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2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44
Storing OS components in the same place as entertainment content is not a good idea.
The physical drive is displayed in the system as virtual volumes, they are also called local disks or partitions.
A drive can be represented by only one volume, which contains all the disk space and stores all your files. Or it can be divided into several volumes, between which all available space and files are distributed.
The first option is very common, but not the most practical. Storing OS components in the same place as movies, games, and other entertainment content is not a good idea. You or other computer users may accidentally touch important files. And if the system fails and needs to be reinstalled, the rest of the volume will be deleted along with the old OS.
Fortunately, you can always split a drive into two or more partitions. In general terms, the procedure goes like this: you take a certain amount of space from an existing volume and use this amount to create a new one.
For example, you can leave the volume with the OS installed about 40-50 GB, and allocate the rest of the space for a new section set aside for programs and entertainment content. In this case, system and personal files will be stored separately. And if you have to reinstall the system, your content will remain on the computer.
Be sure to copy important files to other media before partitioning the disc. Your personal data should not be harmed, but it is better to be safe.
The listed partitioning methods are suitable for both types of drives: traditional (HDD) and solid-state (SSD).
1. How to partition a disk in Windows
By regular means
For partitioning and other operations with drives in Windows, there is a standard Disk Management utility. To open it, right-click on the "This PC" shortcut and select "Manage" → "Disk Management". You can run the utility even faster using a special command: press the Windows + R keys, insert diskmgmt.msc into the field and click OK.
In the Disk Management window, you will see a list of local volumes (partitions) into which your drive is already partitioned. These may include hidden system partitions that are not visible in Explorer. It's okay, ignore them.
In the lower half of the window, right-click on the volume you want to split and select the Shrink Volume option.
Then enter the amount of data you want to allocate for the new volume and confirm the compression.
As a result, next to the selected volume, the specified amount of free space available for the new partition will be displayed on the screen. Right click on this area and select "Create Simple Volume".
If you have Windows XP, the compression option will most likely not be available. Then just right-click on the one you want to split and select "New Section". Further actions will be approximately the same for all OS versions.
When the wizard for creating a new volume appears on the screen, follow its prompts.
In the process, you will need to select a letter and a label (name) for the section. When the wizard prompts you to format the drive, select NTFS and confirm your choice. After formatting, the created volume will appear in the explorer. If it doesn't, restart your computer.
In the same way, you can partition the disk later by adding new volumes.
In a third party program
If for some reason you cannot partition the disk using standard Windows tools, try doing it in one of the third-party programs. For example, in the MiniTool Partition Wizard utility. It's free, compatible with all versions of Windows from XP to 10, and pretty basic.
To partition a disk in MiniTool Partition Wizard, select the appropriate volume in the program and click Move / Resize Partition in the left pane. In the window that appears, in the Unallocated Space After field, specify the amount of free space that will be taken from the current volume in favor of the new one. Click OK.
A new unnamed section marked Unallocated will appear in the main menu of the program. Right-click on it and select the Create command. In the next window, fill in the Drive Letter and Partition Label fields, select NTFS as the file system and click OK.
Back in the main menu of MiniTool Partition Wizard, on the top panel, click Apply to apply the changes. The computer restarts and displays white text on the black screen. Wait and do not turn off the device. When Windows boots up, the created volume will appear in Explorer.
2. How to partition a hard drive in macOS
If you have a Mac, you will need the preinstalled Disk Utility program to partition the drive. It can be found in the Finder → Applications → Utilities menu.
After launching "Disk Utility", in the left pane, select the disk that you are going to partition, and click on the "Partition" button.
A window with further instructions will appear on the screen, in which you can select the quantity, size and other parameters of the new sections.
When you have made all the necessary settings, click "Apply" and wait for the changes to take effect.
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