Merging primary partitions without data loss?

[CoW]8(0)]

Is there a way to merge unallocated space on a drive with a partition and data on the same drive without losing the data on that partition?

 

[Farva]

Is there a way to merge unallocated space on a drive with a partition and data on the same drive without losing the data on that partition?

none that i know of

 

[unhappy_mage]

So you want to expand a partition, essentially?

turn this: +===+==+=++==|---------    + data
     into: +===+==+=++============    = partitioned space
                                      - empty space

Partition Magic does this, but it's not a completely reliable operation - make sure to back up first.

 

[mrmagoo_83]

So you want to expand a partition, essentially?

turn this: +===+==+=++==|---------    + data
     into: +===+==+=++============    = partitioned space
                                      - empty space

Partition Magic does this, but it's not a completely reliable operation - make sure to back up first.

Agreed, PM will do this, its slow as can be and does its entire thing in a DOS might like state; and as the poster said, back up the data first as it is not always 100% perfect.

 

[CoW]8(0)]

I see. Is there any free software that's reliable enough to backup? And is there any free software to expand a partition?