How to merge two local drives. How to partition a hard drive into partitions and merge them back. Combining multiple sections into one

Instruction

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Install the program and restart your computer. This will give the program full access to the sections of your hard . Run the program and select any of the possible modes. Select "Merge Sections".

Sources:

Often, users need to combine several hard drives into one array, for which RAID technology is used. Setting up a RAID array on most modern motherboards is available to any user and will not cause significant difficulties.

Instruction

Go to the "SATA Configuration" section.

Set "Configure SATA as" to "RAID".

Related videos

note

Start - Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Computer Management - Disk Management. Delete unnecessary partitions and create one big one. format.

Helpful advice

The Acronis Disk Director Suite program will help with this, which can not only partition a hard disk, but also combine several partitions into one.

When buying a computer or an additional one, you need to format and make partitions. When you are not satisfied with the partitioning of your hard drive, you can repeat this operation again.

You will need

• Acronis Disk Director Suite software.

Instruction

Before starting this operation on partitions, it is necessary to close all that, during their work, can access the hard. Run the program and select the drive you want to merge. Right-click on the icon and select Merge.

Select this folder and click OK.

In the main window of the program, click the menu "Operations" - "Run".

In the window that appears, click the "Proceed" button.

The entire merging process takes place in MS-DOS mode, i. a restart of the operating system is required. In the Warning window that opens, click the Reboot button.

Related videos

note

The Acronis Disk Director Suite program will help you with this, which is designed to perform non-standard operations with partitions (for example, with C:, D:, E: drives, etc.). One of its functions is to merge hard disk partitions.

Helpful advice

Right-click on "My Computer". Management - disk management, first remove drive D. And then increase the size of drive C by the volume that was freed from removing drive D. If you have Windows XP, then you need a program.

Sources:

• merging sections in 2018

Hard drives are one of the most used parts in a computer. They often break, burn out or simply stop working. Most often, we do not pay attention to the presence or absence of partitions on the hard drive. But what if you need 1-2 partitions, and there are more of them on your hard drive? To do this, you need to merge partitions on your hard drive. It is best to do this with special programs, and not with regular means of operating systems.

You will need

• Work PC or Laptop
• Paragon Partition Magic

Instruction

To increase the speed of the process of connecting partitions, you need to properly clean them from and them. Ideally, all areas involved in gluing should be empty. So if you have the opportunity, copy all the important files to other media and format the ones you need. Note: this is not possible, but the process will take much longer (up to 10 hours).

Download and install a program called Paragon Partition Magic. It is advisable to use a version not lower than the eighth. Run the program and go to the tabs "Wizards" - "Additional functions" - "Combining sections". Now, following the instructions attached to each step of the program, select the sections you need and click "next". Note: the program can only perform this operation with format partitions (Fat32, Fat or NTFS). In case the partition formats differ, some of them will have to, even if you do not want to. After completing the plan creation stage, click on the “apply the intended changes” checkbox. After a while, yours will reboot.

After the reboot, do not press any keys until the system itself asks you to take part in the process. For some time (1-10 hours), the program will be in DOS, after which the computer will reboot, and the process of connecting hard disk partitions disk will be completed.

note

Double-check that you have the necessary files before formatting partitions.

Helpful advice

When working with a laptop, be sure to connect it to the charger without removing the battery for the entire process.

Often, personal computer users have to split a hard drive into two or more. However, there is also a need to combine them.

Instruction

To perform operations with hard drives, there is called Partition Magic. It allows you not only to merge hard disks, but also to change their size, etc. In general, this program is for disks, it can also resize partitions with the NTFS and FAT file systems and can transfer to others.

If the data disk (this is usually drive D) is not for you and the information on it can be deleted, then format it and delete it, and then using the above programs, simply increase the size of the system disk. In this case, data is not lost, only it’s better, otherwise everything will become completely incomprehensible.

To keep your computer healthy, format both drives and reinstall Windows right away.

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Helpful advice

You can merge disks, but still, if possible, refrain from the procedure - it will be easier for the system if one disk is local, and the other one stores information.

Few people can be surprised by a hard drive divided into several sections. This is a completely natural state of many computers. In addition to the banal convenience, this method helps to avoid a lot of problems associated with data recovery after a system failure. But few people know about the reverse process - the connection of partitions on a hard disk.

You will need

• Paragon Partition Magic

Instruction

Run the program in Power User Mode. Right-click on one of the sections you plan to merge. Click on "Combine Sections" or "Quick Sections". Select the second section to be connected.

After completing all operations with partitions, click the "Apply" button and wait. Please note that if the file partitions you selected differ from each other, then one of them will have to be formatted. To speed up the process of partitions, it is recommended to format them. Ideally, they should not contain files and directories of the same name.

