How to partition a hard drive

Hard drives must be partitioned before they can be formatted in Windows

The first thing to do after installing a hard drive is to partition it.  You need to partition the hard drive, and then format it, before you can use it to store data.

To partition a hard drive in Windows, a section of it closes the part and makes that part available in the operating system.  Most of the time, the "part" of the hard drive is the entire usable space, but it is also possible to create multiple partitions on the hard drive.

Don't worry if you find that the volume is not as high as on a hard drive in Windows and usually only takes a few minutes.

To partition a hard drive in Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP, follow these simple steps:

How to partition a hard drive in Windows

Note: If your ultimate goal is to install Windows on the drive, a manual partition (as well as formatting) hard drive is not required.  Both of these processes are included as part of the installation process, which means you don't have to create the drive yourself.

Open Disk Management is a tool included in all versions of Windows that allows you to partition drives, among many other things.

Note: In Windows 10 and Windows 8 / 8.1, Disk Management is the easiest way to start.  You can also start disk management via command-line in any version of Windows, but for most people the computer management method is probably the best.
See What is the Windows version?  If you are not sure

When Disk Management opens, you will see an initial disk window with the message "You must initialize the disk before the logical disk manager can access it."

Tip: Don't worry if this window doesn't appear.  There are legal reasons you can't see - if there's a problem we'll know right away if you don't see this then go to step 4.

Note: In Windows XP, you will see a Start and Convert Disk Wizard screen instead.  Follow that wizard, make sure you do not select the option to "convert" the disk, unless you are sure you need it.  Skip to step 4 when done

On this screen, you are asked to select the partition style for the new hard drive.

Select GPT if the new hard drive you installed is 2 TB or larger Select MBR if it is smaller than 2 TB.  Tap or click OK after making your selection.

Tip: Check out our guide on how to check free hard drive space in Windows and how you can choose the right partition style to find out how big your hard drive is.

Find the hard drive you want to partition from the Drive Map at the bottom of the Disk Management window.

Tip: You may need to maximize the Disk Management or Computer Management window to see all the drives at the bottom.  The undivided drive will not appear in the drive list at the top of the window.

Note: If the hard drive is new, it will probably be on a dedicated row labeled Disk 1 (or 2, etc.) and will be called unlocked.  If the space you want to partition is part of an existing drive, you will see it unlocked next to the existing partitions on that drive.

Important: If you cannot see the drive, you may install it incorrectly.  Turn off your computer and double check that the hard drive is installed properly.

Once you find the space you want to partition, tap and hold anywhere on it or right-click and select a new simple volume ....

In Windows XP, the option is called the new partition ....

Tap New or click Next> New Simple Volume Wizard window that appears

In Windows XP, the Select Partition Type screen appears next, where you should select the primary partition.  The extended partition option is only useful if you are creating five or more partitions on a single physical hard drive.  Click Next after clicking Selection..

To confirm the size of the drive you create, tap or click Next> Specify the volume size specified.

Note: The default size you see in plain size in MB: field must be equal to the amount shown in the maximum disk space in MB: field.  This means that you are creating a partition equal to the total available space on the physical hard drive.

Tip: You're welcome to create multiple partitions, which will eventually become multiple, independent drives in Windows.  To do this, calculate how many pages you want to create those drives and repeat those steps and how to create those partitions.

Tap or click Next> On the Assign Drive letter or Path step, the default drive letter you see is OK with you.

Note: Windows automatically assigns the first available drive letter, excluding A&B, which will be D or E on most computers.  You are welcome to assign the following drive letter option for anything that is available.

Tip: You are also welcome to change the character assigned to this hard drive if you wish.  See how to change Windows Letters.

Select Do not format this volume on the Format Partition step and then tap or click Next>

Note: If you know what you're doing, feel free to format the drive as part of this process.  However, since this tutorial focuses on partitioning the hard drive in Windows, I have skipped formatting in another tutorial, which is connected to the last step below.

Size Type: Easy Volume

Disk Selected: Disk 1

Size size: 10206 MB

Drive character or path: D:

File system: None

Allocation Unit Size: Default

Note Because your computer and hard drive don't look exactly like mine, your fragment selection preferences, volume size, and drive character or path values differ from what you see then. Train system By no means do I want to convey that I recommend for the mama to be inactive.

Tap or click the Finish button and partition the Windows drive, a process that will only take a short time on utmost computers.

Note You can see that your cursor is busy during this time. Once the new drive letter( D in my illustration) appears in the list at the top of Disk Management, you know that the partitioning process is complete.

Next, Windows tries to open a new drive. Still, it isn't yet formatted and can not be used, so you'll see" You need to format in Drive D before you can use it. Do you want to format it?" Rather

Note This only happens in Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7. You will not see it in Windows Vista or Windows XP, and that isfine.However, just go to step 14

If you are using those performances of Windows.

Tap or click Cancel and also do to step 14 below.

Cock If you're familiar with the generalities associated with hard drive formatting, choose Format Disk rather. You can use our coming tutorial as a general companion if demanded.

Follow our instructions on how to format a hard drive in the Windows tutorial for instructions on formatting this partitioned drive so you can use it.

Detailed partition

Windows doesn't allow anyone to produce but has created veritably introductory partition operation, but there are numerous software programs that can help you if you need it.

Check out our free fragment partition operation software for Windows Disk for an over- to- date review of these tools and further information about what you can do with them.

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This is Mukesh Raj

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