How to Fix "Diskpart Extend Volume Failed" [3 Effective Solutions]

Updated by

Linda 

Authored by

Sherly 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

Are you looking for ways to fix the "Cannot Extend Volume" error? We've got you covered! In this article, we'll delve into why you might encounter the issue of a disk partition not being able to extend its volume and present to you three effective methods to resolve it. But before diving into the solutions, let's first understand more about this pesky error. So, let's begin with what the "Cannot Extend Volume" error actually is.

What is the "Diskpart cannot extend volume" error?

Some users are used to extending volumes with the Diskpart.exe utility, especially some computer geeks. It is a text-mode command-line interface that supports managing and configuring storage objects like disks, partitions, or volumes directly from scripts, remote sessions, or the Command Prompt.

However, in some cases, you may receive an error message like "The selected volume cannot be extended. Select another volume and try again." when you run the "extend" command on the chosen volume. Why can't DiskPart extend the volume? How to fix it? Don't worry, you can find the answers in the content below.

Also, you might encounter this error while using Disk Management, so we prepared a link to help you fix this issue:

What causes the "Diskpart failed to extend volume" error?

It can be frustrating when you attempt to extend a volume using Diskpart but encounter an error. So, what could be the exact reason behind this issue? Let's delve into it.

There are two reasons why you might not be able to extend a volume using DiskPart:

• Selected volume is not NTFS: Diskpart can only extend NTFS volumes, so if you select a volume that is formatted as FAT, this error will occur.
• Insufficient space: This error can also happen if there's no unallocated space adjacent to the target partition.

All in all, the failure to extend mainly lies in the limitations of the DiskPart command line. So, is there any way to get around this issue? Of course, let's check it out!

How to Fix "Diskpart Extend Volume Failed" Error - 3 Effective Ways

Now that we have figured out the causes, it's time to fix the “Diskpart unable to extend volume” error based on the above reasons. In this part, there are 3 effective methods to solve the “Diskpart unable to extend volume” issue. Let's start with the first method, where you can get a professional tool to extend the volume.

Method 1: Extend Volume with Partition Master

AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is an ideal alternative to Diskpart as it allows you to extend partition with just simple clicks. In addition, it does not require any command, so you will like it if you are not familiar with command lines for it is easier to use than Diskpart. Now, download AOMEI Partition Assistant and follow the steps below.

Step 1: Locate the target partition

Launch the partition manager, find the target partition and select “Resize/Move”.

Step 2: Extend the Target Partition

Drag the partition panel left or right to add unallocated space to the current partition, and then click “OK” to confirm.

Select another disk to allocate space from

Extra option: Get space from another drive

If there isn't enough unallocated space, right-click a large partition with enough room and select “Allocate Space.”

Then, in the “Allocate to” section, select the partition you want to expand.

Get space from another drive

Step 3: Perform the operation to extend the partition

Drag the partition you want to resize to the “Unallocated” space, and then click “OK”.

Click the Run Task button, and then click Apply to save all changes.

You should now have expanded your partition without having to enter any commands. Fortunately, the partition tool has many other tricks up its sleeve; read on to learn about them.

What else can AOMEI Partition Assistant do?

As a professional and multifunctional disk management tool, Partition Master features many functions, such as:

• Merge partitions
• Fix "low disk space on C:" error
• Convert NTFS to FAT32 or vice versa
• Extend system drive with another hard drive
• Move partition to make them adjacent
• Move unallocated space to C: or other drives

Thus, if you come across tricky disk problems, don't hesitate to download Partition Master for help.

Method 2: Convert FAT32 to NTFS Before You Extend

If the volume you want to extend is formatted as FAT32, you can convert it to NTFS, which will not destroy data in the partition. After that, you should be able to successfully extend the volume with DiskPart.

Step 1: Find the target drive letter.

Step 2. Press the Windows logo key + R to open the Run dialog box.

Step 3: Type cmd to open the Command Prompt.

Step 4: Type help convert, and press Enter.

That's all there is to converting a FAT volume to NTFS.

Step 5: Type convert drive: /fs:ntfs

Step 6: Once the conversion is complete, type "exit".

The target device's file system is now NTFS, so you can view and use the data on the drive again.

Method 3: Delete the volume behind the target partition

If there is no unallocated space available next to it, you can delete the partition on the right of the volume you want to extend. If you want to expand C drive, you can delete D drive first to get contiguous unallocated space, and then use DiskPart command line to extend the volume.

Step 1: Press the Windows key and R at the same time, then type “diskpart” to open it.

Step 2: After entering each of the following lines, press the 'Enter' key.

"List disks"

Select disk n (replace n with the correct drive letter)

List partitioning

Select partition x (replace x with the number of the partition you want to delete)

Delete Partition

Then, you can proceed to delete the target partition. By the way, if you're interested in other ways to delete a partition, check out this link:

Conclusions

After reading this article, you'll know what to do when you can't extend volume with DiskPart in Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista. This article offers you three effective solutions, obviously, eMyPartitionMaster provides you the most efficient and easiest way to extend volume. If you have other related issues, please keep on reading the next part.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on "Diskpart Extend Volume Failed"

In this article, we have elaborated on the "Diskpart unable to extend volume" issue. Here, we have enlisted some questions related to today's topic, hoping they will be of help to you.

Why can't I extend the disk partition?

That could be for any number of reasons, such as:

• There is not enough unallocated space on the hard disk. • There is no contiguous free space or unallocated space after the target partition. • Windows can extend only Raw or NTFS partitions.

2. How to extend a volume in Diskpart?

Press "Win+R," type "diskpart," and press Enter to open it.

Then, for each of the following commands, type it and press “Enter”:

• list disk
• select disk 1 (1 signifies the disk number)
• list partition
• select partition 2 (2 is the number of the target partition)
• extend size=1024 (1024 denotes the size of the target partition in MB)

How do I extend a volume using unallocated space?

You can use Disk Management, disk partitioning, or third-party software to help extend the volume with unallocated space. However, if you're not very computer-savvy, a third-party tool like Partition Master is a better choice. It will guide you through the process of allocating unassigned space easily.