Why I cant delete unallocated space?
If you have multiple partitions on your hard drive, nothing will scare you more than booting up your computer and finding that one partition has seemingly disappeared. What used to be a partition full of files, is now unallocated space that can’t be accessed. Show
This can happen for a multitude of reasons, reasons that we’ll take a closer look at in this article. While it may be easy to start freaking out, you must know that there are options available for recovering both the files on the partition, and in some cases, the entire partition itself. Partitions are segments of a hard drive that have been logically separated to organize the data stored on it. A single drive can have multiple partitions. When you look at your drive and see unallocated space, this references space on the hard drive that hasn’t yet been allocated to a partition. Unallocated space cannot store files or programs, and is basically useless to the operating system unless the space is used to create a new partition or is added to an existing partition to extend it. Reasons Behind Unallocated PartitionsA brand new hard drive will come without any partitions. When you install it, you will need to create at least one partition as part of the operating system installation process. Any space that isn’t dedicated to a partition will remain as unallocated space. However, unallocated space can appear as a result of something else. Here are a few common reasons why there may be unallocated space on your hard drive:
How to Recover Data from an Unallocated SpaceNo matter what causes your partition to disappear, there are various methods you can use to recover the data that was lost. Restore from a backupIf you’ve created a backup of the volume that was lost, you can use this backup to easily restore the files that were lost. Restoring from backups is probably the most effective way of getting back all the files that were lost with the most success. If you don’t have a backup, then you will need to move onto the next solution to recover your files. Using recovery softwareYour next best option for recovering data from a recently unallocated partition is through the use of data recovery software. There are numerous data recovery solutions on the internet, and for this solution, we’re going to be using Disk Drill.
Using a recovery serviceIf none of the previous methods worked for you, or if you’re not particularly confident performing the steps necessary, then you might be better off using a professional recovery service. Recovery companies employ the services data recovery specialists that you can send your faulty drive to. Their job is to recover your data using commercial-grade tools and solutions to give you peace of mind. While this method may take the longest since you need to send your drive away, it will have the highest success rate as you’re leaving the recovery part to the professionals. How to Fix an Unallocated Hard DriveIf your partition has disappeared from your drive, you can create a new one after successfully recovering the data that was on the last one. Delete the old volume using DiskPartCMD, the command-line tool native to Windows, can work wonders in repairing a hard drive that recently lost a partition. Sometimes the volume may need to be manually deleted. Using the diskpart command, you can delete the old partition so that you can create a new one.
When you’ve finished deleting the old volume, you can move onto creating a new volume to replace it with the next set of steps. Create a new partition with Disk ManagementDisk Management allows you to manage the hard drives in your computer, as well as external drives. We’ll be using Disk Management to create a new partition to replace the one that was lost.
After the final step, the new volume will appear in Disk Management. You can also access it in Windows Explorer and begin moving files to it. Update your driversTo ensure your hardware components are performing at their best, you need to keep them updated with the latest firmware. If the drivers for your hard drive are outdated, this can cause partitions to become lost. If you update your drivers, your partition may become visible and usable again.
If this hasn’t worked for you, try going back to the same window from Step 3 and clicking Uninstall Device then Uninstall. Restart your computer, and Windows will download the drivers again. Tips to Maximize the Success Rate of Unallocated Recovery PartitionData recovery can be made a lot easier with a few simple steps. Some of these steps can be performed immediately, while others are more for protecting your data in the long-run.
ConclusionEven though losing a partition can be a scary moment, you can put your mind at ease by following the solutions outlined in this article. If done correctly, you can recover your files without much effort. Data recovery from a recently unallocated partition heavily depends on how long ago the partition was deleted and whether or not any new data was written to the drive. FAQIf you had data on the partition before it was changed to unallocated space, you can recover the data using Disk Drill, a reliable recovery tool.
Before fixing the unallocated drive, you should first recover the files that were lost. After doing so, you can try updating the hard drive by following these steps:
If this hasn’t worked for you, try going back to the same window from Step 3 and clicking Uninstall Device then Uninstall. Restart your computer, and Windows will download the drivers again. If the unallocated partition is the result of another partition being deleted, you should first recover the data that was lost before attempting to fix the partition. Once you’ve recovered the data, you can either extend an existing partition, or create a brand new partition.
Space on your drive that isn’t assigned to a partition on your drive is referred to as unallocated space. If you view your disks in Disk Management, you will see what seems to look like a partition that shows how much unallocated space you have on that drive. The inability to create new partitions from unallocated space is usually caused by the fact that you already have four primary (or three primary and one extended) partitions on your MBR drive. To fix this, you will need to convert your MBR disk to a GPT disk. While you cannot extend unallocated space (since your operating system doesn’t recognize it as usable space, you can extend volumes with extended space to give them more storage.
Jordan Jamieson-ManeJordan Jamieson-Mane is a freelance content writer with a passionate interest in technology. Starting from a young age, this interest gradually turned into a career, with Jordan studying in the field of IT and moving into... Read full bio Jordan Jamieson-Mane is a freelance content writer with a passionate interest in technology. Starting from a young age, this interest gradually turned into a career, with Jordan studying in the field of IT and moving into... Read full bio Approved by Brett JohnsonThis article has been approved by Brett Johnson, Data Recovery Engineer at ACE Data Recovery. Brett has a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Systems and Network, 12 years of experience. This article has been approved by Brett Johnson, Data Recovery Engineer at ACE Data Recovery. Brett has a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Systems and Network, 12 years of experience. |