Can someone please explain to me why Windows doesn't have a way to add my unallocated space to my Windows partition?

Question

I just upgraded to a larger SSD hard drive (256GB to 1TB) and now I cannot use the extra space I gained and the old space as one partition. In disk management the unallocated space and the Windows partition are "separated" by my recovery drive so I cannot extend the partition for this reason. I have searched but the only solutions I could find were (1) to make a recovery drive USB and then delete my recovery partition using DISKPART, making my windows partition and the unallocated space "next" to each other, and then save the USB somewhere in case I ever need it. I do not want to do this. And (2) use third party software. My Windows partition is basically full so I cannot install new software or add files to my C: drive. I am on Windows 10 currently by the way.

My Questions are:

1. Is there a way to do this at all WITHOUT deleting my recovery partition and WITHOUT using third party software? Like, is there a way to allocate space on the same drive and just move the recovery files or some other work around like this?
2. If that isn't possible with Windows tools, then is there a reason Windows doesn't allow this? (When it is clearly possible to do with third party software) It seems to me that it's more of a software issue than a hardware issue if other programs can do it, so what's the deal with that?
3. Is there a reason that when a system image is copied to a larger hard drive that the recovery partition isn't made after the unallocated space so that the extra space can be used without making an extra partition for no apparent reason. Or maybe a better question is what is the reason that the space has to be "next" to each other in the first place? (I hope I'm making sense)

Can someone please explain this because so far everyone offers alternatives but doesn't explain why it isn't possible?

Thanks

Answer 1

Is there a way to do this at all WITHOUT deleting my recovery partition and WITHOUT using third party software?

Sorry, but no there isn't. To do it natively the free space must be adjacent.

--please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--

Answer 2

Post date and time: 02/19/2022 7:23 PM

1) Please post an image of disk managment:
a) widen these columns: Volume and Status > make sure that no characters are cut off
b) widen these rows: Disk 0, disk 1, disk 2, etc. > make sure that no characters are cut off

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2503-how-post-screenshot-disk-management.html

2) Open administrative command and type or copy and paste: (all at one time)

bcdedit /enum all
reagentc /info
diskpart
lis dis
lis vol
sel dis 0
det dis
lis par
sel par 1
det par
sel par 2
det par
sel par 3
det par
sel par 4
det par
sel par 5
det par
sel par 6
det par
sel dis 0
det dis
lis par
sel par 1
det par
sel par 2
det par
sel par 3
det par
sel par 4
det par
sel par 5
det par
sel par 6
det par

Post images or share links of the commands with results into this thread.

.
.
.
.

Please remember to vote and to mark the replies as answers if they help.

On the bottom of each post there is:

Propose as answer = answered the question

On the left side of each post there is /\ with a number: click = a helpful post
.
.
.
.
.

Answer 3

During each Windows update there are increased and decreased requirements for the size of the recovery partition.

Years ago the recovery partition was to the left of the data partition.

During featured updates or upgrades if an increased recovery partition size was required Windows would create a new recovery partition to the right of the data partition.

The computer drive then had two recovery partitions.

The recovery partition to the left of the data partition typically became an orphaned partition.

If the computer user added another data partition on the drive that prevented the expansion of the recovery partition a third recovery partition could be created during the next featured update.

To address this problem of insufficient space in a fixed recovery partition Microsoft decided to create a dynamic partition.

When the recovery partition is immediately to the right of the windows data partition the recovery partition may expand and the data partition contract during an upgrade.

And the recovery partition can contract and the data partition expand if the upgrade requirement have fewer files.

When replacing a drive the problems that you have were created by using the features of third party software.

Why not choose software or methods so that you don't have the problem?

.
.
.
.

Please remember to vote and to mark the replies as answers if they help.

On the bottom of each post there is:

Propose as answer = answered the question

On the left side of each post there is /\ with a number: click = a helpful post
.
.
.
.
.

Answer 4

A post was just made in this thread on 02/20/2022 at 9:30 PM.

The post was blocked by the spam filter:

Your answer was submitted, and will be reviewed by a moderator before being visible to all users.

This post is currently awaiting for a moderator to review.

The spam filter prevents the OP from view the post in a timely fashion.

Please comment in the feedback section so that you can receive posts in a timely fashion.

.
.
.
.

Please remember to vote and to mark the replies as answers if they help.

On the bottom of each post there is:

Propose as answer = answered the question

On the left side of each post there is /\ with a number: click = a helpful post
.
.
.
.
.

Answer 5

02/20/2022 10:31 PM

It's a little over 1 hour.

The post has still not made it to the thread.

There are problems with the website spam filter.

And there are insufficient moderators.