The reasons for dividing a hard disk into several partitions are different for everyone. For some, this is an opportunity to systematize the necessary information and store it competently; someone using multiple partitions uses multiple operating systems to work on their computer or laptop. Finally, if the hard drive is divided into several parts, then it is easier to defragment them separately.

Standard PC equipment: the simpler the better

This program is rightfully considered one of the best or even the best hard drive partitioner.

This is the simplest program that will help you effectively manage multiple systems and different programs.

Its main advantages are the elimination of errors in partitions, the conversion of file systems and data protection. Another advantage is that this utility is very popular, because there is a lot of reference information on it on the network.

2. Disk Management in Windows

Any version of Windows has a Disk Management feature: this is the simplest, most affordable and quite effective tool that allows you to change partitions.

Each version of Windows OS has its own differences, but in the most popular ones (Windows Vista, Windows 7 and 8) there are no fundamental differences. Let's take a closer look at how to partition a Windows hard drive using this utility.

The program opens through the Start menu, and in the "Disk Management" item, even novice users using the three main items (Expand, Shrink and Delete Volume) perform all the necessary actions in real time. Special knowledge is not required for this - it is enough to give affirmative or negative answers and press the necessary menu items.

There is only one drawback of the regular program - there are risks of failures that lead to the loss of certain sections. The risk exists when there is a mass of unnecessary programs on the disk, or when trying to partition the hard drive partition in which Windows is running: the processor does not always unequivocally respond to an attempt to "experiment" on the system partition.

Free software for everyone

Two programs that can be downloaded absolutely free from the net - EaseUS Partition Master Home Edition and Paragon Partition Manager 11 Free - are also easy to learn and use, but require certain knowledge.

1. EaseUS Partition Master Home Edition

The program helps not only to partition the hard disk, but also to create, copy, resize or completely delete partitions; as well as restore deleted partitions.

The disadvantage that affects the popularity of the program is the only English version. But if you know English, you can appreciate the excellent functionality and predictability of the program, stability of work and the ability to carry out all procedures in virtual mode - at any time you can correct a settings error, cancel the disk partition procedure and restore the original data.

2. Paragon Partition Manager 11 Free

The program is again with an English-language interface, but for a beginner it is more interesting than the previous one - the main windows are quite visual and simplify orientation in the functions. The disadvantages of the program include low speed and unpredictability.

If funds allow, you can buy a Russian-language version of this program for money, but it still retains the main shortcomings of the English-language product.

Programs for advanced users

These programs have advanced functionality - support for various disks and flash drives, the ability to convert file systems, create bootable media, and much more. The fundamental differences are in speed, functionality and accessibility.

5. [email protected] Partition manager

This program is a free manager that simplifies work with logical disks: a system reboot is not required when creating, formatting or deleting disk partitions.

Even if you accidentally delete important partition data, the program will help you restore them!

But the lack of the ability to change the size of disks (the partition must first be deleted, and then another one must be created in the same place) leaves no chance of recovering the lost information.

6. MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition

Experienced users can use the equally simple and accessible MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition manager. The main plus of the program is the ability to work with both a separate hard drive and RAID arrays created on the basis of two or more drives.

After buying a computer or installing a new hard drive, as a rule, you will have only 1 partition on it. We'll talk about this today: how to divide a hard drive into 2 or more partitions. This example will be given on windows 7 using the operating system without installing additional software.

How many sections should there be?

For correct operation of windows 7, 1 partition "drive C" is enough. The system is installed on it and it doesn’t need anything else. it has all the necessary folders. But, from the point of view of convenience and your own security, at least 2 partitions are recommended, this is the “C” drive and the “D” drive. Why 2? Everything is simple! It is advisable to leave the C drive only for windows and programs, and use the D drive for games, music, movies, photos, etc. Thus, in the event of a failure and reinstallation of windows, all important information will not be affected.

How to split C drive into multiple drives

In order to partition a disk, open: Start Menu, Control Panel. Next, we will have to work with the “System and Security” tab.

Everything, we have come to the right place and you should have such a window in front of you:

To see which partitions are already installed, open Disk Management. The operating system is usually located on the "C" drive, so you need to be careful when working with it.

To partition the "C" drive into sections, right-click on it and select "Compress Volume".

In the new window that opens, enter the desired size for the new partition:

Now click "create". In the window that opens, enter the volume you want.

In the new window, on the unallocated area, right click and select "create simple volume" as below:

Ready. You can get started, but it is advisable to restart your computer.

