How to partition an external drive. Copying Windows to the active partition of an external HDD

This article will talk about how to correctly partition a computer’s hard drive into partitions, as well as how to correct incorrect broken disk without loss of information. Splitting methods hard drive for Windows XP and Windows 7 are slightly different due to the operating features of these operating systems, so I will talk about them separately.

At first glance, it may seem that partitioning is not a particularly important process and does not require much attention. But an incorrectly partitioned disk can cause a lot of inconvenience in the future.

Pros of partitioning hard drives

Why do you need division into sections? Firstly, this will allow a clear distinction between the system and the user’s files. That is, Windows will live, for example, on the C: drive, and documents, movies and music on D:. Thanks to this, it will be possible to back up the entire system partition, and in case of failure, simply restore it all. If the process Reserve copy will be along with the operating room Windows system If you also duplicate your files, which often include music and movies, occupying hundreds of gigabytes, there won’t be enough space. And so you will always have an image of the system partition at hand, ten to one and a half gigabytes in size. And your own documents can be copied to a spare drive at any time.

In addition, after a failure, checking a disk containing only the operating system will take much less time than checking all the files on the computer (sometimes the number of files reaches hundreds of thousands or even millions). For erased file recovery programs to work, you will also need a second partition to which the saved information will be copied.

This is what it looks like splitting hard disk into logical partitions

A fly in the ointment or without some drawbacks

The main disadvantage is that only the disk space of the current partition can be used, even if other partitions are completely free. That is, if the disk is divided into three partitions, and each of them has, say, 50 gigabytes free, then it will not be possible to write a file of 120 gigabytes in size, although the total free space will be 150 gigabytes. In this case, you will have to transfer files from partition to partition until enough space is freed up on one of them. Applied to this example, if there was only one partition on the disk, then a 120 gigabyte file could be written to it without any manipulation. Since disks usually do not become completely clogged, the more partitions there are, the greater the “wasted space” will be.

For small hard drives, this “lost space” as a percentage will be a decent amount. Therefore, the answer to the question of whether division into sections is necessary is not entirely unambiguous. But I can absolutely clearly say that to work in a modern system, partitioning a disk with a capacity of less than 80-160 gigabytes, with rare exceptions, does not make any sense.

In what proportions to split? Windows XP vs Windows 7

If you still decided to partition the disk, then it is necessary to allocate Windows specific space in gigabytes, rather than dividing it proportionally “in half” or “one to two”. First you need to decide how much space the operating system requires.

Windows XP is enough for 30-40 gigabytes. This size is taken with a small margin when taking into account large quantity installed programs. Of course, you can put it on a 10 GB partition, but you may run out of space at the very least. this moment. All other data should be copied only to the second partition.

Windows 7 itself requires a lot more disk space. In addition, hidden in its depths is the “magic” winsxs folder, which is growing by leaps and bounds. In this regard, it is recommended to allocate at least 70-80, and preferably 100 gigabytes for the “Seven”. For the last reason, it is better not to use SSD drives that have a small capacity (less than 64 gigabytes). We leave the remaining space on the hard drive for the second partition.

Windows Disk Manager. You have to work very carefully.

How to partition a disk

Dividing into sections is not difficult. To do this, you can use the “disk manager” built into Windows (Right-click on the “My Computer” shortcut and select Manage, then select Disk Management).

A list of disks installed on your computer will appear in the window that opens. Now you can create and delete partitions. Please note that you will not be allowed to work with the partition on which the system is installed. To do this you will have to use specialized software, which is discussed in the next chapter. Himself system partition marked during Windows installation.
In addition, perform all operations in the above-described disk manager with extreme caution, since any actions in it hard data disks are destroyed, and it will not be easy to restore them later.

How to fix incorrect hard drive partitioning

The most common situation is when too little space was allocated for the first (system) partition. As a result, we have a completely clogged system partition while the second one is empty. The simplest way is to reduce the second section, and due to the resulting empty space increasing the system partition. However, built-in Windows tools will not be allowed to do this.

Everything is very clear.

In such a situation it is better to use auxiliary tools. For example, Disk Director Suite from Acronis. This package will allow you to create boot disk, with which you can repartition the partitions of your hard drive at your discretion. All data on the hard drive will not go anywhere. However, it is recommended to save important data in a safe place before any manipulation. In addition, boot Acronis disk will help convert file system to a different format, delete and create partitions, check disks for errors and much more.

