Score:-1

Ubuntu

Why does my new external SSD have 3 partitions where 2 of them are only a few megabytes and how do I merge them all to use the full space?

jar

10/22/22, 9:32 AM

I got a 512GB XPG NVME SSD and connected it via an SSD enclosure. When I was trying to set it up using GParted, I saw that there are already 3 partitions present.

Before trying to set it up using Ubuntu, I had plugged it into Windows to set it up but had failed to format it after allocating it successfully.

Anyways, it works now on both Ubuntu and Windows, but I just see 476.92 GB of storage along with 2 smaller unallocated partitions.

Why is it showing like that? How do I merge all of them into one? When I right click on the unallocated partitions, I only see the option for New, everything else is greyed out.

Any help on what's going on would be very helpful.

1 + 7

partitioning

ssd

gparted

nvme

guiverc

10/22/22, 9:43 AM

I see only a single partition, and *unused* or *unallocated* space that cannot be allocated with the chosen *fs* being overhead (to use all the same you'll likely be using file-system parameters that will waste more space during operation than what you lose with the chosen method).

jar

10/22/22, 9:47 AM

@guiverc So you are saying that the middle one is the partition and the one on top and the one at the bottom are things that are supposed to be that way? The thing is the one on top was initially something else and I formatted it...does that mean that I have deleted something relevant to the SSD working in best conditions? If yes then how do I reset everything back to normal?

guiverc

10/22/22, 9:51 AM

I see only a single partition sdc2 with the rest just overhead in creating the sdc2 partition (the software that was used to create the partition chose what it felt was the most efficient way to use the space with what it had available & the way the algorithm was written). The *unallocated* space is just overhead (lost; it's tiny & a concern if it was many % of the total space.. but you're worrying about ~0% loss) If you want to waste time not using defaults.. you may find a scheme that shows no lost space, but as already stated it may mean more hidden wasted space later compared to defaults

jar

10/22/22, 9:52 AM

Yeah I suppose you are right...I just wanted to know why those were created when I did not create them.

guiverc

10/22/22, 9:54 AM

They weren't created - if they were they'd be 'allocated' space... they're just overhead

mook765

10/22/22, 9:56 AM

You can make use of the unallocated space at the beginning of th disk by unmounting and resizing the partition `sdc2` but you'd only get 15 MB, so probably not worth the effort. You'll most probably not get rid of the tiny unallocated space at the end of the disk, some sectors at the end of the disk will be reserved if you use GPT.

oldfred

10/22/22, 3:51 PM

Windows wants a MSR partition before any NTFS partition with an install. So if formatting a new drive with Windows it will always create a MSR as unformatted space before first NTFS partition. Now that drives are bigger, there is a bit more rounding on sizes, so where before a few sectors would not be used nor seen, they now may show as small unallocated space. Often required to insure good performance on drive as partitions require alignment.

Score:0

Ubuntu

Whois_me

10/22/22, 9:54 AM

Before any shrinking or expanding can be done you'll have to unmount the partition first. ( I see your's still mounted in the screenshot. )

It would be a marginal profit to gain,however, in comparison with the size of your disk.

0 + 0

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: Why does my new external SSD have 3 partitions where 2 of them are only a few megabytes and how do I merge them all to use the full space?

TH: เหตุใด SSD ภายนอกตัวใหม่ของฉันจึงมี 3 พาร์ติชัน โดยที่ 2 ในนั้นมีขนาดเพียงไม่กี่เมกะไบต์ และฉันจะรวมพาร์ติชันทั้งหมดเพื่อใช้พื้นที่เต็มได้อย่างไร

RO: De ce noul meu SSD extern are 3 partiții unde 2 dintre ele sunt doar câțiva megaocteți și cum le îmbin pe toate pentru a folosi spațiul complet?

RU: Почему мой новый внешний SSD имеет 3 раздела, 2 из которых занимают всего несколько мегабайт, и как мне объединить их все, чтобы использовать все пространство?

VI: Tại sao SSD ngoài mới của tôi có 3 phân vùng trong đó 2 trong số đó chỉ có vài megabyte và làm cách nào để hợp nhất tất cả chúng để sử dụng hết dung lượng?

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