The bulk of advanced computer and laptop users prefer to share hard And into sections. This operation allows you to provide additional convenience when searching for the necessary information on your computer, as well as to avoid losing important data when reinstalling the operating system. It is recommended to create at least two partitions on the hard drive, one of which will install the OS. But sometimes it becomes necessary to merge partitions on a hard drive.

You will need

• Windows 7 installation disc
• Paragon Partition Magic

Instruction

The easiest way to connect broken local ones into a single whole is during the installation of the Windows 7 operating system. Turn it on and press Del to enter the BIOS. Find the Boot Device Priority item and set your optical one to the first place. Insert the Windows Seven installation disc into it and restart your computer.

Repeat the above operation with the rest of the partitions you want to merge. Click "Create", specify the size of the future partition and click "Apply". Continue installing the operating system. Note: all information from sections will be deleted.

If you have no desire to reinstall the operating system, or you need to save important ones on partitions after they are connected, then use the Paragon Partition Magic program. You can download it from this site: http://www.paragon.ru/home/pm-professional/.

Specify the section or sections to which you want to join the first area. Do not select "Format" and "Change file system". Click Apply.

Sources:

• how to merge hard drive partitions windows 7

Split hard drive sections can be for different purposes, such as for security, for convenience, or when installing multiple operating systems on your computer. However, if necessary, you can always use the already existing parts of the disk into a single whole, and both processes will not cause much difficulty, the main thing is to protect data from loss and follow the instructions clearly.

You will need

• PC, Acronis Disk Director Suite

Instruction

Acronis Disk Director Suite is used to merge (partition) computer hard disk partitions. The program has a simple, intuitive interface and is designed to perform non-standard operations with disk partitions that are performed manually.

Install Acronis Disk Director Suite on your computer, save all open documents and close all running programs. Launch Acronis Disk Director Suite.

Select the partition (disk) that you want to merge with another with the mouse and select the menu item "Disk" - "Merge".

In the window that appears, select the partition (disk) with which you want to merge the previously selected one with the mouse. Click the "Next" button and wait while the program checks and locks partitions (disks).

In the window that appears, select or create a new folder where you will place the merged partition. Click the "OK" button, and after executing the command, exit the program.

Restart your computer. During the reboot, the Acronis Disk Director Suite window will appear. Be sure to wait until the job is completed and all necessary operations are completed. It may take some time.

Divide and merge sections(disks) is also possible with the help of other programs, for example, Partition Magic. However, Acronis Disk Director Suite is the most convenient for beginners.

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The capacity of hard drives mass-produced by modern industry is constantly growing. The amount of data stored by users on their personal computers is growing. Accordingly, views on the capacity parameters of storage devices that are acceptable for comfortable work are also changing. So, when adding a new drive to a computer, it is often decided to connect logical discs on an old hard drive to get one, but more capacious storage space.

You will need

• - Administrator rights in Windows.

Instruction

Copy valuable data from merged logical drives. Create temporary folders on the drive that will not be merged. Use the capabilities of a file manager or explorer. Copy or move the data you want to keep from the drives you are merging to temporary folders.

Open the management section. If necessary, expand the "Manage (local)" branch of the list located on the right side of the window. Expand the "Storage Devices" branch. Select "Disk Management". The disk manager interface will be displayed.

Remove the merged logical . In the list of disk drives, find the one that contains the logical discs to be connected. Right-click on the area corresponding to one of the disks. In the context menu, select "Remove Disk...". A warning window will appear. Click the "Yes" button. Perform a similar operation with all the disks to be combined.

Start the process of creating a new logical on the freed space. Right-click on the area labeled "Free". In the context menu, select "Create logical drive...". The Partition Wizard will be displayed.

Create a logical drive. In the Partitioning Wizard, click Next four times. Select , under which the disk being created will be displayed. Click next. Specify options. Click the "Next" button again and wait for the formatting process to finish. Click Finish.

Make sure the disk is correctly created. It should show up in Disk Manager. Its status should be "Healthy".

Transfer the data to the created disk. If necessary, transfer the data saved in temporary folders to a new drive. As before, use the capabilities of the file manager or explorer.

note

Only adjacent logical drives can be connected.

Helpful advice

Check the box "Quick Format" when creating a disk, if you are sure that the drive is in full working order. This will greatly reduce the formatting time.

One physical hard drive can be divided into several logical ones and vice versa. To carry out this operation, there are many utilities, one of which is Acronis Disk Director.

Instruction

Install Acronis Disk Director on your computer. The installation process is intuitive and does not require any specific . Reboot your computer after installation is complete, then launch Disk Director and select manual mode.