HDD Partitioning Software

Personally, I prefer to do without third-party programs, if it is possible to do it through windows, I do so. I already wrote above how to split an HDD without a program, now let's look at an alternative way using third-party software.

For example, I took the simplest, free and very convenient program "disk manager free"

I uploaded it to Yandex disk, you can free download— https://yadi.sk/d/c0A22sBs3ReiFh

Installation and use is as easy as doors. To partition a disk, you need to do everything the same as in the example above without programs. As you can see, there is no sense in it, in my opinion, it is better to do everything as in the example above, without downloading anything.

Often, the standard tools offered by the system are not enough to work with the hard drive. Therefore, you have to resort to more efficient solutions that allow you to get detailed information about the HDD and its partitions. The solutions discussed in this article will help you familiarize yourself with the operations that apply to the drive and its volumes.

With its toolkit, AOMEI Partition Assistant is one of the best programs of its kind. Wide functionality will allow you to effectively configure hard disk volumes. In addition, the program makes it possible to check a specific section for errors. One of the interesting features is the transfer of the OS with all installed software to another hard drive or SSD.

It also supports writing an image file to a USB device. The interface is endowed with a pleasant graphical shell. Despite the large number of useful features, the program is available for free use, which makes it even more in demand. At the same time, it is possible to download the Russian-language version.

MiniTool Partition Wizard

This software has powerful functionality that allows you to merge, split, copy partitions, and a number of other functions. MiniTool Partition Wizard is completely free and available for non-commercial use only. The program provides the ability to change the disk label, and when creating a partition, the cluster size.

The surface test operation allows you to detect bad sectors on the HDD. The ability to convert is limited to only two formats: FAT and NTFS. All tools for working with disk volumes are placed in a very convenient way, so even an inexperienced user will not get confused.

EaseUS Partition Master

A program that opens up many possibilities when working with a hard drive. Among the main ones: disk cloning and OS import from HDD to SSD or vice versa. Partition Master allows you to copy an entire partition - this feature is suitable for the need to create a backup copy of one partition to another.

The program has a user-friendly interface, in which all operations are located in the left block - this allows you to quickly find the desired function. The peculiarity of EaseUS Partition Master is that it can be used to hide a specific volume by deleting a letter on it. Creating a bootable OS is another interesting and useful tool.

Eassos PartitionGuru

The convenience of working with Eassos PartitionGuru is achieved primarily due to the simple design. All tools are located on the top panel. A distinctive feature is the ability to build a virtual RAID array. To do this, the user only needs to connect drives to the PC, from which the program itself will construct a RAID.

The existing sector editor allows you to search for the desired sectors, and hexadecimal values ​​are displayed in the right block of the panel. Unfortunately, the software comes in an English-language trial version.

Macrorit Disk Partition Expert

A nice interface displays functionality that is divided into sections. The program allows you to scan your PC for bad sectors, and you can configure the checked disk space. Available conversion formats NTFS and FAT.

Macrorit Disk Partition Expert is free to use, but only in English version. The software is suitable for people who need to quickly set up a hard drive, but for more efficient work it is recommended to use analogues.

WonderShare Disk Manager

A program for performing various operations with a hard disk, which allows high-quality data recovery. Compared to other similar software, Macrorit Disk Partition Expert allows you to perform a deep partition scan for lost information.

You can trim and merge hard disk volumes without losing the files stored on it. Other tools will allow you to hide the partition if necessary, or to convert the file system.

Acronis Disk Manager

Acronis Disk Director is one of the most powerful programs with a set of functions and operations for managing hard disk partitions and more. Thanks to the capabilities of this software from Acronis, users can recover lost or deleted data. Among other things, it is possible to defragment the volume, as well as check it for file system errors.

The use of mirror technology allows you to save a backup copy of the partition selected by the user. Acronis Disk Director offers to use the disk editor, which makes it possible to find a lost cluster, given that the execution environment for this operation displays hexadecimal values. The program can be safely used in order to carry out the most efficient work with the HDD.

Partition Magic

A program that allows you to carry out basic operations with a hard drive. The interface in many ways resembles the standard Windows Explorer application. At the same time, among the tools located in the graphical shell, it is easy to find the one you need. The advantage of Partition Magic is that it allows you to select multiple active partitions, each with its own separate OS.

You can also use the services of converting file systems, among them two are supported: NTFS and FAT. You can resize the volume and merge partitions without losing data.

Paragon Partition Manager

Paragon Partition Manager delights users with an interesting set of features and their uses. One of them is mounting a virtual disk image. Among them, image files of VirtualBox, VMware and other virtual machines are supported.

