How Do I Format & Partition a Hard Drive?

Create separate partitions on your hard drive to keep your sensitive data safe.

A partitioned hard drive looks like two separate hard drives to the operating system. For this reason, partitioning is a smart way to keep your files safe. It places your important files on the partition separate from the operating system or Internet applications. You can easily reformat a hard drive using Windows' built-in Disk Management utility.

Instructions

1. Open the Disk Management utility. Open the "Windows Start" menu and select "Control Panel." Select "Performance and Maintenance > Administrative Tools."

2. Right-click the drive you want to format and partition, then select "Format." Do not format the C: drive because this contains the Windows operating system. Formatting this drive will completely erase Windows and leave the computer inoperable.

3. Enter a name for the reformatted drive. Set the desired file system. Select the size of the reformatted drive. When selecting the size, keep in mind the size you want the new (second) partition to be and leave enough space on the drive. Click "OK" to format the drive. After the drive reformats, there will be unallocated space. This will be used for the second partition.

4. Right-click the unallocated space and select "Create Partition." Select the type of partition and the size. You have the option to format it. If you decide to do so, select the desired file system and set a name for the partition. Click "Next" and "Finish" to create the new partition.

   The hard drive has now been reformatted and split into two partitions.

References

• Microsoft: How to Use Disk Management