In this short guide, we’ll look at how you can partition a hard drive in Windows 10. It differs from similar materials in that we use a snap-in called “Disk Management” to solve this problem. Even though the built-in tool does not have much of the functionality that is inherent in utilities from Acronis or the free AOMEI, it is easy to learn, easy to use, and completely safe.
Launching the application
To run a program in Windows 10 that allows you to partition your hard drive, we will use the control panel.
- Go to the “Control Panel” using the shortcut, the WinX menu or the search bar.
- We launch its applet called “System and Security” when visualizing elements as categories. When displaying elements as icons, move on to the next step.
- In the “Administration” section, click on the “Create and format hard disk volumes” link.
The “Computer Management” window will appear before the user’s gaze, allowing you to divide the hard drive into logical partitions.
Shrink a partition to create a new one
In Windows 10, as well as previous editions of the window OS, you can split the disk into several, using the free space on the original volume/media.
Explanation: if you want to make several from one partition, make sure that there is free space on it, at least a few percent (and preferably 10% due to incredible defragmentation) more than is required to create the partition.
To create a new disk, you need to “bite off” some of the free space from an existing volume.
- Call up the context menu of the partition that we plan to split in Windows 10, and select the “Compress volume...” command from the drop-down menu.
- We wait while the hard drive is polled and checked.
The procedure can take up to several minutes on damaged and bulky media, and if there are a fair number of bad sectors on the surface of the magnetic platters of the drive, you will have to check it and then correct the damaged areas.
- At the end of the procedure, a window will appear where you must enter the size of the compressed space.
The specified volume will be used to create new partition(s). The size of the original disk, which it will become after compression, is displayed in the last column.
After a few seconds, the Disk Management utility window will refresh, as a result of which the partition table will change visually slightly: the hard drive will acquire a new area called “Undefined”.
Create a new section
The disk is compressed, and an unallocated, that is, unused by Windows 10, area is allocated to form a new partition.
- To turn unallocated space into a full-fledged partition, you need to call up its context menu and select “Create a simple volume.”
- In the first window of the simple partition creation wizard, click “Next”.
- In the second window, set the desired volume of the new volume (the maximum value will be entered by default) if you need to create several partitions. Otherwise, we don’t touch anything.
- Select a free letter label from the drop-down list and click on the “Next” button.
- In the formatting window, set the desired parameters and click “Next”.
It is better to choose NTFS as a file system due to support for files larger than 4 GB.
After a few seconds, Windows 10 will prepare the hard drive with the new partition scheme for use. Now the new volume can be used to store personal data, install another operating system (for example, any of the Linux distributions) or install Windows from a hard drive, which eliminates the need to create a bootable USB flash drive.
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Logical partitions, if not for all, then for most users of Windows systems, are very popular and in demand, since they provide more opportunities for working and saving information. Let's see how to partition a hard drive in Windows 10 without losing data in different situations.
Why is disk partitioning required, and how does it work?
As you know, logical volumes are convenient to use because if the system fails and is subsequently reinstalled, information is erased only in the system partition, that is, where Windows is installed. It does not disappear from the logical volume and remains untouched. Of course, previously installed programs will have to be reinstalled, but the documents corresponding to them will be saved and can be opened in the future without problems.
The logical partitions themselves, although they are virtual, are in fact the same hard drive on which a certain space is reserved, which is not affected even during the process of formatting the system volume.
As for partitioning in Windows 10, there may be several options for action. Among the main ones are the following:
- disk partitioning during system installation;
- creating partitions in an already installed system;
- partitioning if there is unallocated space on the hard drive.
Based on this list, you can determine the procedure that will be used in each specific case.
How to partition a hard drive in Windows 10 when installing the system?
The simplest situation is the initial installation of Windows. How to partition a disk in Windows 10 during installation? As easy as pie! If you look closely at any installation distribution, regardless of the system version, at the stage of selecting disks for installation, it will offer to format the hard drive. In this case, you can use two options: full formatting without partitioning into volumes and formatting with the creation of a system partition (where it will subsequently be installed) and logical volumes (one or more) at the user’s request.
