How to shrink volume in Windows Server 2012 R2?

If you try to shrink more than the available free space, you’ll get an error. Make sure you’re aware of how much free space is available. Close any applications that may be using files on the volume you want to shrink before starting. System Reserved Partitions: Avoid messing with system or recovery partitions as shrinking those can affect system stability.

To shrink volume in Windows Server 2012 R2. Just open Disk Management, right-click on the Start button and select Disk Management. This will open up the Disk Management utility where you can see all your volumes.

1. Check Existing Free Space:
Right-click on the volume you want to shrink (e.g., C: drive) and choose Properties. Under the General tab, you can see how much free space is available.

2. Defragment the Volume (Optional but Recommended):

• If the volume is heavily fragmented, it’s a good idea to defragment it first to ensure Windows can shrink it effectively. You can do this by searching for Defragment and Optimize Drives in the Start menu.
• Select the volume you want to defragment and click Optimize.

3. Shrink the Volume:

• In Disk Management, right-click on the volume you want to shrink and select Shrink Volume.
• Windows will calculate how much free space can be shrunk. Be patient, as this may take a moment.
• Once the calculation is done, enter the amount of space (in MB) you wish to shrink. Windows will automatically show you the maximum amount available.
• After entering the desired size, click Shrink.

4. Wait for the Process to Complete:

Depending on the size of the volume and the amount of free space, this process can take a few minutes. Once it's done, you'll see a new section of Unallocated space created in Disk Management.

5. Format the Unallocated Space (Optional):
If you want to use that unallocated space for something (like creating a new volume), right-click on it and select New Simple Volume. You can then follow the wizard to format it and assign a drive letter.

Defragment your drive before shrinking volume in Windows Server 2012 R2! A fragmented volume can lead to difficulties when trying to change its size. I didn’t realize this at first, and it caused my shrink operation to fail half the time. Use the built-in Disk Defragmenter or a third-party tool if you need to.

Be cautious of system reserved partitions or related system volumes. If you accidentally try to shrink or modify those, it can throw the system off balance. I was once messing with a recovery partition thinking I was safe, and I ended up with boot issues. Always make sure you know which partition you’re dealing with.

When it comes to shrink volume in Windows Server 2012 R2. Once, I didn’t back up, and my volume shrink attempt ended up causing some data corruption. It’s just not worth the risk. Make sure you have a reliable backup plan in place, be it a full image backup or just backing up important files.

When I needed to shrink a volume on Windows Server 2012 R2, Disk Management felt risky. I defragmented first, then used Partition Master to handle the resize safely without data loss. Just back up beforehand, and you’re set!

I followed this tutorial (worked for me)

https://www.gicmodo.com/how-to-shrink-volume-windows