If you have data on these disks that you would like to keep, then focus all the necessary on the partition on which you have the operating system, since its work is necessary to complete this task of combining two local drives.

After you have saved all the necessary files on one of the partitions, delete the other partition. To do this, in the program window, right-click on this section in the list and select the "Delete" command in the context menu that opens. Thus, the so-called unallocated area was formed in the hard disk memory.

Now right-click on the partition that you have left with the files, and select the "Resize" command from the context menu.

Drag the right border of the allocated disk space with the mouse to the right edge of the strip. This will add the unallocated memory to the allocated memory, causing the program to schedule the merge operation.

The finisher icon is activated on the toolbar. Click on it to perform the merge operation. The program will require you to restart your computer. Confirm it in the corresponding dialog box. When booting, complete this task and your two local drives will be merged into one.

Related videos

You can merge a couple of sections in several ways. Some require special programs, others can be done during the installation of the operating system.

You will need

• Partition manager.

Instruction

Let's first consider connecting several local drives into one using the Windows Seven operating system. Start the installation process of this OS in the standard way. Insert a disk, turn on the computer, select your disk drive as the default boot device. Select the installation language and operating system version.

A menu will appear on the screen with a list of local drives on which you need to install the OS. Click the Disk Setup button. Select one of the partitions to merge and click the "Delete" button. Do the same for the second disc. Now click the "Create" button. Select the type of file system for the future disk (NTFS or FAT32), set the maximum possible size for it.

Despite the simplicity of operations, this method has one significant drawback - information from both merged partitions will be deleted. To avoid this, use a special utility.

Download and install the Partition Manager program. Choose the version that best suits your operating system. It is easy to find most versions of the program on the Internet.

Run the program and turn on the power user mode. Open the "Wizards" tab located on the toolbar of the program. Select the item "Additional actions" and click on the sub-item "Merge sections".

Select several local drives (at least two) that you want to merge into one. Click "Next". On the main toolbar, find the "Apply" button and click it.

If one of the connected partitions is a system partition, then the program should continue to work in DOS mode after a reboot.

note

Changing hard disk partitions in Windows 7. Reducing the main partition. When shrinking a partition, all simple files are automatically moved to another area of ​​the disk to free up additional space. There is no need to format the drive to shrink the partition. Note: If the partition is an unformatted partition (that is, without any file system) containing data (for example, a database file), then compressing the partition may cause the data to be destroyed.

Sources:

• how to merge volumes of one disk on a computer

A hard drive divided into several sections is not always convenient to use, and many have to combine logical drives, creating one from two. It will not be difficult to complete this task.

Instruction

It should be noted right away that the standard means of the Windows operating system combine two logical disk will fail, so you will have to use third-party software. You can use the free demo version of the Acronis Disc Director program, which you can download on the official website or on any Runet soft portal.

After downloading and installing on your computer, run the program. You will see the partitions of your hard drive. Click on one of them in the menu on the left, select the "merge volume" command.

In the new dialog box, check the box for the second section and click OK.

You will see the Apply Pending Operations button on the top bar change color. Click on it to apply your changes.

The program will need to restart the computer to merge the selected logical drives. During the reboot, a procedure will be performed, which can take a long time if the disks are large and have many files written to them.

To change the current state of the hard A there are several ways. Even for a simple merging of several sections into one area, you can not use any additional utilities.

You will need

• Partition manager.

Instruction

Open the item "Management disk mi". Highlight one of the sections of the hard disk, which will participate in the connection process. Right-click on it and select "Delete Volume".

Repeat the above operation for the second section. Now click the "Create Volume" button. Specify the file system format and the size of the future partition. Please note that this operation cannot be performed with the system partition. All files on both disk x will be removed.

If you need to perform this operation without data, or the system disk will be involved in the merging process, then use a special utility. Download Paragon Partition Manager.

Install this application on your computer and restart your operating system. Start Partition Manager. Activate the "Experienced User Mode" item.

Open the "Wizards" tab located on the toolbar of the program. Go to the menu "Additional functions" and click on the item "Merge sections".

A window will appear warning you that you are merging a non-system partition with a system one. Click the "Yes" button to continue. A window will open showing the status of the hard drive partitions. disk before and after the merger. Click "Next".

Click the Done button to apply the settings. To start the partition merging process, click the Apply Pending Changes button.

note

The computer will continue to perform this operation after rebooting in DOS mode.

In that situation, when there is no need to use several local disks, they are combined into one common partition. Several methods can be used to accomplish this task.

You will need

• - Partition Manager;
• - Installation CD Vista or Seven.

Instruction

If you do not need to reinstall the operating system, then use a special utility. Download Partition Manager from Paragon.