Noteworthy is the function that allows you to convert HFS + file system formats to NTFS and vice versa. Other operations are basic for partitions: cropping and expanding. A large number of settings provided by the program will allow you to customize all the functionality to your liking.

The considered software solutions have a unique potential, each in its own way. The powerful toolkit of the developed software makes it possible to save disk space and extend the working capacity of the hard disk. And the function of checking the HDD for errors allows you to prevent critical errors in the operation of the drive.

Date: 17:44 08/12/2019

linux:

Of course - this is Gparted, a program available in most Linux distributions, this program also has a BootCD or .

In popular Linux distributions - Ubuntu (all variations), Debian, AltLinux, Slax, Slitaz can be installed through the application manager or with the apt install gparted command

Windows:

An effective program for changing hard disk partitions, it works from under the Windows shell, the size of the distribution kit is from 44 megabytes. I often use it when I need to quickly repartition the file system on client computers remotely - I throw off the distro and change partitions. So far, the program has not failed, but it has one drawback - there is no Russian language. Only English and Japanese.

The latest version tries to install Yandex elements. You can safely refuse them.

Unfortunately, the project is closed, but the program remains. It is really free, although it requires registration. The archive contains my activation data (I received them absolutely free of charge, apparently it was just a collection for statistics). The program is slightly simpler in functionality than the previous one, which is good, since the size of the distribution kit is only 6 megabytes. Unfortunately, there are no programs without errors, and this one is no exception - unfortunately, it can work correctly only with those partitions that are not used - for example, drive D: if nothing is launched from it and nothing is open. It happened that the C: drive could also be changed, but lately I have been unlucky in this. Of course, the program carefully suggests rebooting to apply the changes to the carrier disk, but as a result nothing changes = (that's why when I really need to change the size of the main disk, I use MiniTool Partition Wizard Free.

Also a program devoid of the Russian language, does not have a BootCD, the weight of the distribution kit is only 12 megabytes. Here only for the sake of variety, I did not try it in battle.

Finally, we got to the Russian and even free program! It even allows you to make a bootable disk! The weight of the distribution kit is only 9 mb.

The performance and usability of the system depends on the condition of the hard disk. Cluttered media reduces performance, slows down the system, and is more prone to errors and crashes. Adequate disk management and the use of custom partitions improve its performance, increase comfort and positively affect the security of data and equipment. There are many tools and programs for working with a hard drive. Some of them differ only in graphical interface and price.

Selecting a program for working with hard disk partitions.

GParted is an advanced program for working with hard disk partitions that does not require the operating system to run. Once downloaded, the program is offered as an ISO disk image, which must be burned to a CD/DVD. After burning, restart your computer and choose to start from the CD/DVD. The program allows you to create, delete and resize an existing partition. A big plus of the program is the ability to change the size of the partition on which the system is installed. The program supports most known file types, including fat16, fat32, ntfs, ext2, ext3 and ext4. Before any operations on partitions, it is recommended to perform preliminary defragmentation and backup of the most important files. Partition resizing can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.

How to use the program:

1. Back up your important files!
2. Download the GParted program and burn it to disk.
3. Insert the disc into the drive and restart your computer.
4. When the motherboard manufacturer splash screen appears, press the F8 key (sometimes it can be F9, F10, F11, F12, depending on the manufacturer) and select boot from CD / DVD.
5. Once downloaded, select GParted Live from the list.
6. Click "Don't touch keymap".
7. Select language (Russian - 24).
8. "Which mode do you prefer?" – 0 and confirm with ENTER.
9. A search will begin for all available hard drives and partitions that have already been created on them. This may take several minutes.

1. If you need to repartition the disk, first delete all previously created partitions. To do this, delete them one by one (the “Delete” trash can icon). If you don't have any sections yet, skip this step.
2. In the list with sections, click on the place with unallocated space. Then click on the white sheet icon ("New").
3. In the window that opens, you need to set the parameters for the new partition: size, partition type (primary, extended or logical) and its file system, partition name. Then confirm the addition of the section with the "Add" button.
4. After creating the section, confirm the actions by selecting the green checkmark icon. The program will start creating partitions. This may take several minutes.
5. The next step is to close the main window and double click on the "Exit" icon.
6. Restart your computer.

After the reboot, the new disk partitions will be ready to use.

One of the most convenient disk management programs, EaseUS Partition Master, supports RAID devices. The application is equipped with a Wipe module, thanks to which the user can permanently erase files so that their recovery is impossible (especially useful before selling a hard drive). Each operation requires additional confirmation and becomes the first in the queue, so the risk of error is minimal. Let's see how to use this program to organize a disk that contains too many or too few partitions:

1. Download the program and run the installation.

IMPORTANT. Please do not download additional tools during installation.