But it’s better to correctly plan the size and number of partitions right away than to spend a lot of time later correcting errors at the most inopportune moment.

conclusions

My opinion, based on many years of experience, is this. There is no need to partition the disk. If it is inconvenient to store files on one partition, then instead of partitioning it is better to buy a second hard drive. On the one hand, this will allow you to separate the system and personal files, and on the other hand it will divide the load between two devices. That is system files will be opened from one hard drive, and user ones from another, which will ultimately speed up the operation of the operating system and documents will open noticeably faster.

Partitioning will be required only when organizing a RAID array, when two or more hard drives a huge single space is created. It will still have to be broken.

If you are determined to partition your disks, use the above recommendations for choosing their volume. Incorrect partitioning can then backfire. And remember the main truth - perform any manipulations only if you have a backup copy of important information. One wrong move and your entire life's work will be sent to electronic Valhalla.

UPD. With the advent of SSD, the issue of division resolved itself. The system is installed on solid state drive, and data that does not require high speeds, – on a traditional hard drive. In such a situation, as you understand, there is no need to divide the hard drive into partitions. At the same time, large volumes random access memory allow you to completely disable paging. Thus, the most optimal scheme is SSD + HDD, each of which has only one partition.

Convenient distribution of disk space on a computer is one of the fundamental actions for comfortable work and operating system performance. After purchasing a new PC or reinstalling the operating system, the question arises - how to properly partition a hard drive? The standard division into two volumes C and D will not be enough when large size Winchester. 100-150 GB are usually allocated for system files; the rest of the disk space will be correctly divided into several parts. This simple action will guarantee the performance of the OS by reducing the fragmentation rate system volume. There are three simple ways division into parts in the Windows operating system:

1. Installation of a separate software.
2. Using internal Windows services.
3. Separation when installing/reinstalling the operating system.

Using separate program To partition the disk you need to prepare, namely:

• make a backup copy of important personal files;
• free up additional space on your hard drive;
• check the hard drive for possible errors.

Protecting your personal files from loss during further work is the user’s primary task. Photos, contacts and other files should be copied to external media(hard drive, flash drive) or use the file storage cloud on the Internet. After backing up your data, you should make sure you have free space to create a new partition. To do this, just go to “Control Panel” - “Add or Remove Programs”. View the list and remove unnecessary software, which will provide additional disk space.

Once you have enough space new section, you need to check the hard drive for errors. Go to “My Computer” and select required disk and go to “Properties”. Then select the “Service” tab and click “Run check”, check both boxes and wait for completion. At the end of the check, the OS will ask you to restart the PC - confirm. The disk properties interface in Windows 7 and XP is identical, so there will be no difficulties.

Working with partitioning programs

The program interface is configured mainly to solve one problem - how to divide the hard drive into convenient parts. Most software works with different versions Windows 7 and XP, there is both paid services, and for free use. It would be more correct to use programs for free use with a Russian interface.

Very popular: Partition Magic, Acronis Disk Director", "Aomei Partition Assistant". Each uses standard menu for working with the disk. All that remains is to select the disk that needs to be divided into parts. Then set the volume for the new partition, its name and file system. Any of the programs will offer two file options FAT systems 32 and NTFS. The first is installed when working with Windows 95/98 or Millinium Edition. Starting from XP, NTFS should be selected. For stable operation OS mandatory conditions– all hard drive partitions must be formatted to the same file system.

How to partition a hard drive without installing software

The ability to divide the hard drive into partitions using system services, provided in Windows versions 7 and above. To do this, find the “Management” item, located in the “My Computer” folder. In the “Computer Management” menu that opens, open the “Disk Management” tab. A list of disks that are on the PC will appear, as well as a hidden “System Reserved” section - a recovery system disk. We select drive C or the one that we will divide into two or three parts - additional containers. Open the list of disk functions: right button - “Volume compression”. In the window that appears, select the location where you want to compress the disk. Provided that the hard drive was not previously divided into separate parts, the system will offer to divide it into parts approximately equal in volume. Can be installed desired value. If a miscalculation is made, you can return the partition to its previous sizes by selecting “Uncompress volume” in the disk functions. System disk compressed and a new section called “Unallocated” will be displayed. Open the list of functions and click “Create a simple volume...”. The “Create a Simple Volume Wizard” window will appear on the screen and prompt you to designate the new partition with a letter and give it a name. This is followed by the process of formatting into a file system. Having decided on the option, click “Continue”, and in a few minutes the work on creating a new section will be completed.

