Most modern computer users, regardless of the installed operating systems, are used to the fact that the hard drive is divided into system and logical partitions. But sometimes, for example, when buying a new hard drive or SSD, the situation changes. It is required to partition the disk , since initially the manufacturer does not perform such procedures. The same applies to situations where an unreasonably large amount of space is reserved for the system partition, and it is desirable to use it more efficiently. To perform such actions, you can offer several simple solutions based on the use of standard Windows tools and third-party software.
Why do I need to create logical partitions?
A little distracting from the main topic, let's first look at why for all that it may be necessary to partition the hard drive. The advantages of such actions can be counted quite a lot. Most importantly, after the breakdown, the user receives a virtual partition on which saving important information will be more secure. What is this expressed in? Only in the fact that even during the “gathering” of Windows, when nothing but reinstallation helps, the reinstallation will be carried out in the system, and not the logical partition. Even when formatting drive “C”, the data stored in the virtual partition will not be affected (unless the system is installed in the virtual partition).
Another plus for professionals is the ability to install a second operating system, which in the modification differs from the main one, namely in a free logical partition without using various kinds of virtual machines.
Partitioning during the installation phase of the operating system
Now let's get to practice and see how to partition a disk even at the stage of installing the operating system.
At a certain stage, the installer will ask you about which section you want to install Windows if the option of selective installation is selected. On a new hard drive, you first need to delete the existing partition by clicking on the appropriate button so that unallocated space appears in the list.
After that, it can be divided into two partitions (system and virtual) by clicking the create partition button and specifying the required volume for the system disk. The second section is created in the same way, but you can choose not to specify the size manually, since it will correspond to the remaining unallocated space. You can enter a size value if you intend to create more than one logical partition.
Note: for all sections, it is recommended to immediately format (even quick), because at the end of the installation in the "Explorer" they may not be detected.
How to partition a disk in Windows 10 using regular tools?
Now a few words about similar operations in an already installed system. Before the seventh version of Windows, it was necessary to use only third-party programs for partitioning, but, starting with Windows 7, its own standard tool in the form of a disk management utility was integrated into the system. With its help, Windows allows you to split the disk in a few minutes, although the use of this toolkit seems somewhat more abstruse than the similar capabilities of third-party programs. We will dwell on them a little later, but for now we will consider the standard process.
First, you need to call the management section itself, using the administration or the Run console for this with the diskmgmt.msc command. For her, you must have administrator rights. If there is no start item on the administrator’s behalf in the menu, you can use the “Task Manager”, create a new task and enter the same command in the field that exactly matches the “Run” console, marking the task execution point as administrator.
How to split a disk in this editor? Very simple! Suppose we only have drive “C”.
First, through the RMB, the volume compression point is selected. The system will offer to free up all available space. This is not recommended. Leave at least 10-15 GB as a free reserve for the needs of the system (in general, it is recommended to keep unoccupied the volume of about 10% of the total size of the system partition).
After compression, an unallocated area will appear, for which, through the PCM menu, the item for creating a simple volume is selected, and then the "Wizard" will start, which will ask you about the size of the partition. If only one virtual disk is created, the value can be left unchanged. After that, it will be necessary to assign a letter to the section (for example, D) and accept the formatting proposal. Upon completion of all actions, a new section will appear in the file manager even without a reboot.
How to split a hard drive through the command line?
Now a few words about how to partition a disk using the universal diskpart tool, which works exclusively in the command console and is not called in any other way. To do this, you need to run a few simple commands.
The interpretation of each command in the above algorithm is generally not necessary for the average user. Attention should be paid only to the initial choice of the partition to be partitioned and the size of the created volume. The purpose of the letter of the disk, if not specified, will be done automatically.
AOMEI Partition Assistant
Finally, let's move on to specialized programs and see how to split a disk using AOMEI's assistant. Immediately, it can be noted that the program looks very much like the Windows Disk Management section, however, the actions performed in it are simpler and understandable to the average user.
In the application, it is enough to select the partition to be partitioned and use the partition partition option on the left menu, and then set the required parameters for both disks by moving the special slider. Next, to confirm the installed options, click OK, and to start the process, click the "Apply" button located on top.
Note: the partition will not be split right away, but after the restart of the computer system, and can take a lot of time, depending on the initial volume. The process itself will be launched before the start of Windows.
Minitool Partition Wizard App
This program in terms of actions resembles a past utility. Only in it, the Move / Resize item is first selected, and then the required parameters regarding the created partitions are also set using the fader. After that, the Create (Create) partition item is used, and then a simple volume is created (in this section you can not change anything, but just enter the label of the new disk). After clicking the Apply button from above, the main process starts.
Acronic Disk Director Package
Finally, let's see how to split a disk using this tool. Actually, almost the entire algorithm is exactly the same as the program just described, except for the need to create a simple volume.
Even a novice can handle such a utility. The main thing is not to overdo it with a decrease in the size of the system partition.
Brief conclusions
Here is a brief summary of all that applies to partitioning a disk into several components in the form of logical partitions. There is nothing particularly complicated here, but in terms of use, of course, the three programs described look much simpler than their own Windows tools, so those who do not understand the intricacies of such processes should be given preference to these software packages.