Is your computer running slower than usual, or are you constantly seeing “Low Disk Space” warnings? Usually, it’s because your C drive is running out of space, which can impact your system’s performance and prevent you from installing important updates.
This post will guide you through a few tested methods to extend your system C drive in Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP.
How to increase C drive space in Windows
Here are the three disk management tools to help you increase the C drive space in Windows for free:
| EaseUS Partition Master | Disk Management | Diskpart | |
| Pros | Extend the partition without deleting any partitions.It can expand the C drive with or without adjacent unallocated space. | Built-in disk manager to increase the C drive space. | Run commands to extend or shrink the system partition. |
| Cons | Need installation. | It requires contiguous unallocated space to extend the disk.The Extend Volume feature only works on NTFS drives. | Difficult to use.Incorrect operations can lead to data loss. |
| Best For | All levels of Windows users, especially beginners. | Experienced Windows users. | IT professionals. |
Pick up a suitable disk manager and prepare for extending your C drive:
✅ Check if the system disk is healthy.
✅ Back up valuable data on C drive in advance.
✅ Ensure there is contiguous unallocated space if you choose to use Windows Disk Management.
Method 1. Increase system partition via EaseUS Partition Master
As a tool for extending C Drive space with ease, EaseUS Partition Master Free offers a flexible solution by allowing you to extend the C drive even if there’s no adjacent space available. In addition, if you received the “Low Disk Space” alert, this software will automatically display a notification with the option to 1-Click Adjust, smartly reallocating unused space from other drives to extend the C drive.
Download EaseUS Partition Master and follow the step-by-step instructions below:
Tutorial 1. Extend the C drive via unallocated space
- If you have no contiguous unallocated space, follow the tutorial, and EaseUS Partition Master enables you to move or resize other partitions, creating space next to the C drive.
- If you already have unused space on the system disk, you can directly add the unallocated space to the C partition whether it’s adjacent or non-adjacent.
Step 1. Right-click on the partition next to the C partition and choose “Resize/Move”.
Step 2. Drag its end to shrink space, create new unallocated space behind the system C drive, and click “OK.”
Step 3. Right-click on the C partition and select “Resize/Move.”
Step 4. Drag the system partition’s left panel into unallocated space and click “OK.”
EaseUS
Step 5. Click “Execute Task” > “Apply” to keep all changes you made.
Tutorial 2. Smartly enlarge C drive with low disk space warning
Step 1. In the Partition Manager tab, hover over the C drive and click “Adjust with 1-Click.”
Step 2. Select “OK,” you can also choose the “Manual Adjustment” option to decide how many GB you want to add to the C disk.
Step 3. Click the “Execute Task” and “Apply” at the top corner and start all pending operations.
This tool can help users automatically resize system partitions and solve the Low Disk Space Error.
Method 2. Increase C disk space via Disk Management
Disk Management is a built-in utility in Windows that can perform various tasks to manage your computer’s storage devices (disks and partitions). However, it has some limitations that may hinder disk extension:
🔔 Note: If there is no unallocated space behind the system partition, you might find that the Extend Volume Is Greyed Out.
Here is how to use Disk Management to extend the system volume using adjacent free space:
Step 1. Press the “Windows + X” keys to bring up the task menu, and click and launch Disk Management.
Step 2. Right-click on the C drive and select “Extend Volume” from the menu.
Step 3. Set the size you want to add on the C partition, and click “Next” and “Finish” to complete the task.
Method 3. Extend C drive space via DiskPart CMD
Diskpart is a Windows command-line tool for managing disks, partitions, and volumes. It allows you to extend the C drive by modifying partitions directly from the Command Prompt.
Step 1. Press the “Windows + R” keys to open the Run dialog, type cmd, and run Command Prompt as administrator.
Step 2. Type diskpart and press “Enter” to go to a new window.
Step 3. In the Diskpart window, type the following commands and hit Enter:
- list disk
- select disk Y (Replace Y with the system disk number.)
- list volume
- select volume X (Replace X with the C partition number.)
- extend size = N (N is the size you want to extend, and the unit is MB.)
- exit
After the process is finished, restart your PC and check if the C drive is larger than before.
🔔 Note: If Diskpart finds there is no or not enough continuous unallocated space behind your system C drive, you’ll see this error message:
“Virtual Disk Service error: There is not enough usable space for this operation.”
To resolve this, delete the partition behind the system partition or turn to Method 1 EaseUS Partition Master.
Why should you increase C drive space?
The C drive is typically the partition where your operating system and essential program files are stored. Over time, it will accumulate various files, including temporary files, application caches, and system restore points.
Insufficient space can impact disk and computer performance, lead to longer boot times, slower application launches/operations, and even prevent Windows from installing important updates.
By increasing C drive space, you can ensure smoother operation, better efficiency, and protection against potential issues, such as system crashes or data loss due to inadequate storage.
In addition to extending the C drive space, Windows users can also free up space in the C drive by applying common methods, such as running Disk Cleanup, deleting temporary files, emptying the Recycle Bin, removing unused Apps, and transferring large files to another drive.
Final verdict
Increasing the C drive space is essential for maintaining optimal system performance and ensuring you have enough room for Windows updates, applications, and important files. This article discussed three ways – EaseUS Partition Master, Disk Management, or Diskpart, each method offers its advantages based on your needs. EaseUS Partition Master is a simple and safe solution for increasing the C drive space, even when the adjacent space is unavailable.
