Move partitions from one disk to another
fabul Posted messages 42073 Registration date Status Moderator Last intervention -
Hello,
I have a PC running Windows 10 with two physical disks: one of 120GB (disk 0) and the other of 935GB (disk 1).
The system is installed on the small disk and is completely full. There are only programs and system files. I tried to rebalance by moving a partition from disk 1 to disk 0, but apparently, I cannot do that because they are not the same disks. It seems that the 120/935 distribution cannot be changed.
Is there a simple and, above all, safe way to swap my disks so that the content of disk 0 (i.e., the system) goes to disk 1?
Or more simply, a way to increase my system partition in this configuration?
Thank you for your help
2 answers
Hello,
To free up space on C:\ (I think this is the best option)
Delete everything in the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download folder
In the search bar, type Disk Cleanup and choose > C:
You will be able to select to clean up system files "Previous Windows installations" if there are any and everything else
Set your web browser to download to a folder on D:\ instead of C:\Users\YourName\Downloads
You can organize elsewhere on D:\ if there is a D:\ drive what is in the folders of C:\Users\YourName\...
TreeSize Free can help see what is taking up the most space
https://www.jam-software.com/treesize_free
Then clean up with:
Wise Disk Cleaner
https://www.commentcamarche.net/telecharger/utilitaires/24193-wise-disk-cleaner/
ATF-Cleaner
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/atf_cleaner.html
Then right-click on This PC > Properties > System Protection
Or search for systempropertiesprotection.exe
Choose C:\
Configure > Delete
Go back > Create
Hello,
Obviously, we cannot allocate the disk space of one physical disk to another.
Reinstalling everything on the larger disk is probably not a good idea because it's likely a SSD and a HDD.
There’s no reason to fill a 128 GB SSD with Windows; mine takes up less than 50 GB with the browser, security software, and Microsoft Office that I could have installed elsewhere.
It's a better plan to reinstall the programs on the other disk, but if it's not fast enough, there’s of course no other solution than to replace it with a larger SSD if it's not soldered.
Hello,
Speaking of reinstalling programs on another drive, there's the program FolderMove that I've never tested, I don't know its limits if there are any, but it can move programs while recreating symbolic links.
Unless it's the Pagefile.sys file that's too large (which we could reduce), or there are games installed on C:\, there’s no reason so much space should be used.
You need to check with TreeSize Free as I linked.
Otherwise, it's mainly about sorting what's in C:\Users\YourName\...
That matters.
(All personal data except for programs is found there).
In the Users folders, it's immediately noticeable, I have less than 200 MB, but that's because all the data, including that of other programs, is stored in my case on another partition.
The Windows folder is more or less uncompressible (around 48 GB) for heavy program or game users, the Programs folders can be bloated.