Cloning process doesn't allow further partition expansion.
Cloning process doesn't allow further partition expansion.
I made a copy of my 1TB laptop drive onto a new 2TB drive, expecting to expand the volume. But it seems that option isn't available. I tried formatting the new volume, hoping it would work, but unfortunately it's just a regular drive now—exactly what I don’t want. I’d prefer a single large drive instead of two smaller ones. Is there something missing? Or should I use software to combine the drives? (The relevant partition is New Volume E, and neither volume supports expansion.)
Typically during cloning you needed a choice to enlarge the partition. This usually meant you'd have to start over. Since you're using the OEM partition, it can't be expanded unless you use standard methods.
Yes, there was no direct choice for that unless I overlooked something. I’ve used similar steps before—multiple times on my gaming PC, never on this laptop—and always found an extend or expand option in Disk Management. Those OEM partitions are a bit confusing; I installed Windows from a standard USB drive and removed any hidden partitions, but it felt like they reappeared after cloning. I’m not sure how to handle this properly without risking further issues. I’ve read about tools that can help, but I need to be careful not to make things worse.