Partitioning the hard drive when installing or reinstalling the operating system

Partitions should be created at the moment when the OS installation reaches the point of selecting the partition in which it should be installed. Further actions:

1. Create a partition for the OS, let it be drive C, and enter its size. If the hard drive initially has 1 TB of memory, you can allocate 100-120 GB for the operating system - that’s enough.
2. Next, the computer will ask you to allocate some more space for backup files, you don’t need to skimp, but click the “Agree” button.
3. Create a second partition: look for the line “Free disk space”, click “Create”. Next we set the size for it. We call it drive “D” and the button “Apply”. So, there are already two sections.
4. To create the third partition, proceed in the same way as described above: “Free disk space” - “Create”. We indicate the entire size remaining from the original one.
5. Click on the “C” drive, which is allocated for the OS and click “Next”. The installation of your Windows 7/8 continues.

Conclusion

As you can see, there is nothing complicated about dividing a hard drive into several departments. With this simple process Even a novice user can handle it. The main thing is to carry out everything clearly according to the written points, and you will succeed. If done correctly, you will have several disks, each of which can store specific folders, files, etc. This will solve the problem constant search necessary information on the computer.

The second important advantage of partitioning the hard drive is that when reinstalling the OS, for some reason, all information during the formatting process can be destroyed. And if the computer has the OS on one disk, and all the files on others, the process of destroying the contents will affect only one partition of the hard drive. And the speed of the system itself will be faster, the computer will not freeze, thanks to less “cluttered” departments. Ideal option: two to four sections, depending on the size of your hard drive.

So you are faced with the question of how to partition your hard drive. The reasons may be different, for example, you purchased new HDD for increase permanent memory existing computer or bought new laptop, but without pre installed system, and you have to install it yourself Windows shell, or you simply do not have enough space on the system disk partition for newly installed programs.

Basic ways to divide hard drive space

Regardless of the reasons that prompted you, you want to partition your hard drive yourself, but have little idea how this is done in practice. This is where we will try to help you by telling you not only about the basic ways to properly partition a hard drive, but also pointing out certain nuances and difficulties that you may encounter during this difficult work.

Let's look at how to divide a hard drive of any type (HDD or SSD) in three ways, namely using:

• standard utilities running installed Windows on your computer;
• special programs for working with various information storage devices;
• Windows PE boot shell.

So, let's get started and try to exactly follow the sequence of actions, otherwise, this may lead to either repeating operations for a new drive, or losing important data when working with existing storage media.

Partitioning a disk using a standard Windows utility

This method of working with drives is not very complicated and, most importantly, does not require third-party programs. It is suitable for partitioning both the main "C" drive and for partitioning external HDD into sections. This utility for working with storage media is available in all versions from Windows XP to Windows 10.

So for direct work With hard drives you need to open the standard Windows shell utility, and it can be called to the desktop in two ways:

In the window that opens " Disk management“All storage devices currently connected to your computer, including flash memory, should be displayed.

Move the mouse cursor over required section and call right click context menu For of this disk. And here, depending on what we want to do, we decide on the team we need in the future.

Divide the disk into two

If this is one main drive “C”, then this is a simple way to divide the hard drive into two and not lose it with one hundred percent certainty system information. To do this, perform the following steps:

That's it, the main disk is divided into two partitions.

Partitioning the disk

But here's how to divide a hard drive into partitions, in the case of a new, just purchased drive, working with this standard utility, is also not particularly difficult, but the algorithm of actions will be slightly changed. The sequence of actions will be as follows:

It's worth remembering here that disk system MBR allows you to create no more than 4 partitions on one hard drive.

Working with disks using special utility programs

The following universal software utilities for working with various information storage devices have found the greatest popularity among users, namely:

• Acronis Disk Suite;
• Paragon Partition Manager Professional;
• AOMEI Partition Assistant Technician Edition.

These utilities are specially adapted to perform almost all basic operations with HDD, SSD and other storage media. They have quite clear interface, designed to work with both specialists and ordinary users.

Split the disk into partitions using these universal utilities Let's look at an example program AOMEI Partition Assistant, which can be installed on your computer like standard application, or use it from portable mode.

And also, for comparison, we will show the operation of the utility in two modes when dividing the main disk into two and dividing the new hard disk into several partitions.

We open the program and see a window with extensive information on all connected storage media and their sections.

Divide by two

The algorithm for partitioning the main hard drive “C” consists of a set of sequential commands:

After the reboot, having completed all the operations, the system will boot, but with the main disk divided into two parts.

Dividing a new disk

Typically, the new HDD will represent unallocated space and will only be visible in the program window.

