Resize partitions in Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit)

Updated by

Tracy King 

Written by

Linda 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

Windows 7 is the operating system of Microsoft. Are you going to install Windows 7 now, or just migrate to Windows 7 for a dual-boot system? Have you prepared a free partition manager tool to make disk partitions for better performance in Windows 7? For example, to create a new partition for installing Windows 7, or to extend the whole system partition for a smoothly-running Windows 7, and so on. By the way, you can also create a Windows 7 dual boot with Windows XP or Vista.

Can the built-in disk management tool resize partitions in Windows 7?

Yes, you can resize partitions in Windows 7 with Disk Management if there is enough free space on the system partition. Right-click the partition you want to shrink or expand, and choose “Shrink Volume” or “Extend Volume” from the pop-up menu. You can set the size you want. However, shrinking or extending volumes to create unallocated space on the hard drive and create new partitions in Windows 7 still has many limitations just like Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. (See the comparison table below.)

So, when you run out of space on your system partition (as shown below, where the partition is red), some advanced disk partition management features in Windows 7 become unavailable:

In this case, people have to search for the best disk partition magic for Windows 7 32 bit and 64 bit as well as Windows 8. Partition Master is a comprehensive free hard disk partition manager which is an optimization software for Windows-based system and works well with Windows 7 32 bit and 64 bit.

# MiniTool Partition Wizard vs. Built-in Windows 7 Disk Management

Actually, the only shortcoming of Disk Management in Windows 7 or any other built-in disk management tool in Windows systems is its inability to resize partition, which is the reason why we need Partition Magic for Windows 7. The following content will show you how to resize partition in Windows 7.

Above are the main differences between the Disk Management in Windows 7 and AOMEI Partition Assistant. You can view more details about it.

How to resize partitions in Windows 7 using a free partition manager?

Here are two solutions to perform disk partitioning in Windows 7 using free partition management tools.

Solution 1: Use Windows 7 Disk Management

AOMEI Partition Assistant runs smoothly on both Windows 7 and Windows 8. It lets you repartition a hard drive, extend system partition, create, delete, resize/move, copy, merge, split, or format partitions, and even migrate an operating system to SSD or HDD.

Follow these steps to resize partitions in Windows 7 and Windows 8 with just a few clicks.

Step 1: Shrink the partition to free up space for the expansion.

If there is enough unallocated space on the hard drive to extend the target partition, proceed to Step 2. If not, free up some space first:

In the "Disk Management" section, right-click on a partition next to the target one, and select "Resize/Move Volume." Drag the partition boundary to free up space, leaving enough unallocated space behind the target partition, then click "OK."

Step 2: Extend the target partition.

Right-click on the partition you want to extend and select "Resize/Move."

Drag the target partition handle to the unallocated space to extend the partition.

Step 3: Save all changes.

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

Solution 2: Manage Windows 7 Partition with Bootable CD/DVD

Another secure way to manage Windows 7 partition is to create a bootable disk for partition software. When your OS crashes, you can turn to Method 2 to partition hard drive in Windows 7. Some partition tools, like tools Partition Master Professional Edition and its later versions, enable you to make WinPE bootable disk to perform advanced disk partition management before Windows 7 starts.

Step 1. To create a bootable utility disk, you'll need a media storage device such as a USB drive, flash drive, or a CD/DVD. Connect the drive to your computer properly.

Step 2: Launch Partition Master and then find the “Bootable Media” feature on the left side. Click it.

Step 3: If you have a drive available, you can choose USB or CD/DVD. If you don't have a blank drive, you can also save the ISO file to your hard disk and burn it to media later. Click "Create" after you've made your selection to begin the creation process.

• Read the warning message and click Yes.

Step 4: When it's done, you'll be asked if you want to restart your computer from the bootable USB drive.

• Restart Now: You want to restart your computer immediately, bypassing the operating system and booting directly from the disk partition management tool on the media.
• Finish: You do not want to restart your computer right now, but instead want to use the bootable USB drive on a different computer.

Note: To use the bootable disk on a new computer, you'll need to restart the target machine and press F2/F8/Del to enter BIOS, then set the USB bootable disk as the first boot device.

Wait patiently, your computer will automatically boot from the USB boot media and load into the WinPE desktop.

You have created a Partition Master WinPE boot disk. When your computer fails to start up normally, you can use this boot disk to adjust the partitions in Windows 7.

If you have RAID disks, you can load the RAID driver through the "Add Driver" option in the menu bar first. This allows you to add drivers for your device in the WinPE environment. Certain specific devices, like RAID or some special hard drives, won't be recognized in a WinPE environment without the proper drivers installed. (You can even achieve a dual-boot setup with Windows 7 and Windows 8, or manage partitions using Partition Master Free before booting into Windows 7.)

Aside from disk partition management, Partition Master also offers other features such as the Partition Recovery Wizard to recover deleted or lost partitions and the Disk Copy and Partition Copy Wizard for upgrading or backing up disks. The software also supports other Windows operating systems and functions well as a Linux Partition Manager without any issues.

One highlight of Partition Master is that although both the Professional and Server editions are licensed per physical machine, they can also be installed on all virtual machines on that computer. Very cool. So don't hesitate; download Partition Wizard for Windows 7 now.