eHow launches Android app: Get the best of eHow on the go.

How To

How to Create Additional Partitions

Contributor
By M.D.W.
eHow Contributing Writer
(0 Ratings)
Create Additional Partitions
Create Additional Partitions

A hard drive partition refers to a separated portion of a hard drive that is assigned its own letter (e.g., "C:"), and is treated as though it were a separate hard disk. Many users create additional partitions on their hard drive in order to safely store Windows operating system files separately from software and data files, increasing performance and making subsequent data backup easier. You can create additional partitions on your PC's hard drive by using the Disk Management tool in Windows.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    Open the "Run" command prompt. Click the "Start" button at the bottom left of the computer screen. Select "Run" from the Start menu. When the Run window loads, type "compmgmt.msc" into the text box (without the quotations) and click "OK." This will load a new window titled "Disk Management."

  2. Step 2

    Use the Disk Management tool to run the "New Partition Wizard." Click "Disk Management," which is located under the "Storage" heading. The right side of the window will then show a graphical illustration of your hard drive and its basic properties. If the window does not show a graphical illustration of your hard drive, click "View" in the menu bar, then select "Top" or "Bottom" and click "Graphical View." Right-click on an unused portion of the basic disk drive, then select "New Partition." Click "Next" to start the New Partition Wizard.

  3. Step 3

    Select options for the new partition. Select whether you want to create a "Primary partition," "Extended partition," or "Logical drive," then click "Next." Select the size (in megabytes) that you want the newly created partition to have, then click "Next." Enter a new letter to name your drive, or select the option to have a new drive letter assigned automatically.

  4. Step 4

    Choose a formatting option. After assigning a drive letter to the new partition, click "Next" to begin choosing formatting options. You can choose to format the partition---deleting all data---or you can skip formatting. Click "Next" to skip formatting. Otherwise, select a name for the volume label and select the file system to be used on the partition.

  5. Step 5

    Click finish to complete the process. After selecting a formatting option, click "Next" to finish creating the new partition. If you chose to format the new partition, clicking "Next" will begin the formatting process. Once this process is complete, your hard drive will have a new partition.

Tips & Warnings
  • Before creating additional partitions on your hard drive, back up your data using CDs or DVDs. You can create a maximum of four primary partitions.

Post a Comment

Post a Comment
  • Have you done this? Click here to let us know.
I Did This

Related Ads

Computers
Alexia Petrakos,

Meet Alexia Petrakos eHow's Computers Expert.

Get Free Computers Newsletters

Copyright © 1999-2009 eHow, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.   en-US Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.

eHow Computers
eHow_eHow Technology and Electronics