Install the downloaded application and restart your computer. Start Partition Manager. Turn on Power User Mode. Find the "Wizards" menu located on the main toolbar and open it.

Open the "Additional functions" submenu and select the "Combine sections" item. Click "Next".

Specify the first section involved in the merge process. Note that the new partition will have the same letter as the first selected partition. Click "Next". Specify the second partition to merge.

If you have specified the correct settings, then click the "Next" button. In the next window, click the "Finish" button to exit the Partition Connection Wizard.

Find the Apply Pending Changes button in the Virtual Operations panel. Click it to start the partition merging process.

If you need to merge existing partitions while reinstalling the operating system, then this operation can be done using discs with Windows Vista and Seven operating systems. Start installing the new operating system.

When a window with a list of partitions appears on the screen, click the "Disk Setup" button. Select any of the partitions to be merged and click the "Delete" button. Repeat this step for the second section.

Click the "Create" button. Specify the size of the future partition. Select its file system type. Continue installing the operating system on one of the existing partitions.

note

When you merge disks during the installation of the operating system, all information will be deleted from them.

It has long been said that how many people - so many opinions. Some are satisfied when on a hard e just one section and you can dump all the information in a heap. Others are used to organizing data, and their hard drive is divided accordingly: into the system, games, videos, music, etc. But how to divide a hard drive into logical ones, we will now find out.

Instruction

If the hard drive is new, then you can divide it into partitions already during the installation of the operating system. Choose the disk on which to install the system, set the size of the logical disk. Divide the rest in the same way.

If the system is already installed and you need to partition the data disk, then you will need some program to work with disk partitions. You can find such a program on the Internet. Most of them have the same features and only slightly differ in functionality. In addition, they can also differ in that some of them are free, while others will have to be paid for using.

Take some free software. For example EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition. You can download it from the manufacturer's website http://www.partition-tool.com/download.htm. Install the program following its instructions.

Run the program and click the Go to main screen button. You will be presented with a screen that lists all of your hard drives. First of all, reduce the size of the main partition of the drive you want to partition. To do this, right-click on it and select Resize/Move Partition. In the Partition size line, set the new size of the first disk partition and click OK. Now right-click on the one that appears and select Create partition. Specify the size of the new logical disk or select the entire area if you want to give all available space to the partition. Write the disk name in the Partition Label line. When finished, click OK.

Once again, make sure that you did everything correctly and click Apply in the upper left corner of the screen. After the program finishes its work, restart the computer if necessary.

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When it becomes necessary to combine local disks into one partition, it is recommended to use special programs. But this process can be done in another way.

You will need

• - Partition manager.

Instruction

Try to connect volumes hard disk during the installation of the Windows Seven operating system. Start this process by inserting the disc into your DVD drive and restarting your computer. Continue to follow the step-by-step menu until a list of partitions available for installation appears.

Now click the "Settings" button disk» and select one of the partitions that will participate in the process of merging volumes. Click the "Delete" button. Repeat this procedure for the rest of the sections. disk. Now click the "Create" button. Specify the size of the future volumes. It is obtained by adding the sizes of the deleted partitions. Select a file system type.

Continue the OS installation process on one of the prepared partitions. The disadvantage of this method is that all volumes will be formatted during the connection process. If you need to save files, then download and install the Partition Manager program.

Now find the "Wizards" tab on the toolbar and open it. Go to the "Additional functions" menu and in the expanded submenu select the "Combine sections" item.

Click the "Next" button, after checking the box next to the "Advanced User Mode" item. Now select the section to which you will attach additional volumes. Click "Next". Now specify one section that you will merge with the one you selected earlier. Please note that the program allows you to connect only 2 partitions in one step. Click "Next".

Find and click the "Apply Pending Changes" button. Wait for the volume merge process to complete.

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Logical disks are divided into sectors, each of which is formatted separately. Often, people also need an operation to combine sectors to perform work in their usual mode. Unfortunately, the list of standard Windows programs does not include utilities for performing hard disk partitioning. disk and combining its sections, therefore, for these purposes, it is still necessary to use programs from other manufacturers.

You will need

• - a program for dividing a hard disk into sectors, for example, Acronis Disc Director.

Instruction

Download Acronis Disc Director from the manufacturer's official website. Perform the installation by following the instructions of the installation wizard.

Save all important data.

Run the program. In the window that opens, you will see all the available partitions of your hard drive. disk, select them, and click the Merge Volume command in the menu on the left. In this case, all existing logical drives will turn into one.

In the new window that appears, check the second section. When you see the Apply Pending Operations button on the top bar of the window change color, click on it to perform the action.

Reboot the system as requested by the program.

