Here's What to Do With Unallocated Space on SSD After Cloning

Updated by

Linda 

Written by

Linda 

Updated on April 19, 2024

How to Utilize Unallocated Space After Cloning to a Larger HDD/SSD

If you have unallocated space right behind the cloned partition, then use Disk Management.

Translate the following text into English:
1. Right-click the nearest partition adjacent to the unallocated space.
2. Select "Extend Volume." In the pop-up window, you can drag the arrow to the end of the box. More information >>

About the Unallocated Space After Cloning

"I notice unallocated space after cloning a smaller HDD to a larger one. What's the issue here? I'm certain there wasn't any unallocated space on the source disk. Incidentally, I used a disk cloning tool for this process."

The issue of unallocated space after disk cloning is a common occurrence, regardless of the disk cloning software used. Consequently, inquiries about this unwanted unallocated space flood various computer forums. Users are often unsure about its origin and how to eliminate the seemingly useless empty space.

Firstly, unallocated space is never useless; it's a part of your hard drive and should be utilized effectively. The reason you have this unallocated space is likely due to using a sector-by-sector cloning function when cloning a hard disk or partition. For instance, tools like Todo Backup's disk clone feature enable you to clone system files and partition tables sector by sector, byte by byte, including any bad sectors if present. This results in an exact replica of the original drive, but also creates unallocated space in the process.

How to Utilize the Unallocated Space on SSD After Cloning

By simply converting the unallocated space to a storage drive partition, you can save yourself trouble and make full use of every byte on your cloned hard disk. In fact, if you're looking for user-friendly software to migrate your OS to an SSD/HDD or upgrade your hard drive from small to large or old to new, the Partition Master tool is an ideal choice! It supports editing the unallocated space after cloning by directly merging it with the adjacent partition.

Regardless of how you cloned the drive in the previous step, if you're still dealing with unallocated space, you can seek assistance from tools like Partition Master. First, download the free partition manager on your computer and follow these two options to address the issue:

Option 1: Create a Partition on Unallocated Space

Step 1. Launch tools Partition Master. On the main window, right-click on the unallocated space on your hard drive or external storage device and select "Create".

Step 2. Adjust the partition size, file system (choose the file system based on your needs), label, etc., then click "OK" to continue.

Step 3. Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button and create a new partition by clicking "Apply".

Watch the following video tutorial to learn how to create a partition on an NTFS, FAT, or EXT file system.

Here's the translation of the provided text into English:

Option 2: Add Unallocated Space to an Existing Partition

By extending the existing partition that is next to the unallocated space, you can add the unallocated space to your partition and subsequently utilize it. Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1. Select the partition next to the unallocated space, and choose "Resize/Move".

Step 2. Place the cursor on the partition and drag it left or right to move the unallocated space.

You can repeat Steps 1 and 2 to move the unallocated space to the desired location.

Step 3. Click "Execute Task" and "Apply", it will execute the operations to add the unallocated space into the target partition eventually.

Option 3. Add Unallocated Space to an Existing Partition with Disk Management

Step 1. Right-click on "This PC"/"My Computer" and choose "Manage", then enter "Device Manager" and click "Disk Management".

Step 2. Right-click on the target partition and select "Extend Volume".

Step 3. Click "Next" to proceed, add the unallocated space to extend the target partition. Click "Next" and "Finish" to complete.

The alternative way is to create a new simple volume with the unused space. Right-click the space, and select "New Simple Volume". The rest is just following the wizard.