The Windows disk partition seems to be acting foolishly.
The Windows disk partition seems to be acting foolishly.
You cannot expand your partition, if you have no free space next to it. Your free space is at the beginning of the drive, your partition that you want to expand is at the middle. What you need to do is: Move the second partition before the first. So you have [Partition 1][Free space][Partition 2][Partition 3] Then move third partition to second partition, So you have: [Partition 1][Partition 2][Free space][Partition 3] NOW you can expand Partition 2 to get the free space. As you'll be moving data, this process is therefore considered risky, and Windows disk utility doesn't support this,let alone, that you need to be outside of Windows, as the partition with Windows on it (Partition 2), needs to be moved as well. So you need to use a bootable disk utility, like GParted, and do the step 1 to 3 mentioned above.
Use Aeomi Disk partition manager (free version) to manage partitions. It supports full control in a windowless setup and includes a GUI for editing. Confirm all adjustments before saving; undo works if needed. I rely on it regularly, even after purchasing a license. It functions well with Windows and lets you test changes before applying. You can also migrate OS from HDD to SSD using it, which I've done several times recently. (Updated content, corrections made)
Extensions must be added in a single, uninterrupted way on a basic disk. To increase space before a pattern on the right, you need to upgrade your disk to a dynamic disk. You can change from a basic disk to a dynamic disk by right-clicking Disk 0 and choosing convert to dynamic disk.