How to Partition your Disk

 How to Partition your Disk

On this tutorial you will learn how to create disk partition in your flash drives, hard drives or even into your PC / Desktop Storage or drive ie. C drive

Let's find the meaning of Disk Partition:  What is Disk Partition?

 A disk partition is a logically independent section of a physical hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD). When you partition a disk, you divide its total storage space into one or more separate sections that act as if they were distinct physical devices. Each partition on a disk can be formatted with a file system (like NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, etc.) and used to store data independently from other partitions on the same disk.
Purposes of Disk Partitioning:

1.    Organization: Partitioning allows you to organize and manage your data more efficiently. For example, you can separate your operating system files from personal data or create dedicated partitions for specific applications.

2.    Multi-boot Systems: If you want to run multiple operating systems on a single disk, each OS can be installed on its own partition. This allows for easier management and isolation of each system.

3.    Performance: Some partitioning strategies, such as placing frequently accessed files on a separate partition (e.g., faster SSD), can improve overall system performance.

4.    Data Safety: By isolating your operating system and applications from your personal data, you can reduce the risk of data loss due to operating system failures or malware infections.

Common Partition Types:

1.    Primary Partition: The main partition on a disk that can contain an operating system.
2.    Extended Partition: A special type used primarily on older systems to hold multiple logical partitions within it.
3.    Logical Partition: Partitions within an extended partition that act as separate drives.

How to Partition a Disk:

Partitioning a disk can be done through various tools like Windows Disk Management, DiskPart (Command Prompt), or third-party software. The process typically involves selecting a disk, defining the size and type of partitions, formatting them with a file system, and optionally assigning drive letters.

STEP 1:

1. Press Windows key and type disk in the search bar.

2.Click " Create and Format Hard Disk Partitions"

3.The window will pop-up showing something like this

 

4.Choose the disk you want to Create a partition from; for this example i am choosing disk 1, which is my 64GB flash drive, Click on the disk and right click and choose Shrink Volume.

5.Write your required disk partition size in Mega Bite, remember 1048mb = 1gb, so as for my 64gb flash i will make  it a half partition, 64000mb=64gb divide that by 2 = get 32000mb which is 32gb.

Watch this Video:

 

 STEPS 2.

USING Command Prompt

Partitioning a disk using the command prompt (cmd) in Windows involves several steps. Here’s a basic outline of how you can do it:

1. Open Command Prompt with Administrative Privileges

• Press Win + X and choose "Command Prompt (Admin)" or "Windows Terminal (Admin)" from the menu.

2. Launch DiskPart

• Type diskpart and press Enter. This opens the DiskPart command-line utility.

3. List Disks

• Type list disk and press Enter to view all disks connected to your computer.

4. Select the Disk

• Identify the disk number you want to partition from the list provided by list disk.
• Type select disk X (replace X with the disk number you want to partition) and press Enter.

5. Create a Partition

• Type create partition primary size=X and press Enter.
  • Replace X with the size of the partition in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB). Example: create partition primary size=102400 (for a 100 GB partition).
  • If you don't specify a size, it will create a partition using all available space on the disk.

6. Assign a Drive Letter (optional)

• Type assign letter=X and press Enter.
  • Replace X with the drive letter you want to assign to the partition. Example: assign letter=D.

7. Format the Partition

• Type format fs=ntfs quick and press Enter.
  • This command formats the partition using the NTFS file system quickly. You can replace ntfs with exfat or fat32 depending on your needs.

8. Exit DiskPart

• Type exit and press Enter to exit the DiskPart utility.

9. Exit Command Prompt

• Type exit again and press Enter to close the Command Prompt window.

Notes:

• Be careful: DiskPart commands can irreversibly erase data if used incorrectly. Double-check the disk number and partition size before proceeding.
• Backup: Always back up important data before partitioning a disk.

These steps should help you partition a disk using Command Prompt effectively. Adjust sizes, formats, and letters according to your specific requirements.