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.

Step 1: Click on Start button Click on the Start or Windows button. Right-click My Computer and select Manage.
TIP: Ask a tech-savvy friend to help if monkeying around with your computer makes you nervous.
Step 2: Click on Disk Management Click on Disk Management under Storage on the left-hand side of the new window.
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.
TIP: 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.
Step 4: Hit Okay and wait Click Okay on the pop-up window and wait for your computer to finish creating the new partition.
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.
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.
FACT: An optical disk can hold the equivalent of approximately 400 books.