If it was not possible to merge partitions in the way described above, try the method of increasing the partition. To do this, save all data from the logical disk, which you will have to remove later. If programs were previously installed on it, then, accordingly, reinstall them, since copying the installation files will not give you any results - when transferred, they will already have a different address.

Through the menu of the Acronis program, delete the section that does not contain the information you need. In this case, an unallocated area is formed in the size of the former logical disk remember this number. If you need to merge more than two disks, repeat the operation for the remaining partitions, also remembering that when you delete them, the files will not be saved.

Use the same menu to increase the size of the logical disk by the amount of freed space (it will be displayed as unallocated area disk). If more than one partition has been deleted before, then increase the value by an amount equal to the sum of the sizes of the former logical disks. Restart your computer.

note

Be careful when specifying volumes: they are written in bytes.

Helpful advice

Just in case, back up important data from your entire computer and write it to a removable drive.

There are several ways to connect hard disk partitions. Sometimes this process can be carried out even before installing the operating system, in other situations additional programs are required.

You will need

• - Partition manager.

Instruction

If you are installing the Windows Seven or Vista operating system, then merge the partitions during this procedure. Remember that all information stored on the merged partitions will be destroyed. Turn on the computer and open the BIOS menu. To do this, press the Delete button at the beginning of the PC boot.

Go to the Boot Device Priority menu and select Internal DVD-ROM as the first device in the list. Open the DVD drive and insert the Windows installation disc into it. Press the F10 button to save the BIOS menu settings and restart the computer.

Now wait until the operating system installation menu reaches the selection of the local partition. Click the Disk Setup button. Select one of the sections that you want to merge with the rest. Click the "Delete" button. Delete the rest of the partitions you want. Now click the "Create" button. Set the size of the future local disk and select the type of its file system. Format the new partition. Select a local drive and continue with the operating system installation. Naturally, format the partition on which you are installing the OS.

When it becomes necessary to merge partitions after installing the operating system, it is recommended to use the Partition Manager program. Download the version of this utility suitable for your OS and install it. Restart your computer.

Launch Partition Manager and select "Advanced Mode". Open the "Wizards" menu and go to the "Additional Functions" submenu. Select "partitions". Select the disk partition to which you will attach the rest of the partitions. Note that its letter will be assigned to the destination local drive. Click "Next". Select the section you want to join to the previous one. Specify the name of the folder where all data stored on the second disk will be saved.

Related videos

Sources:

• how to merge hard drive in vista

If you need to merge several local drives into one, then there are several proven methods at your disposal. Some of them relate to options for merging partitions before installing the operating system.

You will need

• - Partition Manager;
• - Windows Seven installation disk.

Instruction

The installation programs for Windows Seven and Vista operating systems have been significantly improved in comparison with Windows XP. One of the useful features is the ability to fully configure the status of hard drives. Turn on the computer after inserting the installation disk of Windows Vista or Seven. Hold the F8 key and select DVD-Rom from the menu that opens.

Now start installing the new operating system. When a menu opens prompting you to select the partition on which the OS will be installed, click the "Disk Setup" button. This is required to open advanced settings options. Highlight the section that you want to merge with others with the left mouse button and click the "Delete" button. Please note that all information stored on this partition will be lost.

Carry out the procedure for deleting the remaining hard disk partitions that you need into one volume. Now click the "Create" button, specify the maximum possible size of the new local disk and select the format of its file system. Click the "Apply" button. The new volume will now appear in the list of partitions. Click the Format button to skip this procedure after installing the operating system.

It is possible to merge partitions without having to reinstall the operating system. Download the Partition Manager program and install it. Restart your computer. Run this utility. Go to the "Wizards" menu and select the "Combine Sections" item located in the "Additional Functions" submenu.

Select the partition to which you will attach the remaining local drives. Note that the final volume will be assigned the letter of that section. Click the "Next" button and select the section to be attached to the previous one. Note that these partitions must have an identical file system. Otherwise, the attached disk will have to be formatted. Finish preparing the sections. Click the "Apply Pending Changes" button and wait for the program to complete.

Related videos

There are many methods for combining hard disk partitions into a single whole. Unfortunately, many of them are successfully performed only with a full formatting of the hard drive.

You will need

• - Partition manager.

Instruction

If you need to keep the information stored on local drives after merging them, then use the Paragon Partition Manager utility. Download the version of this program that will work with the operating system installed on your computer. Restart your computer so that the program collects the necessary information about the hard drives.

Launch Partition Manager and wait for it to finish downloading. Find the "Wizards" tab located above the toolbar and open it. Go to the "Additional functions" submenu and select the "Combine sections" item. Click the "Next" button in the menu that opens.

