Separating your data by partitioning allows you to organize and manage your data more effectively. Also, if your personal data files are separated from the operating system files, the risk of data corruption or loss during malware attacks and system crashes is greatly reduced. In case of system failure or data loss, you can restore specific partitions without affecting the entire drive.
You can also back up certain partitions while leaving others untouched. Partitioning enhances security when isolating sensitive data in its own partition. Encrypting those partitions using BitLocker will add another layer of protection to your confidential files. Another advantage is being able to run multiple operating systems on the same computer if you partition the drive to allow different configurations.
To create a partition, click the Windows "Start" button and search for "Create and format hard disk partitions." Open the result. Alternatively, right-click the "Start" button and select "Disk Management". In the "Disk Management" window, you will see a list of all the available disks and their partitions. Right-click on the disk from which you want to create a new partition. Select "Shrink Volume."
This option allows you to resize the existing partition, which will free up space for the new one. The "Shrink" dialog box will appear, showing the total size of the disk and the available space that can be shrunk and reallocated. Enter the amount of space you want to allocate to the new partition in the "Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB" field, then click on the "Shrink" button.
Keep in mind the value entered is in megabytes. For example, if you want to shrink space by 10 gigabytes, you must enter ten times the megabyte value. The newly created amount of space on the disk should appear as "Unallocated." Right-click on the "Unallocated" section, select "New Simple Volume" and the setup wizard will open.
Click "Next." By default, the entire unallocated space will be used, but if you prefer, you can adjust the size as you wish and allocate only a portion of it. Click "Next" and assign it a drive letter, which will be the path for the new partition. Click "Next," then choose the file system and allocation unit size for the partition. NTFS is the recommended file system for Windows. Rename the partition in the "Volume label" field.
Check the box next to "Perform a quick format." Once you've decided on the formatting details, click "Next" and review the selected settings' details. If everything looks good, click "Finish" to create the new partition. Once the process is completed, you will see the new partition listed in the Disk Management windows. You can find it in File Explorer in this PC and it will be ready as a separate drive.
You can always delete a partition if it's no longer needed. Right-click on the "Start" button and select "Disk Management." From the "Disk" section, right-click on the partition you want to delete and select "Delete Volume." Be careful when deleting partitions as data loss is possible if it's not done correctly.
A confirmation dialog box will appear, warning you that all the data on the partition will be completely deleted. Make sure to back up any important data on the partition before clicking "Yes" to continue. With the selected partition now deleted, it will no longer appear in the Volume list and the space will become "Unallocated" again. If you have any questions about partitions in Windows 11, be sure to reach out to us via one of the options on our Support website.
