Hello,
I dualbooted my windows 10 with Zorin OS 16. I really like the OS and would like to dedicate more space towards it (Originally had 40 GB, adding 100 GB), but for some reason I am unable to extend my main volume with the "unallocated space". The option to extend is simply not there with the visual UI. (gparted)
I have tried running gparted from a USB to extend the Zorin volume, but also no success. Does anyone know how I can safely extend my Zorin volume to take up all unallocated space?
Moving (Or increasing) a partition volume requires the unallocated space be directly adjacent to the volume you are moving (Or expanding.)
From your screenshot, your Zorin OS installation is sandwiched between two existing partitions and not adjacent to the unallocated space you wish to use.
Thanks for the reply, is there anything that can be done to reorder the partition the correct way?
Yes... though not a very fun way.
Really, the EFI partition should be First On the Drive. So while not fun... It would be a good idea to set some time aside to do so.
This would also allow you to size all partitions the way you want.
The easiest and safest, though least fun - would be to Back Up all your stuff.
Then reinstall all your Operating systems, in order.
EFI partition at the start, then install each system after.
Another knowledgeable user, like @337harvey may be able to walk you through the more tedious prospect of rearranging everything without reinstalling. For me, personally.. it is not worth the risk. If any data gets corrupted in the process (which would not be difficult to happen on Windows or on Zorin... More likely on Windows, even because it fragments), it can really mess you up.
Sounds awful, I am way too unexperienced with this to do something drastic like that.
My zorin OS is brand new, so reinstalling it but with a larger volume might be the best option for now.
If you wouldn't mind, would you check the windows fast boot option and hibernation in windows? You can find a how to get there and change these things in:
https://forum.zorin.com/t/before-you-install/1410/3
It seems windows has the partition locked.... you may want create a partition in windows, make it fat32. Then in the live image look and see if it has the star on it like your zorin partition. That means it's got the bootable attribute still turned on, making it unusable by anything but windows. These are just possibilities. It may take a little sleuthing if one of these don't unlock it first.
I've been reading up on efi, mainly because of issues i has in the past but because of others issues in here as well. As much as you would like to reorder the partition, out of tradition, it is unnecessary in efi. GPT doesn't care in which order the partitions are. All of the bootable efi partitions could be at the back of the drive, it wouldn't matter. It will work correctly either way.
The problem that you will have though is in creating or extending partitions. Yes, they can be shifted. No, they can't be moved over another partition. The GPT doesn't understand that. To extend your zorin partition you, once the unallocated is unlocked, you will have to 'move' the partitions to the left into the unallocated space. Windows can't have a lock in the drive for this to work, and it still may break your windows (though i have seen it done successfully, and done it myself without corruption). It's a tedious process of move, reboot, move reboot... until you have the space available to extend the Zorin partition. If you resize the windows partition, it has to be on the right or end of the partition. You will corrupt it if you expand left or before.
Once you check on windows fast boot and hibernation, ensuring they are off (as well as all updates paused and no scheduled checkdisk operations... these will also lock the drive) , i can walk you through the process. You must pay attention and be aware of each step though, otherwise you will be reinstalling. Definitely back up your windows user folder to the ntfs partition at the end, as well as your zorin /home folder (can be as simple as copy and paste).
Let me know your decision and results of that check in fast boot and hibernation.
I disabled everything you've mentioned here and in your linked post.
I honestly tought of reinstalling, but this sounds like a good learning opertunity for sure. If you'd be willing to lead me thru the process I'd really appericiate it
On a quick extra note however: I would like to upgrade to Zorin Pro at some point. It seems from the website's instructions that will require a reinstall regardless.
Yes it will.
Backup your home and user folders to a usb thumb drive (will probably need about 4 gb)... the drive should be at least 8gb.
Now that those two are off, defamed the drive. Once that's done you're going to create a fat32, if you haven't already, in that unallocated space and then not into the zorin image.
In the Zorin image, open gparted, searchable from the app menu search box.
Take a look at each partition on there. If the fat32 you just created has a star, you can hit the gears and click edit then uncheck the boot box. Hit apply or ok. If a warning pops up saying that changes have to be committed to disk hit yes.
Then select that partition and hit the minus sign next to the gears, this will delete the partition. If it allows you to do this in gparted, you cleared the flags successfully and remove the lock in the drive from windows.
You have two decisions to make. Right now you have it setup to require the shortcut press to change from windows to zorin, it looks like. Do you want a menu at boot to choose or are you keeping this configuration? I can offer both sets of instructions, but I'd rather focus on doing it one way so as not to confuse you.
The other question, and it's a standard practice for many Linux users, do you want your home directory in a separate partition to make it easier to upgrade or reinstall? Or would you like to keep it in the Zorin partition?
