Solved Combine partitions

Haydon · Aug 2, 2023

Sorry if this is a very ignorant question, but I never do these things ... somehow, my USB flash drive shows the 2 partitions below. How do I combine the partitions into a single FAT32 using Disk Manager?

Ghot · Aug 2, 2023

Haydon said:
Sorry if this is a very ignorant question, but I never do these things ... somehow, my USB flash drive shows the 2 partitions below. How do I combine the partitions into a single FAT32 using Disk Manager?

View attachment 66568

If your USB flash drive is Lexar, that's probably some weird manufacturer's partition.
Some USB manufacturers have them.

Find a link that sells that USB flash drive, and look in the marketing spiel for something that may describe that partition.

For example, this is part of the sales pitch for a 128GB Lexar flash drive...

You "should" be able to just delete that partition with some partitioning software like... Minitool Partition Wizard (free).
Most of the time this causes no problems, but back in the day a bit, I've heard stories about it making the flash drive unusable.

IF... you can delete that partition, you can then just add the unallocated space to the NTFS partition.

As in most cases, it's best just to contact tech support and ask them...
LEXAR tech support phone numbers

idgat · Aug 2, 2023

Haydon said:
Sorry if this is a very ignorant question, but I never do these things ... somehow, my USB flash drive shows the 2 partitions below. How do I combine the partitions into a single FAT32 using Disk Manager?

View attachment 66568

Not with Disk Manger you can't, very limited functionality

Try EaseUS Parttion or AOMEI Partition or MiniTool Partition (all freeware versions)

EaseUS has a merge option, but I don't think any of them can combine/merge partitions of different format. You may have to backup the data elsewhare, delete all partitions, recreate one partitioned USB

EDIT No matter what option you choose, backup the data first !!!!

NavyLCDR · Aug 2, 2023

The biggest question to ask is, do you have data on the flash drive that you want to keep? It looks like the flash drive was setup at one time to boot in UEFI mode (the FAT partition marked as active), with an install.wim file over 4GB (the second NTFS partition).

idgat · Aug 3, 2023

First thing that should be done with ANY new USB device (Flash, drive, whatever) is delete all/any partitions and create new partition(s) as required. Simply accepting the proprietary setup OOB can be troublesome

SIW2 · Aug 3, 2023

How do I combine the partitions into a single FAT32 using Disk Manager?

First check that none of the files are over 4gb because is the max size for fat32.

Then you can use aomei ntfs>fat32 converter which does the job in a few seconds.

Then you can merge the partitions using something like aomei partition assistant.

wiganken · Aug 3, 2023

@Haydon - Shouldn't your question be on Tenforums since you are running Windows 10 Pro?
Anyway I thought it would be easy in Disk Manager to right-click on 'New Volume E:' and select 'Delete volume'. Then you can right-click on the 'Lexar D:' and select 'Extend Volume'. Then follow to prompts. The entire stick should then be FAT formatted so if you want FAT32 you will need to reformat it in FAT32.

Haydon · Aug 3, 2023

Folks, I don't have any data on the USB flash drive, I don't know how the odd partitioning came about.

Anyway, in Disk Manager, I deleted the small 1 GB volume, but I can only shrink the 115.06 GB volume, I don't see an option to expand the 115.06 GB volume. I could then reformat from NTFS to exFAT which is OK for me too.

I'd rather not install an app to gain a mere 1 GB (although it may get rid of the odd partitioning)

(FWIW, I have W10 and W11 computers, I like 11F better)

Edit: Can I delete both volumes and create a single 116.06 GB exFAT volume in Disk Manager? I don't want to ruin the USB flash drive!

wiganken · Aug 3, 2023

You can only extend from left-to-right. That's why I said to delete new volume E: first. You could then have extended Lexar D: to fill the space to the right. You can't extend to the left if it is 'Protected' space or if the space is 'Unallocated'.

Haydon · Aug 3, 2023

Below is what it looks like right now. So, can I format the left volume, delete the right volume, and there will be an option in Disk Manager to expand the left volume all the way to the right? Is that correct?

wiganken · Aug 3, 2023

Haydon · Aug 3, 2023

Hmm ... Disk Manager has no option to Format the left volume, only an option to Create a New Simple Volume which I did. But thereafter, there was no option to delete to right volume!

So, I deleted the newly created Simple Volume on the left and I am back at my previous post. #10 LOL

I think I better stop now before I break the USB flash drive.

Thanks to all who responded!

wiganken · Aug 3, 2023

There is a way to do it using 'Diskpart' in a command window if you can be bothered. See photo: -

NavyLCDR · Aug 3, 2023

If you don't have any data on the flash drive then just delete both partitions and start over with one new partition and format it how you like. And if you are going to do it in diskpart, just use the clean command.

NavyLCDR · Aug 3, 2023

32 GB size limit for FAT32. Doh.... Windows imposes a 32 GB partition size limit for formatting a partition as FAT32. The flash drive is a 128 GB flash drive. You have three choices:

1. Multiple partitions - 32 GB maximum in size if you want FAT32.
2. One single NTFS partition.
3. Use a thrid party partition program, such as MiniTool Partition Wizard, to format a larger than 32 GB partition as FAT32. The 32 GB FAT32 limit is only imposed by Windows when trying to format the partition.

The diskpart commands to erase the flash drive so that you can create new partitions as you like are:

Code:

diskpart
list disk
select disk N <-replace N with the actual number for the USB flash drive, probably 1
clean <- this will erase the disk selected above, make sure the USB flash drive is selected above
exit
exit

You now have a blank USB flash drive and can create any partitions on it you like.

Flashorn · Aug 3, 2023

NavyLCDR said:
If you don't have any data on the flash drive then just delete both partitions and start over with one new partition

This.
I did that last night on a 128 GB flash drive in Disk Management.

Ghot · Aug 3, 2023

Haydon said:
I'd rather not install an app to gain a mere 1 GB (although it may get rid of the odd partitioning)

Understood... but Mini Tool Partition Wizard is more useful than a barrel of... gold doubloons.

You'll use it again and again. It's entire install directory is less than 80MB.
And it's way more powerful than Disk Management..

Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Wizard Free

As an all-in-one free partition manager and disk manager software, MiniTool Partition Wizard Free helps manage disk space safely on Windows 11/10/8/7.

www.partitionwizard.com

NavyLCDR · Aug 3, 2023

Haydon said:
Can I delete both volumes and create a single 116.06 GB exFAT volume in Disk Manager? I don't want to ruin the USB flash drive!

Yes. You are not going to ruin the flash drive by messing with the partitions on it.

Haydon · Aug 3, 2023

@NavyLCDR @Flashorn You encouraged me to do it and yay, it works! Thanks to all who responded

I will mark this thread 'Solved'

SIW2 · Aug 3, 2023

Presumably you want something like this:

Solved Combine partitions

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