In this case, the solution to the problem of how to partition a disk in Windows 10 comes down only to choosing the second option. First, you need to use the button to create a new partition (New) in the installer window and specify its size. This way you can create several volumes by repeating the operation as many times as necessary, without forgetting about the total volume of the hard drive.
Next, you should format the created partitions. This is done by selecting one of the created sections and then pressing the start button for the process. To continue the installation at the next stage, you will be offered a choice: which partition will be the system partition, that is, where to install Windows? Select the desired volume and wait for the system installation to complete. As a result, the user will receive system and logical volumes.
How to partition a hard drive in Windows 10 after installation?
The installation is simple. But some users are wondering how to partition a disk in Windows 10 when the system is already installed. Probably, at the installation stage, the partition was skipped by the user himself, if only because formatting takes a lot of time.
But few people know that starting with Windows 7, systems have their own tools that allow you to partition a hard drive in an already running operating system without losing information. This tool is called Disk Management.
You can access this utility from the “Control Panel”, where you will then have to select the security, administration, creation and formatting sections, that is, take a roundabout route. In the “ten”, the easiest way to access this tool is to right-click on the “Start” button (the corresponding line will be indicated in the menu that appears).
If you need to split a system partition, you should first disable system protection. This is done from the volume properties menu, where the settings button is used in the properties window in the protection tab. We select the system volume and enable the line to disable protection, after which we confirm our actions.
Now suppose we currently have two partitions: C - system, D - logical. We need to create a third partition. How to partition a disk in Windows 10 in this case? First you need to decide on the partition that has the largest volume (usually volume D), although this is not very important. We right-click on it with the manipulator (mouse), and then select the compression command from the menu. You will have to wait a little while for the process to complete (this may take up to several tens of minutes). When finished, the new size will be indicated in the Explorer window.
When the volume polling is completed, we need to specify the amount of disk space that we want to reserve for the new volume. When you click on the “Compress” button, the corresponding procedure will begin. The fact that it is active can only be judged by the spinning circle of the cursor when it is hovered over the program window. The completion of the process can only be determined when a black bar appears at the bottom of the window, indicating unallocated space of the previously specified size.
Please note that the size of the new volume must be specified in megabytes. For example, to create a 50 GB partition, you should specify the value 51200 MB. This is where disk partitioning ends for now.
Creating partitions from unallocated space
At the next stage, you need to make a full-fledged logical partition from the unallocated space, on which you could save information or install another operating system other than Windows 10 there.
To do this, right-click on unallocated space to open a menu in which you select the command to create a simple volume. In the launched “Wizard” we follow its instructions. No need to change size. This is done only if it is intended to create more than one partition from the unallocated space. The next step is to assign a Latin letter to the new section (for example, X), after which you will be asked to format the new section. Leave the default settings and activate the process by clicking the “Finish” button. Now all that remains is to wait for it to complete. All! A new section has been created. For the system volume, the actions are similar, only drive C is selected as the source.
Third party utilities
If one of the users does not want to use the built-in system tools, the problem of how to partition a disk in Windows 10 can be solved using highly specialized programs designed exclusively for this purpose.
Some of the most powerful and popular utilities are programs like Partition Magic and Acronis Disk Director. They have their own “Wizard”, which makes it easier to go through all the stages in the process of creating new sections. However, in some stages the steps above are similar (for example, specifying the volume size). The process itself is almost completely automated.
Conclusion
Finally, it remains to add that there is nothing complicated in the processes of partitioning the disk space of a hard drive in all the above situations. Issues related to what to use are decided by the owner of the computer or laptop. Inexperienced users can be advised to use automated utilities, but administrators or advanced users are still better off using the built-in tools of the system.
It is not always possible to create the required number of local disks during the installation of the operating system. For some users, this need arises during the operation of the computer - an overabundance of information requires order. In this case, the flexibility of the Windows 10 operating system allows you to configure the hard drive at any time.
