How to Partition Hard Disks
In order to use a new hard disk, you must first partition the drive. This properly prepares the free space on the drive for installing a new operating system or simply formatting it for storage use. A hard drive can have one partition or multiple, depending on its size and ultimate purpose. These instructions will show you how to partition a hard disk using the Windows operating system.
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Instructions
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Partition a Hard Disk
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Connect the hard drive to partition to your computer. If it is an external USB hard drive, connect it to a USB port. If it is an internal hard drive, install it using the instructions that accompany the drive.
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Click "Start" and select "Control Panel."
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Double-click "Administrative Tools," and then double-click "Computer Management."
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Click "Disk Management," located under Storage. Your disk drives will be listed on the right-hand side of the screen.
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Right-click in a space labeled "Unallocated Space" on the hard drive you wish to partition and select "New Partition." This will start the New Partition Wizard.
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Click "Next" and choose the type of partition you want.
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Choose the size of the partition in the Partition Size in MB box and click "Next."
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Choose a drive letter or allow the Wizard to automatically assign one and click "Next."
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Click the "Format This Partition with the Following Settings" button. Enter a Volume label and choose the File System type. In most cases, this is NTFS or FAT32.
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Review your selections and click "Finish." Depending on the size of the hard drive, this may take several minutes to several hours.
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Tips & Warnings
A single hard drive can have multiple partitions. This is useful for having one partition for the operating system and a second for storage. Various programs are available, such as Partition Magic, that can make partitioning a hard drive easier.
