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Installed new SSD boot drive, want to repartition existing drive

Last response: in Windows 7
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I have a partition question and after scouring the Web, can't find anyone with the exact same situation as mine. Basically what I'm wondering is if I can delete a primary partition and then extend another, non primary into that space.

Here's what I have and why I want to do this: my laptop came from the factory with one 500GB SATA drive, split into two partitions (C, primary, and D, logical, each 250GB). The Win7 install was on the C drive. Recently, I installed a 120GB SSD as a second drive, and using the tools with it, copied the contents of my existing C partition to the new SSD, and then made the SSD the boot drive labeled as the C drive. So far so good, everything works fine.

Now, what I'm left with is this:
C: 120GB (SSD, now the boot drive with the Win7 install)
D: 250GB (SATA, the original D partition, Disk Management IDs it as a logical drive, extended partition)
E: 250GB (SATA, the original C partition, Disk Management IDs it as a primary partition)

So, I have the original "C drive" on E now... it's no longer the system/boot drive. Obviously I don't need the files on it as they are all on the new SSD. What I want to do is to delete all those files and then combine what's on D and E into one 500GB D drive as I have no reason to have the two partitions. Is it possible to just delete the E partition and then extend the D partition into the unallocated space? I'm confused because it seems as though the D partition may rely on the E partition being there since the E drive IDs as primary. Or would the D partition become primary?

I know I could just back up the D partition to an external drive, delete both D and E partitions, and reformat as one new D and restore the files, but I don't want to create more work for myself if I don't have to. Obviously I don't want to mess up the files on the D drive though, which is why I'm asking.

More about : installed ssd boot drive repartition existing drive

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You may be able to delete partitions as you want using "Computer Management" in Windows.

Click Start/Computer/right-click/choose Manage/then choose Disk Management.

Or search for Disk Management.

When you see the drive you want to change, right-click on the windows pane for the drive, and follow the options. There are expand/shrink volumes, so there should be delete volume, and then expand the other to it.

Good Luck.

A good start, but it didn't answer my question. I'm very competent with Disk Management. Please reread my concerns about primary vs. logical drives... I have some very specific questions.

Sorry if I come across as being short, but your info doesn't help me much as I already know how to use Disk Management.

Best solution

Ah, I see.

If there is nothing on the new D and E drive, I'd just delete everything, and then set it up as one large drive.

If there is anything on the D drive that you want to save, I don't know if you can delete E, and expand D, and set it up as a primary drive. You may be able to expand it, but maybe not set up as a primary drive.

Sorry for that.

Cheers.
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That's the answer I was looking for... I didn't think it would work using Disk Management but was looking for confirmation.

I ended up using a Gparted Linux boot disk to boot the computer, and was able to delete the E partition and then move the D partition to the beginning of the drive, make it primary, and then extend it into the unallocated space from the E partition. Though I did back up the D drive first (yes, there were a lot of files there)... if it didn't work, your suggestion was what I was ready to do. Turned out I didn't need to.

Posting this in case it ever comes up again. It worked very well, but it was a LONG process (took almost 4 hours for Gparted to do its thing).
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