How to allocate local disks on Windows 10
Why is this necessary? Initially, when installing Windows on a new machine, there is only one media, known to most users as the letter “C”. It stores the operating system itself, all system files and programs installed during operation. If you do not split the hard drive, then all user files (movies, music, photos and documents) will be saved here. Then, if Windows crashes or is reinstalled, these files will disappear along with the system ones, unless they are transferred to some third-party media (which takes a lot of time and is quite inconvenient).
All these problems can be solved simply - before you start using Windows, it is advisable to divide the hard drive into several partitions (maximum 4) and store user files on a separate partition from the system.
How to distribute a hard drive and create a partition on it
Distributing hard drives into partitions is possible both using third-party programs and using the operating system itself. And as long as standard tools help manage disk space, we see no point in using other methods. Therefore, we will describe step by step how to create partitions using Windows 10 itself.
- Right-click on the Start menu.
- Select “Disk Management” from the list.
- Now let's allocate free space to create a partition. Select the signed media (C:), right-click, and select “Compress volume.”
- In the dialog box that appears, we see information about the total size of the hard drive before compression begins and the space available for compression. In the “Size of compressed space” field, we enter the amount of memory that we want to free.
- After we are sure that we have entered everything correctly, click the “Compress” button and wait. After compression, look at the bottom bar in the active window. A new sector with unallocated (that is, free) memory has appeared on the right. This is a place vacated as a result of our actions.
- Right-click on the sector and select the first item - “Create a simple volume”.
- Then everything is simple - click the next button. If we decide to assign our own letter of the alphabet to the storage, we do this in the third window (in the picture).
In the next window, in the “Volume Label” field, we can also enter the desired name for the disk space. We don't change anything else. At the end, click “Done”.
- Now open “Explorer” and in “My Computer” we see the disk we created.
Important! The size is indicated in megabytes. 1 gigabyte contains 1024 megabytes. This means that if we want to free up 10 GB, then it will be equal to 10240 MB. Please take this into account when entering a number.
How to change the logical drive letter
In general, why all this walking through the English alphabet? Sometimes the reason is the desire to “beautify”. Another reason is habit. For example, on the old computer there was a certain system for arranging sections, and on the new one I want to transfer this order. But mostly this is necessary for order in Windows itself. The fact is that when installing Windows 10, letters are assigned in automatic order: the storage with system files receives the letter C, the DVD (CD) drive receives the letter D, and the remaining letters are “distributed” to local storage and USB devices.
Changing the name for the media occurs in the same Disk Management utility in which we created the new partition (local). Select the desired media, right-click on it, select “Change drive letter...”. Then everything is simple. And, of course, you understand that simply swapping letters won’t work. First, we assign the letter F to drive D, for example. Then we change the carrier E to D. And only then we return to F (former D) and give it the letter E.
How to remove a local disk
Everything happens in the same Disk Management utility. Select the media to be deleted, right-click, select “Change drive letter...”. In the dialog box that opens, click the “Delete” button and agree with the question that appears. Ready. Now we see the freed up space as a memory sector labeled “Not allocated”.
Important! Before deleting, transfer all necessary data from one medium to another, since deleting will erase all data.
Why can't I delete a volume?
There are several reasons for this:
- It is not possible to delete a local drive that stores Windows system files, boot files, or the so-called “swap file.”
- Your account does not have System Administrator rights. Then try going to the control utility via “Start” - “Control Panel” - “System and Security” - “Administration” - “Creating and formatting hard disk partitions”.
- Well, sometimes they confuse the impossibility of deleting a volume with the impossibility of deleting a partition. If you cannot delete a partition, then first you need to delete all volumes from it (remember to copy the necessary information) and only then delete the partition.
"Reserved by Windows 10"
The section with this inscription contains service data necessary for the operation of Windows (Windows boot loader parameters and data for hard drive encryption). The disk itself, as a rule, takes up little space - about 100–350 MB. Sometimes the user has a desire to remove it, despite its small size. However, removing this drive requires special skills, so we will describe a method to hide this drive from File Explorer.
