Extend a Windows Server 2003 System Partition (C:)

If you are trying to extend the Boot or System Partition on a Windows Server 2003 server, you can use a Windows Server 2008 CD to accomplish the task. You probably received the following error message if you tried to extend the partition from the booted operating system:

The volume you have selected may not be extended.

Please select another volume and try again.

First, increase the size of the hard drive whether it be in Hyper-V, VMWare, or some other virtualization solution. Next, boot the server with the Windows Server 2008 ISO mounted or DVD in the drive. After the initial loading DVD screen, click on the option that says “Repair your computer”. Open up the command prompt or press Shift+F10. Type in the following:

• diskpart
• list volume
• select volume 0 (or 1 depending on where the C drive is)
• extend

The volume should now be extended and you can reboot the server.