Need more space for my OS

I had a 120GB SSD for my C drive, but it was running out of space. So I grabbed BlackFriday deal and bought a 180GB SSD.

Yesterday, I did a backup of the entire C drive and restored it to my 180GB SSD, which is now appears running ok.

However, I notice that the following about the recovery:

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Windows7_OS (C), 5.91GB out of 100GB

System_DRV (D), 541MB free out of 1.17GB

Lenovo_Recovery (F), 2.65GB free out of 9.76GB

Lenovo_Recovery (Q), 65.5GB free out of 65.6GB
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I still need space for OS. I am familiar with these D, F, Q.

Can I remove some?

How can I move space from Q to C? A difficult task?

Any tool recommendation?


Regards.

 

I do serious work on a 64GB SSD boot/OS/programs drive without feeling any constraints. Your 128GB and 180GB SSDs should provide enough space for both system and user files, unless you work on a lot of exceptionally huge data files. A typical Windows 7 system footprint is about 25GB, plus about 25GB for application programs. So, before you add your own files to the drive, you should have about 120GB of free space on your new 180GB SSD.

I would have transferred the system image from the old drive to the new drive, not by Windows copy/paste operations. A tool like this (containing software and adapter) is appropriate. (The other option is, of course, a fresh Windows 7 installation and re-installation of the required applications.)

The recovery partition can be deleted (using Windows "Disk Management" program) after you have created the factory recovery discs. I don't understand why there are 2 recovery partitions on your drive.

You should not touch the System_DRV partition. I don't understand why it was assigned a drive letter.

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Side note: IMHO, a better arrangement is to have a 64GB or 128GB SSD for boot/OS/programs and a large HDD in the UltraBay for user file storage. If you squeeze everything into the C: drive, 128GB can be tight.

 

>>MHO, a better arrangement is to have a 64GB or 128GB SSD for boot/OS/programs and a large HDD in the UltraBay for user file storage.

This is my config now. I installed a lot of software on C.

>>The recovery partition can be deleted (using Windows "Disk Management" program) after you have created the factory recovery discs.

By "after you have created the factory recovery discs. ", you mean to be on the safe side in case of anything wrong, correct? I already did that two years ago. I still have the discs and I just checked.

If I delete the recovery partition (Lenovo_Recovery (Q), 65.6GB), where will the space go? Will the extra space be automatically part of C?

Thanks.

 

So basically all your gained space is now in new Q drive?

Get a trial of Hard disk drive management software | Free trial | Acronis, and use it to merge C and Q, and move D: and Q: to the end of the drive.

Alternatively, and probably easier, you can probably just use Windows built-in tools (Start->type "Create and format"), delete D, F and Q and extend the C: to cover the whole drive. You will lose that Lenovo Factory Restore on boot, but it's hardly a big loss. If you later decide to restore the system to factory settings, or something goes wrong, you still have your backup.

 

Then nuke the recovery partition(s) to make space for your files. See below.

When I tell people the basics of using Windows, rarely they "like" or "rep" me. Just saying...

You use the Windows "Disk Management" program to delete the partition(s) "on the right-hand side" of the C: partition. Then, in the same program, you must extend the C: partition for it to "absorb" the newly freed space.

Click Orb, type "disk management" (without quotes, of course), click on "Create and manage hard disk partitions" menu item.

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Side note: If you install "a lot of software" on C:, why didn't you go ahead and get a 256GB SSD in your recent purchase? Bumping from 128GB to 180GB is no fun!

Second side note: I don't understand why there are 2 recovery partitions on your drive. And one is huge, for nothing. "Lenovo_Recovery (Q), 65.5GB free out of 65.6GB" ???

 

The Disk Management tool shows that D and F are actually on disk 1 (my second 500GB hard drive in the caddy). So I leave them alone.

I used this tool, as you suggested, and first deleted the Q (65.6 GB) and then "extended" (add) the new unallocated space to C and now C partition has over 166GB space (71GB is free). I hope I did everything right.

Thanks for your help !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I repped you and liked your all replies in this and another thread

Best.

 

Very detailed. I am so happy.............................!

 

>>The Disk Management tool shows that D and F are actually on disk 1 (my second 500GB hard drive in the caddy). So I leave them alone.

>>System_DRV (D), 541MB free out of 1.17GB
>>Lenovo_Recovery (F), 2.65GB free out of 9.76GB

Can I delete partition F on my 500GB disk?

What is System_DRV (D) for?

Thanks.

 

What you should have done when you moved the stock 500GB HDD from the main bay to the UltraBay caddy is: (1) back up all your personal files, (2) delete all the partitions, including the stock Lenovo recovery partition, and (3) merge everything into a single D: partition/drive for your own personal use.

Given the current "half-baked" situation of the HDD, I recommend you leave that System_DRV (the original Windows 7 boot partition) alone, and only remove the drive letter (also using the Disk Management program) so that it won't show up as a "regular" drive. It doesn't hurt too much by ignoring it because it is quite small. Now, regarding that left-over recovery partition F:, please just delete it (you know the drills by now) and let the E: partition absorb the free space.

In the end, you'll have a hidden (no letter) System_DRV partition at the very beginning of the 500GB HDD and a large E: partition for your personal use. You can assign letter D: to it and rename it "User", if you prefer.

Yes! That's the way it should be.


Good luck, and happy holidays.

 

All you said makes sense to me now. For example, the 500GB HDD is from Lenovo when I bought this machine and so your talk about System_DRV makes sense.

Anyway, thanks for all the help.

You have a happy holiday too. My holiday is certainly happier to me because of all your help.

All the best!