Creating additional disk partition on windows server 2012 R2

This is a MBR partitioned disk. For MBR partitioned disks is no way around this. It can't hold more than 4 primary partitions or 3 primary partitions and 1 extended partition.

You could convert it to GPT but Windows Server 2012 R2 can do this only for empty disks.
There are only 3rd party tools to do it on dsiks holding data, i.e. https://www.disk-partition.com/server-2012/convert-mbr-to-gpt-server-2012-3889.html

The above is bang on, you already have the limit of partitions, what you can however do is create a new volume, then throw in a mount point into a suitable location. What sort of server is it, exchange, SQL etc? Is it physical or virtual?

Thanks
Alex

Hi, thanks for your replies. Its a SQL physical server.

Also just found that Computer Management console is not showing Local Users and Groups?? I have inherited this server and finding my way around.

Right,

I mean what you could do is this, if you really really wanted to, connect up an additional array, backup the data, convert it to GPT and then hope it doesn't mess up your database.

Alternatively, any change of throwing it on VMware or something?

Thanks
Alex

>>  Computer Management console is not showing Local Users and Groups??

Its a domain controller?

I think messing up this database is a career ender!

Not familiar with VMware. Is there any info as the number of servers are growing at an alarming rate?

Computer Management console is not showing Local Users and Groups?? We don't currently have a domain controller (my net job) its just a server with Windows server 2012 R2 runnig SQL server. I just want to add another account login to restrict access to a particular folder if i cant add another disk partition.

What happens if you start the console for local users? its just blank?
or open an elevated command prompt and run

lusrmgr.msc

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Can you show us a screenshot of your Windows Disk Management?

>>Not familiar with VMware. Is there any info as the number of servers are growing at an alarming rate?

I'd get a supplier that creates a decent VMware (or other hypervisor) infrastructure for you.
Your requirements (or your user's requirements) are needed to decide about how complex it will be.
I.e. if  high availability is required, distributed on different locations and so on...

In addtion you can migrate your physical servers to your virtualization.

Don't bother with a supplier, realistically it's so simple.

Get 2 or more servers, that's a minimum, I'd personally go with 4 and then have excellent redundancy.

take those 4 boxes, install ESXi 6.7 on there.

deploy your 6.7 VCSA

Preferably get some sort of shared storage, if you have a SAN perfect, if not, get some MSA's or use the internal disks, I'd probably RAID6 them.

Get HBA's to connect between the hosts, you'll also need a fibre switch, this is for your V-Motion network etc. You could stick it with some 1GB network cards, team them up for 2Gb.

Use VMware converter, convert the physical host over to your new cluster.

Take all your other servers, virtualise those off.

Get some Nice HP DL360 Gen10's

You could get the hardware for as little as £15k easily. Maybe even less.

Can you show us a screenshot of your Windows Disk Management? Here is a screen shot of the computer management console showing no option for Local Users and Groups  

go to

Control Panel\All Control Panel Items

then user accounts, you should see it in there. Yes, you can copy and paste that into your explorer window

regards

Alex

What happens if you start, i.e. from prompt or via Run...

lusrmgr.msc

Select allOpen in new window

Hi get the message 'The Computer is a domain controller' which is a revelation. I inherited this server and thought it had just been setup to run our SQL database!  I am in the process of adding a dedicated domain server which i assume will cause problems if i connect it to the older server with oour SQL database on it?

That's great. Solves my partition problem. Not sure what to do about the SQL server being a domain server? Is it a full rebuild to swap its setup/role or can i still connect my dedicated domain server and maybe swap the SQL server out later if you see what i mean?

How do you go about demoting the SQL server? Is it a reinstall/rebuild?

The New SQL server sounds like the safer option.

Many Thanks