Now select the partition to which you will attach another local drive. The shared volume will receive the drive letter of that particular partition. Specify the folder where you want to save all the data on the second local drive. Now select the section that you want to attach to the previous one. Remember that if an operating system is installed on this hard disk, then the first partition must always be the system volume. Otherwise, the OS will stop loading because the drive letter will change. Click the "Next" button after selecting the partition to join.

Look at the visual display of future changes and click the "Next" button if you have set all the parameters correctly. Now just click the "Done" button. Find the Apply Pending Changes button on the toolbar and click it. After a while, a window with additional information will appear. Click the "Restart now" button. The program will continue the partition merging process in DOS mode.

Repeat this algorithm to attach the remaining local drives to the system volume. In one approach, you can connect only two sections.

Some computer manufacturers divide hard drives into multiple partitions. One for and the rest for storing your personal files. If you wish, you can combine these sections into one. How to merge hard disk partitions without losing personal information, read the instructions below. .

This trick can also be used to remove recovery partitions and free up space that would otherwise be taken up by recovery data. Or, if you want to have a computer with several partitions, you can cancel everything.

Why are the hard drives of some computers pre-divided into several partitions?

Some PC makers seem to think that having one partition for the operating system and one for data provides a clear distinction between the two, allowing you to erase the first partition and reinstall the system without affecting the personal data area.

This is convenient for some users, but not necessary. will reset all system settings to default without touching your files, even if they are on the same partition. In addition, when splitting a hard disk into two parts, you may run out of space for both programs in the system partition and personal files in the additional one.

Instead of working with the disk configuration selected by the manufacturer, you can change it to suit your needs. It's fast, simple, relatively safe, and done right from Windows itself.

Be aware that some computers may have multiple hard drives installed. You will not be able to merge these disks into one partition without additional manipulations.

Delete one partition and expand another

We'll start by deleting one of the partitions. If you purchased a new computer, the first partition of which contains system files, and the second is empty and is called "DATA" or something like that, we will delete the empty partition.

If some of your files are already stored in this partition, move them to the system partition if you don't want to lose them. If there is not enough free space on the system partition, use an external hard drive or USB flash drive. Just remove these files from the partition, as they will be lost when it is deleted.

You can merge hard disk partitions using the Disk Management utility. On Windows 10 or 8.1, right-click on the Start button and select Disk Management. On Windows 7, press the Windows key + R, type "diskmgmt.msc" in the text box of the Run dialog, and press Enter.

Find the two sections you want to merge. In the example below, we will merge the OS (C:) partition with the DATA (D:) partition.

These two partitions must be on the same hard drive. If they are located on different disks, nothing will work. In addition, it is necessary that they are next to each other, otherwise you will have to work a little more.

Delete the second partition by right-clicking on it and selecting Delete Volume. Do not forget that in this case you will lose all the files stored on it!

To make two local disks one or increase the disk space of one of the volumes, you need to merge partitions. For this purpose, one of the additional partitions into which the drive was previously divided is used. This procedure can be carried out both with the preservation of information and with its removal.

You can merge logical drives in one of two ways: using special programs for working with drive partitions or using the built-in Windows tool. The first method is more preferable, since usually such utilities transfer information from disk to disk when merging, but the standard Windows program deletes everything. However, if the files are unimportant or missing, then you can do without using third-party software. The process of how to merge local drives into one on Windows 7 and later versions of this OS will be the same.

Method 1: AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard

This free disk partition manager helps you merge partitions without losing data. All information will be transferred to a separate folder on one of the disks (usually a system one). The convenience of the program lies in the simplicity of the actions performed and the intuitive interface in Russian.

After the merging is completed, you will find all the data from the disk that was attached to the main one in the root folder. She will be called X drive, Where X- letter of the drive that was attached.

Method 2: MiniTool Partition Wizard

The program is also free, but it has a set of all the necessary functions. The principle of working with it is slightly different from the previous program, and the main differences are the interface and language - MiniTool Partition Wizard does not have Russification. However, basic knowledge of the English language is sufficient to work with it. All files in the merging process will be transferred.

Look for the transferred files in the root folder of the drive with which the merger has taken place.

Method 3: Acronis Disk Director

is another program that can merge partitions, even if they have different file systems. By the way, the free analogues mentioned above cannot boast of this possibility. In this case, user data will also be transferred to the main volume, but on the condition that there are no encrypted files among them, in this case the merging will be impossible.

Acronis Disk Director is a paid, but convenient and multifunctional program, so if you have it in your arsenal, then you can connect volumes through it.

After reboot, look for files in the root folder of the drive that you designated as the main

Method 4: Built-in Windows Utility

Windows has a built-in tool called "Disk Management". He knows how to perform basic actions with hard drives, in particular, in this way you can merge volumes.