Your answers will determine the direction we take next.
Please be specific in your responses. I understand you did the fast boot and hibernation, but it is unclear whether you followed all the steps in the before you install posting (bios secure boot and fast boot) or whether you created the fat32 partition.
Thanks for the reply,
I'll be honest that I do not fully understand the explanation (I probably forgot to mention that I do not know what I am doing). I could not find a definition for "defamed the drive", so I admittingly skipped that step.
I used some space to create a fat32 in my unallocated space, it did not show a star, boot flag or warning. It seems like the partition is not locked by windows.
Currently, I have a little zorin boot menu to pick between windows and zorin, I am not quite sure what you mean regarding a shortcut.
A home directory partition sounds useful, I'd definitely go with that. I originally just followed a quick toturial on dualbooting, I am not experienced in the topic.
I disabled fast boot, hibernation, secure boot and fast startup. I try my best to be as clear as I can, but its all a bit chinese to me right now 
Defragment... phone autocorrected it
I do understand. By the end of this you should understand a little more.
Ok, since windows is taking up a lot of your drive, let's add to that unallocated space. In gparted, the partition ending in n1p1, resize that partition by hitting the gear and choosing resize. In the new size box, drop the number to 350,000, that's 350 gb... more than enough for windows. You'll get a warning, hit yes.
Now you should have 544gb unallocated. Now we're going to move a few things.
Start with the next partition, which is the 500+mb efi partition. Hit the gear, and move. Try left clicking the partition, holding it, and drag it to the left till it stops (should be right against the windows partition, it may have a few mb gap which you won't be able to change).
If that doesn't work, you'll have to do it by numbers. If you wouldn't mind posting a screen shot of that dialog window, it would help. I don't move partitions often. Don't change any of the values if dragging it doesn't work.
You will have to reboot after this change and go back into the live image.
You're going to do the same with the next partition, select, gear, move. Leave about 100mb between the efi and the Zorin system partition. Again, reboot. At this point boot into windows to make sure there are no errors, then zorin on the hard drive. You shouldn't get any errors. Then boot back into the live image.
If either throw an error, you will have to reinstall that os. Windows shouldn't complain since we only made it smaller.
Once your back in the live image the rest is easy.
The Zorin system partition, n1p4, hit the gear and resize. You want it to go up, to at least 60,000mb if not more. This number is up to you and depends on what you plan on installing software-wise. If you want games that play in steam, make it larger than 100gb. Game sizes range from a few gigs to almost a hundred. Don't use the entire drive though.
In the unallocated space that's left, hit the plus and create a partition (add a name to it if you like). Format it as ext4 (this will be for your /home folder) and make it at least 60gb. This is where all your settings, plugins, documents, pictures, videos, downloads and other such personal data reside... size it accordingly.
If you want to have a shared data partition, a place to store things you want to access from both windows and zorin, or a backup partition, don't use the rest of the drive.
Gparted will show you a UUID for your home partition. Select it by left click and dragging over it, if possible. You'll need this number to put in fstab later. If you can't select and copy, write it down, being very careful to get it right. If one number is off, the mount will fail.
Now I've ran into an issue. My already existing fat32 is unable to move, I am guessing this was what you tried avoid from happening earlier
Paste the uuid into a text file and store it in your home directory (save as uuid.txt, in others, choose your system partition size,
home/[username]/Documents/ changing the[username] to the user id you used to log into zorin).
Reboot.
Go back into the live image. Open your file browser and click other locations. Select the drive size that is the equivalent of your zorin system partition (if you didn't label it). You will see the home folder. Right click and copy.
Click other locations again and you will be able to find the partition you created for home by size again. Double click to mount and access it. Ctrl + v or right click -> paste. If you don't trust what's on the system partition, restore from the usb key. Go back into your zorin system partition. Enter the home folder and boot ctrl + a, shift + delete key. Now you have a clean mount point.
Go back to the root folder and go into etc. Right click and choose open terminal here. In the terminal Type:
sudo gedit fstab
If it asks for a root password hit enter. It probably won't though.
An example to copy and paste, then edit:
UUID={Your-UUID-number-here] /home ext4 defaults 0 2
This can be edited with the number you wrote down or copied into the uuid.txt in your documents folder.
you can delete the fat32. It was just to check if the partition had a flag
Don't delete the efi partition.
I thought you had created the fat32 for the test...but I don't see it in the list.
Looks like we'll have to delete it. You can disregard the fstab entry. It will be the only way to move the Zorin system partition. You will have to use the installer, but it won't wipe everything out. I'll get to that.
So we're on the same page, and I understand what step you are at...did you backup your home folder to usb, or in windows partition even?
Fyi... if you delete the efi partition you will have to finish everything before rebooting