I cannot move a Kubuntu partition at the right of a Windows 10

[nicrnicr]

Dear All,

You can see in the partition- picture how it is. I fail to make the Windows partition (I guess sda1, sda2 and sda3) bigger, even after deactivating the swap. When I move the left frontier of sda4 to the right in order to give the unallocated space to Windows, KDE Partition manager asks me if I really want to do it and thereafter KDE Partition manager quits (disappears). Please, would you know what am I doing wrong?

[oshunluvr]

What's a "Windows" partition? In other words, that term does not describe what you're try to do. Use partition device names so anyone else can figure out what you are asking, like sda4, sda5, etc.

[oshunluvr]

Start by opening a terminal and posting the output of

sudo fdisk -l /dev/sda

[nicrnicr]

Thank you very much oshunluvr for your answer!
I beg your pardon: Windows 10 should be sda1, sda2 and sda3.
Otherwise:

kubuntu@kubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l /dev/sda 
Disk /dev/sda: 465.8 GiB, 500107862016 bytes, 976773168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x9a91e749

Device     Boot     Start       End   Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sda1              63     80324     80262  39.2M de Dell Utility
/dev/sda2  *        81920   1617919   1536000   750M  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3         1617920 177500584 175882665  83.9G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda4       177502206 976768064 799265859 381.1G  f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5       870658803 905548530  34889728  16.7G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda6       707235840 854464511 147228672  70.2G 83 Linux
/dev/sda7       854465283 870658739  16193457   7.7G 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda8       287576064 707233791 419657728 200.1G 83 Linux

Partition 1 does not start on physical sector boundary.
Partition 4 does not start on physical sector boundary.
Partition 5 does not start on physical sector boundary.
Partition 7 does not start on physical sector boundary.
Partition table entries are not in disk order.
kubuntu@kubuntu:~$

[nicrnicr]

And the same problem occurs for the last unallocated 33.96 GiB: I cannot get rid of them.

[oshunluvr]

See that part about table entries not in order? The last or farthest "right" is sda5, then next to it is sda7, etc. Here's what the table looks like sorted properly:

Device     Boot     Start       End   Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sda1              63     80324     80262  39.2M de Dell Utility
/dev/sda2  *        81920   1617919   1536000   750M  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3         1617920 177500584 175882665  83.9G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda4       177502206 976768064 799265859 381.1G  f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda8       287576064 707233791 419657728 200.1G 83 Linux
/dev/sda6       707235840 854464511 147228672  70.2G 83 Linux
/dev/sda7       854465283 870658739  16193457   7.7G 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda5       870658803 905548530  34889728  16.7G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

But no matter, you should be able to move the "left" boundary of sda4 to the right. The problem you're having is you're booting to Linux and trying to move locked partitions. Boot to a live Gparted USB and move the sda4 boundary as far as you need. Then expand the Windows partition. I'm not commenting on how to do that as I don't use Windows in that way, but I believe the Windows disk manager can do it.

[nicrnicr]

Thank you oshunluvr for your answer.
I use a USB flash-drive with Kubuntu 16.04 on it since the beginning. I already could change the size of the partitions sda6 and sda8, but not that of sda4 (with a desactivated swap) which is my problem.

The table entries are not in order because as I installed Kubuntu 16.04 the computer advised me that it is better to do it automatically with sda8 on the left of sda6 (the letter has been installed after Windows).

If I cannot do it from an USB flash drive, I will try from Windows and will write later the result.

[oshunluvr]

The screenshot you posted showed swap active and locked and therefore, sda4 locked as well. I doubt Windows will be able to do anything - it won't recognize the non-ntfs partitions at all. I would download and use a LiveUSB of Gparted. It has all the tools you need on it.

[nicrnicr]

Thank you oshunluvr for your explanations. I*wanted to give more space to Windows at the left, because each time that I use it, it writes every 10 minutes "I need space in Part D (which is sda5), please do something". I always have been thinking, that this Part D is sda3, but it is wrong. Part D is sda5.
I find it very curious that Windows cries for more space at the very right of the partition.
I remember that I made this sda5 as little as possible to have the biggest parts for Kubuntu 14.04 and Kubuntu 16.04 and I remember that the last unallocated space of 33.96 GiB wasn't usable.
So I*can give space to sda5 frome Kubuntu 14.04 with KDE partition manager an I think that I have to use Gparted live to be able to use the last unallocated space.

[mr_raider]

KDE partition manager has some issues in 16.04.
Try using a live usb of kubuntu 17.10.

Alternatively, you can install gparted in the live environment

sudo apt install gparted

[nicrnicr]

Thank you again oshunluvr, I could make sda5 bigger with Gparted live. And I*no longer need to move the 52.49 GiB of the unallocated space (in the extended) part to sda3 which is outside the extended part.

Thank you very much mr_raider for your remark and proposition!

[oshunluvr]

Glad you figured it out. Lesson learned here I hope: Be very precise when you're mucking about with your drive partitions. You basically guessed which partition needed expansion and almost went through what can be a dangerous process (to your data safety) only to find you needed to do something else all along. Take the time to over-inform yourself about which partition holds what to ensure you don't accidentally wipe the wrong one.

You might want to correctly sort your partition names so it's not so confusing when you look at your drive in the future. I also recommend always using label when you format a partition. Notice in partition manager how the Dell and Windows partitions have labels? Label your other partition in the same fashion. This may help keep things straight.