How To Partition A Hard Drive Windows 7/8

Contents

Windows 7/8
- Method 1: Using EaseUS Partition Master
- Method 2: Using Disk Management

After you install Windows on a computer, is recommended to make at least another hard drive partition where to keep regular files such as pictures, Word documents, software kits etc.

In case your Windows fails – if is infected by a virus for example, you need to reinstall it and this means that you must format the drive C:\ and you will lose all data from that drive. So, if you keep personal files on another partition (for example, D:\), when you reinstall Windows you will not lose files from D:\

Windows includes a free tool called Disk Management to create new partitions, but probably is not the easiest way for beginners to create new partitions. There are many third-party programs able to do it.

Windows 7/8

Method 1: Using EaseUS Partition Master

This is a free program for personal use. It works for all versions of Windows, including Vista/XP.

1 Download EaseUS Partition Master

Download, install and start the program.

Download EaseUS Partition Master

2 Start the program

Start the program and click on .EaseUS Partition Master

You should have an interface like this.

3 Resize partition

Click on the actual partition to get some free space that will be used for the new partition. In this case, i already have a partition C:\ and i will take around 10GB of free space from this partition to make another partition called K:\

Then click Resize

This is the actual size (MB) of partition C:\ – 61338.0 MB
Since I need 10GB for my new partition, i will set the new size of C:\ to be 51338.0 MB

After i enter the new size of C:\,, at the Unallocated space after i have 10GB (10000.0 MB).
The Unallocated space after will be used to create the new partition K:\
Click Ok.

4 Create new partition

Notice that we have now one new entry in the list called Unallocated
Select it, then click on Create partition

5 Choose drive letter

Choose the desired drive letter. I choose K:\ (you can change it later)
Then click Ok.

6 Restart PC

Click Apply and then click Ok to restart the computer.

7 Wait

After restart, wait until the program creates the partition.

8 The result

Now I have a new partition K:\

Method 2: Using Disk Management

This is a feature already present in Windows 7/8.

1 Go to Disk Management

In Windows 7, click Start, then search for Disk Management, then click on Create and format hard disk partitions

In Windows 8, press Windows + Q keys, then search for Disk Management, then click on Create and format hard disk partitions

2 Shrink Volume

Right click on the drive that have free space – this will be used to cut (unallocate) the free space.
Then click Shrink Volume

3 Enter the size

Enter the size for the new partition.
I will create a 10GB partition, so I enter 10000 MB
Then click Ok.

4 New Simple Volume

In short time, the new free (unallocated) hard disk space taken from C:\ is available.
We will use this Unallocated space (the space taken from C:\) to create our new partition.
Right click on the block with Unallocated space, then choose New Simple Volume