First, be sure to clearly indicate the disk with which we will work by hovering the mouse cursor and obtaining the corresponding color gradation of the position. But if you make a mistake, you can lose everything important information on a randomly selected existing storage medium.

The algorithm for working with other universal programs for resizing various storage media is very similar to the example above. The only significant difference will be the program interface and menu layout.

Partitioning the main disk using the Windows PE boot shell

If you decide to install a new operating system or completely update the old one, and the existing partition sizes of the main HDD do not suit you or do not respond necessary requirements, then it is better and easier to reformat by logging into the computer from a special simplified shell.

If desired different versions can be downloaded from the Internet, and they are freely available there and are equipped with a set of all necessary portable programs for working not only with storage media, but also have a whole range of different useful utilities. For example, you can take the distribution kit from the site https://diakov.net/8305-adminpe-30.html, which does not require additional registration from the user.

Having loaded onto a USB or CD/DVD media, we boot the system using the key to call up the menu, in which there is a choice of boot device. Typically this is function key F11, after pressing which, we select our media.

After loading the portable desktop, a desktop will appear that almost completely replicates the familiar Windows shell, but with pre-installed software modules.

Opening universal program to work with various information storage devices and work according to the previously given example in background and without unnecessary reboots.

The main advantage of the shell is that software modules are in no way connected with hard drives, which allows you to perform all possible operations to reformat them using any possible way without any restrictions.

Conclusion

In this article we learned how to partition a disk on a PC or laptop. different ways. Examples were considered: how to divide a hard drive into 2 parts, and how to create partitions on a hard drive. In similar ways you can break external hard disk. Just connect it to your computer and do the same steps.

Video on the topic

Partitioning a disk into several partitions is a very common procedure among users. Using such a HDD is much more convenient, since it allows you to separate system files from user files and manage them more conveniently.

You can partition your hard drive into parts in Windows 10 not only during system installation, but also after it, and for this it is not necessary to use third party programs, since such a function is available in Windows itself.

In this article we will look at how to divide a HDD into logical partitions. This can be done in an already installed operating system and when reinstalling the OS. At his own discretion, the user can use standard utility Windows or third party programs.

Method 1: Using programs

One of the options for dividing the drive into partitions is to use third-party programs. Many of them can be used in running Windows, and as bootable flash drive, when it is impossible to partition a disk while the OS is running.

MiniTool Partition Wizard

Popular free solution, working with different types drives is . The main advantage of this program is the ability to download an image with an ISO file from the official website to create a bootable flash drive. Partitioning a disk here can be done in two ways at once, and we will look at the simplest and fastest one.

The letter of the new volume can later be changed manually via "Disk Management".

Acronis Disk Director

Unlike the previous program, - paid option, which also has a large number of functions and can partition the disk. The interface is not very different from MiniTool Partition Wizard, but it is in Russian. Acronis Disk Director can also be used as boot software if you cannot perform operations while running Windows.

EaseUS Partition Master

- a program with a trial period, like Acronis Disk Director. Its functionality includes various features, including disk partitioning. In general, it is similar to the two analogues listed above, and the difference mainly comes down to appearance. There is no Russian language, but you can download a language pack from the official website.

Method 2: Windows built-in tool

To perform this task you need to use the built-in utility "Disk Management".

1. Click on the button Start right click and select "Disk Management". Or press on your keyboard Win+R, enter diskmgmt.msc in the empty field and click "OK".

   

2. The main hard drive is usually called Disk 0 and is divided into several sections. If 2 or more disks are connected, then its name may be Disc 1 or others.

   The number of partitions themselves may vary, and usually there are 3 of them: two system and one user.

   

3. Right-click on the disk and select "Shrink Volume".

   

4. In the window that opens, you will be asked to compress the volume to all available space, that is, create a partition with the number of gigabytes that are free at the moment. We strongly do not recommend doing this: in the future, for new Windows files there may simply not be enough space - for example, when updating the system, creating backup copies(restore points) or installing programs without the ability to change their location.

   Be sure to leave for C: additional free space, at least 10-15 GB. In field "Size" compressible space in megabytes, enter the number you need for the new volume, minus the space for C:.

   

5. An unallocated area will appear, and the size of C: will be reduced by the amount that was allocated in favor of the new partition.

   

   By region "Not distributed" right click and select "Create Simple Volume".

   

6. Will open "Master of Creation" simple volumes» , in which you will need to specify the size of the new volume. If from this space you want to create only one logical drive, then leave full size. You can also split the empty space into multiple volumes - in this case, specify right size volume you are creating. The rest of the area will again remain as "Not distributed", and you will need to do steps 5-8 again.
7. You can then assign a letter to the drive.