1. After the application is installed, launch partition management to go to management.
2. Select the drive you want to format, right-click it and select the Delete Data option.
3. Set the number of disk cleanup repetitions to 1, and click OK.

IMPORTANT. Formatting the drive means that all data will be permanently deleted.

1. The task is added to the list of pending operations in the window on the left.
2. Then select the "Create Partition" option.
3. Then you need to set up a new partition, select its size, enter a name and select a letter. After entering all the data, click "OK".

You can create multiple partitions on a drive, but remember that if you create a partition on a USB drive, Windows will only be able to read the primary partition.

1. To complete all tasks in the Pending Operations list, simply click Apply Changes.

How to create a new section:

1. Select the system partition.
2. The Actions panel displays the available functions.
3. If you are using a hard disk, it is recommended to defragment the partition first. Select Defragment, then click OK.
4. After defragmenting, select Resize/Move Partition.

In the next window, drag the borders to the left with the pointer - this will reduce the size of the system disk.

1. If you perform SSD partitioning operations, check the "Optimize SSD" box.
2. Click "OK" to confirm the operation.
3. In the Apply Changes window, click Yes. A message will appear asking you to restart your computer. Click Yes. The disk will be partitioned and the computer will restart.
4. Start EaseUS again. Click in an empty space and in the Actions panel, select Create Partitions.
5. If it is an SSD, then check the "Optimize SSD" box. Click OK. Unallocated space will be formatted as a new drive.

Combining sections:

1. In EASEUS Partition Master, select a partition on drive C. In the Actions panel, select Merge Partitions.
2. Select the second section, it should be an adjacent section. Select the target drive from the list. Files from the second section will be placed in a separate folder. Click OK, then Yes. Sections will be merged.

The program also has a diagnostic module that allows you to search for bad sectors and manage the structure of the hard drive. An important feature is the pre-separation before approving changes, thanks to which the user has full control over the planned actions. The rest of the programs in the review work on the same principles as those described above.

One of the best hard drive software that supports hard drives with a capacity of more than 2 TB. Each partition can be archived as a backup, which allows you to restore data after a possible failure. The user can also change the file system from FAT to NTFS, and there is no need to reboot the system after every resizing of the NFTS partition. The application is equipped with interesting modules, including a disk map, which shows a graphical view of the partitions on the disk, Disk Surface Test, which offers basic disk diagnostics, and the Partition Surfece Test - analysis of a specific partition.

Free utility for Windows 7 and later Microsoft operating systems. Created on the Visual Operating System (ViOpSys) environment and runs from a bootable CD/DVD at system startup. Allows you to create new sections, divide, move and delete existing ones and copy their contents. In addition, the user has modules for defragmenting and formatting partitions. The program has low system requirements, so it can be used on older hardware (Pentium-class x86 processor, 32 MB RAM or 16 MB in text mode).

A powerful and functional disk and partition management tool, equipped with diagnostic and repair modules for working in Windows 10 and earlier versions. In addition to the basic functions of creating, copying and deleting partitions, you can back up and restore data lost as a result of, for example, a hard drive failure. The application is equipped with a "tom finder" that allows you to find and recover deleted data. The program supports the most popular file systems such as FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, EXT2 and EXT3, as well as DE, SCSI, SATA media. Allows you to manage virtual storage media and RAID. The built-in diagnostic module allows you to analyze the state of the disk, find and fix any errors (including recovering a damaged MBR).

A program designed to create copies of Windows system partitions. Allows you to quickly clone a partition to a new drive, so you can work on the new media without having to go through the operating system installation process. When moving a section, you can change its volume or leave it in its original size. The program supports files in FAT and NTFS, IDE, SATA, SCSII, USB and FIREWIRE interfaces.

An application designed to manage USB storage devices (cards, pendrives, external drives) that supports FAT16, FAT 32 and NTFS file systems. Allows you to create, copy and delete partitions, format memory and create bootable media, for example, with an operating system or another program. The program is equipped with a diagnostic module that checks the performance of the hard drive and the size of the media.

Allows you to analyze disk resources, provides detailed information about files and displays them in graphical form. For example, their size and location. The user can determine what data and in what form will be displayed. The application generates reports from the collected data in HTML, ASCII and XML formats.

Conclusion

Thus, we have introduced you to the best programs for working with hard disk partitions. You just need to try them out and decide which one suits you best. And if after reading this article you still have questions, then feel free to ask them in the comments.