The main disadvantage of this method is that all information will be deleted. Therefore, it makes sense to use it only when the data on the disk that you are going to attach to the main one is missing or not needed. In rare cases, carry out this operation through "Disk Management" fails, and then you have to use other programs, but such a nuisance is rather an exception to the rule.

1. Press key combination Win+R, type diskmgmt.msc and open this utility by clicking "OK".

   

2. Find the section you want to attach to another. Right click on it and select "Delete Volume".

   

3. In the confirmation window, click "Yes".

   

4. The volume of the deleted partition will turn into unallocated area. Now it can be added to another disk.

   

   Find the disk you want to increase the size of, right-click on it and select "Expand Volume".

   

5. Will open . Click "Further".

   

6. In the next step, you can choose how many free GB you want to add to the disk. If you need to add all the freed space, just click "Further".

   

   To add a fixed size to a disk in the field "Choose the amount of space to allocate" indicate how much you want to add. The number is specified in megabytes, taking into account the fact that 1 GB = 1024 MB.

7. In the confirmation window, click "Ready".

   

Result:

Merging partitions in Windows is a very simple procedure that allows you to effectively manage disk space. Despite the fact that the use of programs promises to merge disks into one without losing files, do not forget to back up important data - this precaution is not superfluous.

• 1. What are disk partitions for?
• 2. Combining disks in different operating systems
• 3. Windows 7
• 4. Windows 10: Merging Features
• 5. Additional software

The computer has become such an object, without which it is difficult to imagine ordinary everyday life. Each of the users is trying to customize the right assistant for their needs, so you may be faced with the task of how to merge hard disk partitions into one.

To quickly resolve this issue, we have prepared detailed instructions for different operating systems and offer you the most effective solution to the problem.

What are disk partitions for?

In any operating system, there is a breakdown of shared memory into several sections. This solution makes it possible to control the amount of memory filling, regulate the separation of all stored information and provide protection against virus penetration. As a rule, the entire amount of memory can be divided into several departments:

• Main disk. This portion of physical memory is used to install the operating system.
• Backup disk. With the help of special programs, a small part is allocated on the shared disk, which is used to store the backup.
• Public disk. Another piece of memory needed to store all other information.

Having spare memory is useful when you need to perform a restore, and for this a backup is used.

Combining disks in different operating systems

Working with the physical memory of the computer leads to the complete destruction of all stored information, so before you start working with the union, you need to perform several important steps.

To get started and edit the volume, it is important to remember that all information will be completely destroyed. You need to create an exact copy of all the files on your computer and drop it to external media. An alternative solution would be to use cloud storage. Different programs and services may offer different amounts of information storage, so you can choose the most convenient solution for any file size.

To merge two partitions and create a single file storage, you need to decide on the type of operating system that is installed on the computer. The fact is that for different versions of Windows there is a different algorithm of actions, and only the exact observance of all the entered parameters will help to merge successfully.

Windows 7

In Windows 7, users have the ability to merge disks without the need for additional software. For this, a special team has been created, which will quickly carry out all the work.

The action algorithm is as follows:

1. Open command line. To call a window with a command line, enter the "START" menu and click "Run". Otherwise, you can use the keyboard shortcut WIN + R or enter the word RUN in the search bar.
2. The command to call the control window. After a small dialog box has opened, you need to type the following command: diskmgmt.msc. This combination brings up the Disk Control Panel, after the command is entered, you can click OK.
3. Working with the control window. After the control window appears, you will see all the basic information about all disk partitions and will be able to determine hard the disk that needs to be merged. In tabular form, there is all the digital information about the content and name of the disk, the capacity and the amount of occupied space.
4. Removal and expansion. If you have already identified the drive you want to delete, you only need to hover over it and right-click. In the drop-down menu, find the "Delete volume" command. When you click on the command, all data on the volume will be destroyed. After the deletion, an empty volume appears in place of the deleted disk, which can be attached to another disk. To do this, click on the partition to be expanded and click "Expand Volume". The empty space will be attached to the partition you specified.

Windows 10: Merging features

In Windows 10, the merging process can be the same, since the operating system itself has built-in working tools for working with disk space.

The file space is also managed using the built-in Disk Management utility, and the algorithm of the actions performed may differ only in some technical subtleties:

1. Calling a working utility. To start, you need to enter the search window and find the desired utility using the search for the main word. Type "Management", and the system itself will give you the desired results. An alternative way is to use the keyboard shortcut WIN+X.
2. Consolidation and removal. To connect multiple drives, the rest of the steps will be the same as in the case of the previous version of the operating system. Select the volume you want to delete and use the context menu to delete it. The empty volume can then be combined with another partition to create a larger space.

