

Step 5. In the Extend Volume Wizard, click "Next" and select the amount of unallocated space you shrank from the D drive to add to the C drive.

Step 6. Click "Add", then click "Next", and click "Finish".

If you don't wish to delve into the details of this process and don't want to spend much time on it, I would suggest utilizing third-party software. You can employ tools like Partition Master to easily and securely manage partitions and create new ones without any prior knowledge of Windows 11.

Note: You can also use this method to expand other drives, such as D:.

Method 3: Use CMD

Diskpart is a valuable tool for extending the system C drive space. In the steps below, I'll show you how to use this utility to extend the C drive in Windows 11.

Note: Unlike the previous two methods mentioned above, this method is more suitable for advanced users only, so use it carefully.

#1. Extend C Drive When Unallocated Space is Available When you have unallocated space on your hard drive, it means that there's a portion of the disk that isn't assigned to any partition or volume. You can use this unallocated space to extend your C drive, provided it's adjacent to the C drive. Here's how: 1. **Open Disk Management**: Press `Win + X` and choose 'Disk Management' from the menu. 2. **Locate Unallocated Space**: Look for the unallocated space on the disk. It will be displayed in black and labeled as 'Unallocated'. 3. **Right-click C Drive**: Right-click on the C drive (usually labeled as 'OS (C:)') and select 'Extend Volume'. 4. **Follow the Wizard**: A simple wizard will guide you through the process. Just click 'Next' and confirm that you want to use all available unallocated space to extend the C drive. 5. **Complete the Process**: Click 'Finish' to apply the changes. If the unallocated space is not next to the C drive, you'll need to move or delete other partitions to make room. This can be more complicated and may involve data loss, so proceed with caution. Alternatively, consider using third-party disk management tools, which often provide more flexibility in managing partitions.

1. Press the Windows + R keys and type cmd, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run it as an administrator application.

Step 2. Type diskpart and press enter.

Now type the following commands and press Enter to run them.

Translate the following commands into English:
• list disk
• select disk 0 (replace the number 0 with the number of your system disk)
• list partition
• select partition 3 (replace the number 3 with the number corresponding to your system C drive letter)

Select the C drive primary partition:

Here are the translations of those language terms into English:
• extend
• exit

#2. Increasing C Drive Space When There Is No Unallocated Space

The Virtual Disk Service error typically occurs when attempting to extend a partitioned volume. This can happen due to insufficient space adjacent to a system drive, a nearly full system drive, or a corrupted disk partition.

Well, if you ever come across this issue where your C drive is filled with data and has no unallocated space behind it, you can still expand the C drive space in Windows 11 by following these steps:

Step 1. Press Windows + R, type cmd, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run it as an administrator.

Step 2. Type diskpart and press Enter.

Now type the following commands and press Enter to execute them.

Translate these commands into English:
• list disk
• select disk 0 (replace the number 0 with the letter of your system disk)
• list partition
• select partition n (replace the number n with the partition number you want to delete)

Select Partition

Here are the translations of the provided phrases into English:
• delete partition
• select partition n (replace n with your C: drive number)
• extend
• exit
These commands are typically used in disk management utilities for operating systems like Windows.

If you find this article helpful in learning how to extend the C drive in Windows 11, feel free to click the button below and share it with someone who might need it!

Why Do You Need to Expand C Drive Space in Windows 11

Why do I need to learn how to extend the C drive in Windows 11? A computer's internal hard drive is a storage device that offers substantial space for your crucial data. Typically, the C drive occupies the majority of the storage capacity on your system. After using your computer for several days, weeks, or months, there inevitably comes a time when you need to expand the C drive space, as you might have exhausted all available space, as demonstrated in the following scenario:

Also, if you want to install new apps or games on your machine, there could be a couple of requirements for additional C drive space, as shown here:

1) Low C disk drive space issue: To ensure your Windows 11 PC runs smoothly, you need sufficient free space on your computer's C drive. As you install more programs and data on the system partition, the C drive may eventually run out of space.

2) Slow Windows performance issue: When your computer's storage space is full, the hard drive may become fragmented, resulting in slow read and write speeds. This can even cause your computer to freeze when launching games or during startup.

A slow computer can be frustrating. How can you overcome this issue? Well, have you considered freeing up hard drive space? The most effective and immediate solution is to expand the volume space on the C drive. However, it's challenging for regular users to do this without the assistance of a professional partition expansion tool. If you're unsure how to resolve this problem, simply refer back to the above three methods and follow the respective guide to successfully enlarge your C drive in Windows 11.

Conclusion

Managing a smaller C drive on your Windows 11 system can be cumbersome. However, there's no need to purchase a new disk. You can simply expand one partition to create extra space for new files. This tutorial offers three comprehensive guides on how to extend the C drive in Windows 11.

To expand the C drive, you'll need to combine the unallocated space from other partitions with the C partition. However, if your Windows system doesn't have a third-party partition tool already installed, doing this manually can be tricky. In this situation, using a trustworthy third-party partition management tool is your best option.

It can help you allocate space from other partitions to the C drive without deleting them. You can also quickly expand the C drive even if the unallocated space is not adjacent to the drive.

Frequently Asked Questions About Extending C Drive in Windows 11

This page outlines 3 reliable methods to help both novices and professionals easily expand the C drive space on Windows 11. If you still have any uncertainties, follow along and find the solutions here:

1. How to expand the C drive in Windows 11?

Extending the C drive is a straightforward process. Here's a quick tip on how to extend the C drive in Windows 11:

1. Press the Windows Key + X and choose "Disk Management" from the menu. 2. In the Disk Management window, right-click on the C drive and select Extend Volume. 3. In the Extend Volume Wizard, click Next. 4. Select the unallocated space to add to the C drive and click Next. 5. Click Finish to complete the Extended Partition process.

**2. What happens when the C drive runs out of space?**

What happens when the C drive runs out of disk space? It can lead to disasters for the computer system, including the following issues:

Here are the translations of those phrases into English:
• Slow computer performance
• Slow disk file transfer
• Computer freezing or hanging
• Low disk space warning
• Failed file or software download

Aside from this, when your C drive partitions are full and running out of disk space, you will find it difficult to do anything on the computer. In the worst case, you may be unable to start Windows due to a lack of disk space. And then, how could we deal with it? Well, the first consideration should be extending the storage of the hard disk, while the second should be optimizing computer systems and removing unwanted files and folders on the C drive.

3. Can I extend the C drive if there is no unallocated or free space?

While using Windows 11, you might have observed that there is some compressed space adjacent to the C partition. You might be wondering if it's possible to utilize that partition to extend the C drive space on your laptop, even in the absence of unallocated space. The answer is yes, it is possible.

The recommended tools Partition Master, Disk Management, and Diskpart on this page can easily extend the C drive on your Windows 11 PC.

4. Why does my C drive get full so quickly on Windows 11?

There could be various reasons for your C drive to become full, and here's a list of common factors that might easily fill up the C drive in Windows 11:

Here are the translations for the given languages into English:
• Windows update backup: it automatically creates a backup of the system when there is a new update on the PC.
Translation: Windows update backup: it automatically generates a backup of the system whenever a new update is installed on the computer.
• Temporary files: Windows creates large temporary files that can occupy significant disk space.
Translation: Temporary files: Windows generates substantial temporary files which can take up a lot of storage space.
• Virus or malware infection.
Translation: Virus or malware infection.
• Recycle bin saves too many unnecessary files.
Translation: The Recycle Bin stores numerous pointless files.
• Browser download folders with software, applications, and games also consume the C drive space.
Translation: Browser download folders, containing software, apps, and games, also contribute to filling up the C drive space.