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Partition Magic Software to Extend Dell Server C System

Background

Dell only created 12GB boot partition for the system c drive by default and the c is running out of space recently. I kept receiving low disk space alert which is quite upset. Dell does not offer the opportunity to change the system partition size. The server is running sbs 2003 and has RAID5 array on it.

Question

How can I expand RAID5 c drive safely on Dell Server?

Goal

I want to expand c from 12GB to 50GB (system and RAID untouched) by adding two more disk to the drive cage

Solution - Extending Dell Server C RAID5

Fast Way

To extend server c partition, the safe way is to use partition magic tool which can extend c without any changes to the system. Here are the steps or you may see the guide: how to use Partition Wizard Server to extend system partition or download free trial to test.

If you want to add new disk to the drive cage and then arrange the space to RAID5 partitions, be free to get all new disk connected in the drive cage slot and then you can arrange the disk to RAID5 array without damaging data. However be sure to know your RAID card or raid array controller is compatible with new disk. You may search your raid array controller and see its properties to check whether its compatible with new disks. Usually RAID5 requires two same disks of the same capacity. After adding disk to the RAID5 array, the new space would show unallocated space. Then you can follow the guide to distribute unallocated space to c and any other drive to get them extended.

  1. Download Partition Magic software - Partition Wizard Server for Server OS and launch it from the desktop or just remember to open it when closed installation
  2. If there is unallocated space for redistribution, then you can move the partitions safe and then make the unallocated space close to the one needs extending.
    move partitionextend c
  3. Extend c drive safely with data and system protected
    extend c
    apply
    c extended

Partition Wizard Server Works With Windows Server Systems

Partition Wizard Server can resize all server partitions even with RAID on it including Windows Server 2008, Server 2003, Server 2000 with 32&64bit supported.

RAID Array

The program works with all levels of card configured RAID arrays including RAID0, RAID1, RAID5, RAID10.

Extend C RAID without A Program

Diskpart Command or Other Method

If there is just not the system partition you want to extend, you may use diskpart command to extend any non system volume. Or you can do this under disk management provided by Microsoft Windows. If you do want to extend system partition but you do not want to buy any program to do the trick, then you can do it around way like the following steps

  • Move all data to other disk better to some external disk
  • Reformat disk and reinstall system
  • Add new disk to your system
  • Build RAID array
  • Move your backed-up data to the disk (better home all your data can be moved back normally and without any data loss)

Terms that you need to know if you want this done without a server partition extender.

  • Your server must be down
  • The system needs to reinstall
  • The disk needs to reformat
  • The data must be moved to other place for backup
  • There is risk once your data cannot be restored from the backup copy you might lose them

Partition Magic Alternative

The old disk partition management tool PartitionMagic, by Powerquest and later Symantec, cannot extend server c drive. Simply because it does not allow you to install on a Server plantform. Here we recommend alternative Partition Wizard Server.

Related problems that can also be fixed

  • Help! diskpart doesn't run with Array Manager installed though as Array Manager hooks into disk management. Just uninstall Array Manager, use diskpart to extend the volume then reinstall Array Manager. Diskpart doesn't work on system disks. How can I extend a server volume on Dell server 3400?
  • We have a Dell Server with a RAID 5 disk array that contains 6 SCSI disks. The disk array is partitioned into several partitions and Windows Server 2003 is the OS running on this system. This is also our primary domain controller with all FSMO roles so I am very cautious about doing anything to the OS. We are looking for a program that we can use to extend the system(OS) partition and guaranteed that action will not affect the OS. Can your tool we can use to extend the system partition and guarantee that the OS will not be affected?

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