   

8. Next you will need to format the created partition with empty space, none of your files will be deleted.

   

9. The formatting options should be as follows:
   • File system: NTFS;
   • Cluster size: Default;
   • Volume Label: Enter the name you want to give to the disk;
   • Quick formatting.

   After this, exit the Wizard by clicking "OK" > "Ready". The newly created volume will appear in the list of other volumes and in Explorer, in the section "This computer".

   
   

Method 3: Partitioning the disk when installing Windows

It is always possible to divide the HDD when installing the system. This can be done using the Windows installer itself.

Now you know how to partition a HDD in different situations. This is not very difficult, and will ultimately make working with files and documents more convenient. The fundamental difference between using the built-in utility "Disk Management" and there are no third-party programs, since both options achieve the same result. However, other programs may have additional functions, for example, transferring files, which may be useful for some users.

Partitioning a hard drive is a way to organize information storage, comparable to putting things on shelves in a closet.

In this article you will learn how to partition your hard drive and why.

Most users prefer to divide disks into 2-3 partitions for the following reasons:

• so as not to mix operating system and personal files in case of OS reinstallation;
• for comfort manual search information;
• to install more than one operating system on a computer;
• so that each user, if there are several of them, has his own “corner” for personal files;
• to hide some information from other PC users (along with the section).

Note! When installing operating systems, service partitions are created - boot, recovery, for the swap file, etc., which are not visible in Explorer. These areas are hidden because changing or deleting their contents disrupts the operation of the OS.

Some believe that it is necessary to partition the hard drive into partitions: this way, they say, personal files will not be damaged in the event of a system failure, will be less fragmented, and, therefore, will be opened faster.

In fact, the files will not disappear anywhere, even if the OS crashes completely. And this will not affect performance, especially since modern systems defragment themselves without user intervention.

On the contrary, the system partition tends to fill up quickly, and if there is not enough space on it, the computer will first slow down and then stop loading altogether due to the fact that the system has no room to expand.

Do you think you still need additional section? Then read how to create it.

Two ways to partition a disk in Windows 7, 8, 10

Capabilities of the installed system

Starting with Windows 7, you can partition disk space using the OS itself, both during installation and after.

There is only one condition: when dividing existing section It is important that there is no less free space in the part being divided than in the part that will be separated.

Let's look at how to divide a hard drive into partitions in a running Windows 10.

• Go to the context menu of the Start button and launch “Disk Management”.
• Open the context menu of the section you will be splitting. Click “Shrink Volume”.
• The window that opens after this shows the total size of the compressed area and the space available for compression. From the last one, select a part that will be a new section.
  As you remember, it should not exceed half of the value specified here. Then click the “Compress” button.

• After compression, unallocated space will appear in the list of volumes - this will be your new partition. Click on it “ right mouse” and select “Create simple volume”. The “Simple Volume Creation Wizard” utility will launch.

• In the wizard window, specify the size of the new volume. If you leave the default value (which is the entire area of ​​unallocated space), the entire area you separated will become a new partition.
  If you specify a lower value, one part will become a volume and the other will remain unallocated. Click “Next”.

• Assign a letter to the new volume if you want it to appear in Explorer, or mount it as a folder. If you decide to do this later, select “Do not assign drive letter or path.”

• Next, the wizard will offer to format the volume and assign a label to it. A label is a short name for a section that explains what is there. If desired, leave this line blank.

After formatting, the unallocated space will become a full-fledged partition.

Creating a volume during Windows installation

Creating new partitions during Windows installations differs from the method we discussed above in that the shared disk will have to be deleted first, that is, completely cleared of information.

And then build from unallocated space new structure sections.

The breakdown is done at the stage when the program asks you to indicate the location where the OS will be installed. What to do next:

• In the “Where do you want to install Windows?” window Click the Disk Setup button.

• Mark the partition you are going to split and delete it. Instead, unoccupied space will appear.

We showed the process of creating logical volumes using the example of installing Windows 7. On Windows 8 and 10 this is done in exactly the same way.

During the installation of Windows, it is not necessary to allocate all the disk space; it is enough to select the area where the system will be installed. You can mark out the rest of the free space later, whenever you want.

These are not the only ones, but only the most available methods partitioning disks.

Own functions for working with disk space, which are available in all versions of Windows starting from Windows 7, are sufficient in almost all situations, so there is no longer any need to use third-party programs such as Acronis Disk Director or Paragon Partition Manager.