Partitions are separate sections of a hard drive that function as though they were different drives. This can be useful for organizing your files, installing multiple operating systems on a single computer, or troubleshooting problems.

There are a few things to keep in mind when creating partitions, such as the size of the partition and the file system you want to use. You’ll also need to decide whether you want to create a primary or extended partition.

Creating partitions

Partitions can be created using disk partitioning software, which is typically included with operating systems. Alternatively, there are many free and paid partitioning tools available.

Once you’ve installed the partitioning software of your choice, you’ll need to launch it and select the hard drive you want to partition.

Next, you’ll need to decide on the size of the partitions you want to create. It’s important to leave enough space for any future data or programs you might want to install.

After deciding on the size of the partitions, you’ll need to select the file system you want to use. The most common file systems are NTFS and FAT32, but there are others available as well.

Finally, you’ll need to give each partition a label so you can easily identify it later. Once you’ve done all of this, you can click the “Create” button to create the partitions.

Managing partitions

Once you’ve created partitions, you can manage them using disk partitioning software. This includes tasks such as resizing, splitting, merging, and deleting partitions. You can also use partition manager programs to make partitions bootable and recover lost or deleted partitions.

Free partition manager software for Windows 11/10

There are several free partition manager software programs available for Windows 11/10. Here are a few of the most popular ones:

EaseUS Partition Master Free – is a user-friendly disk partitioning tool that offers a range of functionalities to manage disk partitions on Windows operating systems, including Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7. Here are some notable aspects of the software:

  • Pros:
    • User-Friendly Interface: The software is incredibly simple to use, making it accessible even for inexperienced computer users.
    • Preview Changes: It allows users to preview changes before applying them, ensuring that no unwanted alterations are made.
    • Various Operations: The tool includes numerous useful operations, such as resizing, moving, and converting data disks to MBR/GPT.
    • Large Disk Support: It supports disks up to 8 TB in size.
  • Cons:
    • Limited to Personal Use: The free edition can only be used for personal, non-commercial purposes.
    • No Dynamic Volume Management: It does not manage dynamic volumes.
    • Email Requirement: An email address is required to download the software.
    • Lacks Advanced Operations: Some advanced operations are not available in the free version.
    • Ads: The software shows an ad every time you close the program.

AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition – is a free disk partitioning software that provides a plethora of basic and advanced features, making it a robust tool for managing disk partitions, especially for Windows users.

  • Pros
    • User-Friendly: The interface is intuitive, ensuring ease of use and understanding.
    • Comprehensive Features: It supports most common partitioning tasks and uses step-by-step wizards for quick task completion.
    • Windows PE Version: AOMEI Partition Assistant SE can create a bootable Windows PE OS that runs the software before Windows starts, which is useful for managing partitions when you can’t start the operating system or want to avoid rebooting after certain changes.
    • Batch Operations: It allows users to queue up multiple changes and apply them all at once.
    • Multilingual: Supports several languages.
  • Cons
    • Dynamic Disk Limitation: It cannot convert dynamic disks to basic disks.
    • Partition Type Conversion: The software does not allow conversion between primary and logical partitions.
    • Pro Version Upsells: Some features are only available in the Pro version.

MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition – is a free partition management software that is compatible with Windows operating systems, including Windows 11, and offers a variety of tasks related to hard drives and partitions.

  • Pros:
    • Ease of Use: The software is very user-friendly and supports common partitioning functions.
    • No Reboot for System Partition Extension: It can extend the system partition without requiring a reboot.
    • Operation Queue: Sends all changes to a queue to be applied when ready, allowing users to review changes before applying them.
  • Cons:
    • Dynamic Disk Limitation: Does not support managing dynamic disks.
    • Upselling Features: Shows features that only work in the upgraded version.
    • Unwanted Software Installation: Tries to install an unrelated program during setup.
    • Infrequent Updates: The software updates are not very frequent.

GParted Live CD/USB – is a free disk partitioning tool that operates independently of the operating system, meaning it doesn’t require an OS to be installed and never necessitates a reboot to apply changes. It can perform a variety of tasks on partitions, such as deleting, formatting, resizing, copying, and hiding.
Менеджер разделов Gpart

  • Pros:
    • Graphical Interface: It has a familiar graphical interface that is easy to use.
    • No OS Requirement: It doesn’t require an operating system to function.
    • No Reboot Needed: Changes can be applied without rebooting the system.
    • Operation Queue: All changes are queued until the user decides to apply them, providing a safety net for user actions.
  • Cons:
    • Large Download Size: The download size is relatively large.
    • Installation Requirement: It can only be used after being burned to a disc or USB device.
    • No Redo Function: While it allows undoing changes, it doesn’t allow redoing them.

All of these programs are free to download and use. They all have unique features and interfaces, so it’s a good idea to try out a few of them to see which one you prefer.

Conclusion

Partitions can be a powerful tool for organizing your files and managing your hard drive. By using disk partitioning software, you can easily create, resize, and manage partitions.

Additional tips
  • It’s always a good idea to back up your data before making any changes to your partitions.
  • If you’re not sure how to use a particular partition manager program, be sure to read the documentation or consult a tutorial.
  • Be careful when resizing or deleting partitions, as you could lose data if you make a mistake.