How to Partition a Hard Drive on a Windows PC
If your hard drive is getting slower and you need to allocate space, this guide will show you how to pick up the pace with partitions.
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Organize your online information with the data management and storage tips in this Howcast video series.
You Will Need
- Computer navigation skills
- Tech-savvy friend (optional)
Steps
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Step 1
Click on Start button
Click on the Start or Windows button. Right-click My Computer and select Manage.
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Ask a tech-savvy friend to help if monkeying around with your computer makes you nervous.
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Step 2
Click on Disk Management
Click on Disk Management under Storage on the left-hand side of the new window.
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Step 3
Right-click on hard drive
Right-click on an existing hard drive or volume and select Shrink Volume. Then enter the size of the new partition.
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Windows will tell you the maximum size of the new partition or volume as well as how much space is left on your hard drive.
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Step 4
Hit Okay and wait
Click Okay on the pop-up window and wait for your computer to finish creating the new partition.
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Step 5
Return to Disk Management
Return to the Disk Management window and locate the new volume, labeled Unallocated. Right-click on it and select New Simple Volume.
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Step 6
Follow Setup Wizard
Follow the Set Up Wizard as Windows helps you set up a new partition. Once finished, divide your files to increase your computer's speed.
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An optical disk can hold the equivalent of approximately 400 books.