Open the Disk Management utility, select the partition labeled “Reserved by the system,” right-click and select “Change letter...”. Click the “Delete” button. In this case, we will confirm the deletion twice - as a warning about the use of this section will appear. Now you need to restart your computer. Done - the disk has disappeared from Explorer.
How to create a network drive
It is necessary to be able to simultaneously access data over a local network (office work, schools, universities).
In Explorer, right-click on the My Computer icon. Select "Map network drive". Select a letter for the name. Select the path to the shared resource (a folder that will be shared) by clicking on the “Browse” button. Next, enter the login and password of the account with which we will connect to this medium.
Ready. Now in Explorer there is the network drive we created.
The flexibility of the Windows 10 operating system allows you to configure local disks using standard tools while working with the system: create, merge, rename, delete. The main rule of all manipulations is to retain information before each serious action. Successful work!
On many users' computers, the installed HDD or SSD disk in the operating system is divided into one or maximum two volumes. By doing this, users expose themselves to serious problems when the system crashes and needs to be reinstalled and the hard drive formatted. In this case, all information will be lost (how to restore it later, read the article “Recovering information on disks using the Disk Drill program for Windows”). To insure yourself against such a situation, read how to divide your hard drive into 2 parts in Windows 10.
Separation
You can divide a physical HDD into several volumes in various ways, depending on whether Windows 10 is installed on your computer or you are just going to do it.
Built-in tools
Partitioning a system hard drive can be done even when the OS is stable, but the user is not satisfied with the current division of memory between volumes. This can be done using standard Windows 10 tools.
- RMB on the Start menu → Disk Management.
An alternative option for launching the utility: press Win+R and enter the command diskmgmt.ms c. - Select the volume that you want to split into two (they are indicated at the top of the utility window).
- RMB on it → Shrink volume → a window will open in which the system will offer to free up space to create a new disk.
Important! Do not “trim” the original volume completely (especially if the OS is installed on it), this will disrupt the stability of the computer.
- Specify the desired size → Shrink → a new area labeled “Free” will appear at the bottom of the window.
- RMB on it → Create a new volume → the Creation Wizard will open.
- Specify the size and letter of the new volume (read how to change the letter of an existing disk in the article “”).
- At the “Format Partition” stage, leave all the default values (preferably!) or select the ones you need → Next → Finish.
The video shows the breaking process clearly.
During OS installation
Dividing a disk into several volumes can be done when installing Windows 10 on a computer from an installation DVD or flash drive.
Important! This method involves completely deleting information stored on the disk that will be divided.
Using software
There are programs that help divide the HDD into several volumes.
Aomei Partition Assistant
The program is Russified, and the separation process is very simple. Therefore, anyone can use Aomei Partition Assistant, even without special skills.
Acronis Disk Director
The utility is shareware, but it offers many useful options when working with a physical disk.
Conclusion
You can divide a disk into two volumes in Windows 10 using standard tools or special programs, as well as during installation of the OS on your computer. But in the latter case, the information stored on the media will be completely deleted.
Read, how to partition an HDD or SSD disk using the tools built into Windows 10. Detailed step-by-step instructions. The hard drive is one of the main elements of modern computers, allowing you to record, process and store all information from the user and the computer control system. For user convenience, the space on internal hard drives is segmented (“partitioned”). Partitioning is usually used to separate operating system files from other user files.
Content:
Hard disk partitions
Your internal hard drive may already have two or three partitions. The computer technician initially did all the partitioning work for you. But there are times when you need to change the configuration of an existing partition or split it into two or more partitions. As it may seem at first, this is a very complicated process, but it’s not like that. And although the procedure for partitioning a hard drive requires special care and caution, it is still simple enough that any responsible user can perform it. It also does not require the installation of third-party applications, which makes its use more convenient.
Device Manager has a built-in feature called "Disk Management", which allows you to divide your disk into partitions, and is quite easy to use. If you are using the Windows 10 Creators Update or higher version of the operating system, then you can use the function "Disk Management" to partition a USB drive or SD card. However, in this article we will only talk about the hard drive partitioning method.
