Running Windows Server 2003 with a cramped system partition is like trying to fit a data center into a closet. I recently faced this exact scenario where the C: drive was at 95% capacity, causing sluggish performance and event log errors. Here's how I solved it without reinstalling the OS.

Disk Cleanup and manual file transfers only provide temporary relief. The root issue is partition geometry, not just data accumulation. Server 2003's native disk management can't resize the system partition while mounted - that's where third-party tools come in.

After testing several utilities, these proved most effective for Windows Server 2003 SP2 environments:

1. EaseUS Partition Master (Commercial)
   - Bootable media option for offline resizing
   - Supports extending into both adjacent and non-adjacent space

2. GParted Live (Open Source)
   - Requires booting from USB/CD
   - Thorough filesystem checks before operations

3. AOMEI Partition Assistant
   - Sector-level alignment control
   - Preview mode shows exact changes before committing

For production servers, follow this sequence:

1. Create a full system backup using NTBackup
2. Defragment the target partition
3. Verify disk integrity: chkdsk c: /f /r
4. Run the partitioning tool in preview mode first
5. Schedule the actual resize during a maintenance window

For truly critical systems where even brief restarts are unacceptable, consider:

• Mounting additional storage as NTFS folders (e.g., C:\Program Files\ -> D:\Program Files\)
• Implementing symbolic links for specific directories: mklink /D C:\IISLogs D:\LogStorage\IIS
• Enabling NTFS compression on static data files

After successfully expanding the partition:

- Verify boot.ini points to correct partition
- Check disk signatures in registry (HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices)
- Confirm all services start properly
- Update your DR documentation with new partition layout

Running Windows Server 2003 in production environments often leads to system partition bloat over time. The scenario where the C: drive fills up with logs, updates, and application data is all too common. When cleaning and file transfers stop being effective, we need more surgical solutions.

For Windows Server 2003, these are your best options for non-destructive resizing:

1. Diskpart (Built-in but requires offline volume)
2. GParted Live CD (Requires reboot)
3. EaseUS Partition Master (Commercial but supports live resize)
4. AOMEI Partition Assistant (Server edition required)

True live resizing without any downtime is extremely challenging on Windows Server 2003 due to its older storage architecture. The closest we can get is using volume shadow copy services combined with partition tools.

If you have unallocated space elsewhere on disk, consider this PowerShell alternative:

# Create new partition in unallocated space
New-Partition -DiskNumber 0 -UseMaximumSize -AssignDriveLetter

# Format the new partition
Format-Volume -DriveLetter X -FileSystem NTFS -Confirm:$false

# Create junction point for problematic folders
cmd /c mklink /J "C:\Program Files\OldApps" "X:\Program Files\OldApps"

For critical system partition resizing, sometimes the only reliable method is:

1. Take full backup using ntbackup
2. Boot from Windows PE environment
3. Use diskpart to extend partition:

DISKPART> select volume 1
DISKPART> extend size=10240

For immediate relief without resizing, consider offloading to network storage:

net use Z: \\nas1\server_storage /persistent:yes
robocopy C:\IISLogs Z:\LogArchive /MOVE /R:1 /W:1 /LOG:C:\transfer.log