It is quite possible to merge several disks into one without losing data, it is not necessary to use complex programs for this. With such instructions, you can do all the work yourself, and the merging process itself will not take much time.

Additional software

In some cases, the work of merging disks can be hampered by the fact that the user does not have the opportunity to work on individual sectors. In this case, you can use a special program that will give access to the physical space and allow you to perform all the actions of connecting different volumes.

An excellent example of such a utility is Acronis Director. It can be easily installed on any operating system and will give you access to all system configuration settings. After installing the program and starting it in the main window, you can see all the necessary information for working with disks and volumes. Further actions are the same as in the previous instructions. You need to highlight the volume that you want to clean up and merge in the future, and start the corresponding button to start the process.

Working with merging with the help of a special utility will help you configure your computer in a way that will suit you and will make use convenient and efficient.

The question of how to merge two disks into one is one of the most frequently asked questions among computer users. This can be useful in many situations, including even issues related to installing a single file system for all partitions, converting GPT or RAW formats that may not be accepted by the operating system, installing software that requires a lot of disk space, etc. the user can be offered two main methods of combining, which will be discussed in more detail below. The proposed solutions work equally well when performing such actions with logical partitions, and when working with RAID arrays, when two or more independent hard drives are installed on the computer.

Benefits of merging hard drives or partitions

It goes without saying that the first and main factor influencing the adoption of a positive decision in favor of merging partitions is the increase in available disk space on one disk, which is extremely necessary when installing some programs.

On the other hand, as already mentioned, if different types of file systems are installed on disks or partitions, you can often observe problems with installing certain types of software. Bringing them, so to speak, to a common denominator, eliminates the problem entirely. Finally, if the system has unreadable RAW partitions or the GPT format for hard drives larger than 2 TB, which may not be recognized by the operating system, such a tool is simply indispensable.

Combination options

Now a few words about how to merge two drives into one in Windows 7 and above. First you need to decide how exactly the partitions will be merged. First of all, we can distinguish methods of combining with the loss of information or with its preservation. Secondly, the use of standard system tools or third-party software.

It should be said right away that the solution to the question of how to merge two disks into one, using the built-in Windows toolkit for preserving data that was originally in one of the partitions, does not imply (this is not provided at all). Therefore, before doing such things, all information from the partition being deleted (and it will actually be deleted, and only then attached to the main disk or partition) must first be transferred to another partition or to removable media. As it is already clear, there is no need to talk about the performance of installed programs. When solving the problem of how to merge two disks into one, but so that both the information is preserved and the applications work, it is necessary to use additional third-party tools. They will be discussed separately.

How to merge two disks into one in Windows 7 and above using standard tools?

First, let's look at the system's own tools. This is the disk management section. You can access it through the administration menu, but it's easier to use the Run console, in which you need to write the diskmgmt.msc line.

Here, a partition is selected, due to which it is necessary to merge, and the item for deleting a volume is called through the RMB menu. The system will immediately issue a warning that all information on the selected disk will be deleted. We agree.

We repeat a similar operation, but for the section. After that, the so-called unallocated area will appear.

Now you need to use RMB on the partition to which it will be attached, and select the volume extension line.

At the disk selection stage, most likely, free attached space will be immediately added to the list. If this does not happen, you should use the add button yourself. After that, the continue button is pressed, and in the next window - the end. If you look at the state of the disks and partitions after the operation is completed, you will see an increase in the space of one of the partitions at the expense of the other.

How to merge two disks into one using third-party programs

To manage disks and partitions, when you need to merge with data preservation, you can also use third-party utilities that seem to be much more powerful than the system's own tools. This includes software packages like Partition Assistant from AOMEI, Disk Director from Acronis, Partition Master from EaseUS, and many others.

Consider the merge process based on the last mentioned utility. For example, we need to merge drive E and drive F, but so that after that only one partition E remains. In the main window of the Partition Manager section, use the Merge button, check the boxes for the specified disks (partitions) and click the OK button. After the merge is checked, the process will be in pending status. Click the Apply button and confirm the action. After that, the merging process will begin.

When it finishes, only one partition (E) will be visible in Disk Management. Explorer will show two hard drives in the same hard drive or partition. Only drive F in partition E will be shown as a local directory (Local Disk F) with all the information that was previously present on it.

Brief conclusions

As a result, it can be noted that if the user needs a quick merge, and there is no critical information on the attached disk or partition, you can use the system tools. If data storage is mandatory, third-party programs will be needed. And further. Please note that if there is a second operating system on combined disks in the attached partition, it will not be possible to start it.