So, using our algorithm, you can partition both internal and external hard drive. If you have a solid state hard drive (SSD), you can also partition it using the same method.
Prerequisites
To partition a hard drive into "Windows 10" you must have administrator rights and have access to the hard drive connected to your operating system. If you plan to partition your external hard drive, make sure it is placed comfortably on a surface that will prevent it from accidentally being disconnected during the partitioning process.
Understanding Concepts
A hard drive is a mechanical element. To understand the principle of partitioning a hard drive, let's draw an analogy with an apartment. Imagine a studio apartment in front of you, when the entire space around is one large room and an adjacent bathroom. This is a blank hard drive when it is not yet partitioned, representing one large amount of storage space with one small partition for the recovery drive.
Suppose now you decide to turn this one-room studio apartment into a regular apartment, that is, add additional rooms. Essentially, what you have decided to do is to divide your apartment into different parts, similar to dividing your hard drive into partitions. When you start laying walls to divide your studio apartment space, you have complete freedom of choice to decide where the first wall will go, that is, how big or small your first section will be. Once you have successfully partitioned your hard drive into two partitions, your options for partitioning your hard drive are reduced. And you need to be careful when you divide the next section.
Please remember that there is a limit to the number of partitions you can create. If your hard drive has a way to store disk partition information "MBR", you can create up to four partitions and no more. If your disk's storage method is "GPT", then you can create an infinite number of partitions.
Check how disk partition information is stored
To determine how disk partition information is stored, follow these steps: On your desktop, right-click on the shortcut "This computer" "Device Manager".
In the dialog box that opens, select the section "Disk devices". You will see a list of hard drives installed on your computer. Mark the desired disk and right-click on it, select the link in the menu that appears "Properties".
In the dialog box " Properties" In chapter "Tom" click the button "Fill in".
All available information about your disk will be listed in the section "Disk Information". Review the line to see which disk partition information storage method is used on your drive.
Hard drive partitioning
To begin, on your desktop, right-click on the shortcut "This computer" and select the link from the pop-up menu "Control".
A dialog box will open in front of you "Computer Management". Select a section from the side menu on the left side of the screen "Disk Management".
In the middle pane of the dialog box, you will see a list of all partitions on the selected hard drive. In our case, we will create a section in an existing section "E". If you have a disk without partitions, then follow the same algorithm for it. Click on your unpartitioned drive (in our case, partition "E") right-click and select the link. Computer Management Service "Windows 10" will check what is the maximum amount of disk space you can use to create a new partition. It does this to ensure that none of your files are lost after the splitting procedure is complete. The newly created partition will not contain any files.
For example, if you have a 1 TB hard drive with 800 GB of stored files, then you cannot and should not attempt to make partitions of 500 GB each. Computer Management Service "Windows" will not be able to shrink the volume beyond the area where the non-movable files are located. Therefore, after receiving the results of the available space for compression, select the size of the future partition, taking into account the proposed options. It's best if you don't have any saved files on disk, although this isn't always the case (as in our case).
Be careful when choosing the partition size - this is really the only tricky part. Make sure that the size of the new partition does not exceed the dimensions indicated in the line "Space available for compression (MB)". Next, the whole process is no longer difficult, click the button "Compress" to launch it.
Then grant Computer Management permission to assign the new partition, that is, assign a letter to the partition. And also answer the service’s question about the need to format the newly created partition. It is better to format it right away to fully prepare the partition for work. Upon completion, a new section will appear in the middle menu bar "Computer Management" next to existing sections.
If the new partition appears as space "RAW", right-click on it and select format from the context menu. This completes the hard drive partitioning procedure. If you want, you can divide the disk space of your hard drive into as many partitions as you need. However, remember that the number of partitions you can create directly depends on how you store information on your hard drive (no more than four partitions for "MBR" and an unlimited number of sections for "GPT").
If you install "Windows" and plan to divide your hard drive into partitions, then the best solution would be to use a standard service "Windows" for disk management. It greatly simplifies the process of creating, dividing and formatting partitions in "Windows".