What is a simple volume? How to create a local disk.

So you are faced with the question of how to partition your hard drive. The reasons may be different, for example, you purchased a new HDD to increase the permanent memory of an existing computer, or you bought a new laptop, but without a pre-installed system, and you yourself have to install the Windows shell, or you simply did not have enough space in the system partition of the disk for newly installed programs .

Basic ways to divide hard drive space

Regardless of the reasons that prompted you, you want to partition your hard drive yourself, but have little idea how this is done in practice. This is where we will try to help you by telling you not only about the basic ways to properly partition a hard drive, but also pointing out certain nuances and difficulties that you may encounter during this difficult work.

Let's look at how to divide a hard drive of any type (HDD or SSD) in three ways, namely using:

  • standard utilities running Windows installed on your computer;
  • special programs for working with various information storage devices;
  • Windows PE boot shell.

So, let's get started and try to follow the sequence of actions exactly, otherwise, this may lead to either repeating operations for a new drive, or losing important data when working with existing storage media.

Partitioning a disk using a standard Windows utility

This method of working with drives is not very complicated and, most importantly, does not require third-party programs. It is suitable for dividing both the main drive “C” and for dividing an external HDD into partitions. This utility for working with storage media is available in all versions from Windows XP to Windows 10.

So, to work directly with hard drives, you need to open the standard Windows shell utility, and it can be called to the desktop in two ways:

In the window that opens " Disk management“All storage devices currently connected to your computer, including flash memory, should be displayed.

We move the mouse cursor over the desired partition and right-click the context menu for this disk. And here, depending on what we want to do, we decide on the team we need in the future.

Divide the disk into two

If this is one main drive “C”, then this is an easy way to divide the hard drive into two and with one hundred percent certainty not to lose system information. To do this, perform the following steps:


That's it, the main disk is divided into two partitions.

Partitioning the disk

But how to divide a hard drive into partitions, in the case of a new, just purchased drive, working with this standard utility, is also not difficult, but the algorithm of actions will be slightly changed. The sequence of actions will be as follows:


It is worth remembering here that the disk system MBR allows you to create no more than 4 partitions on one hard drive.

Working with disks using special utility programs

The following universal software utilities for working with various information storage devices have found the greatest popularity among users, namely:

  • Acronis Disk Suite;
  • Paragon Partition Manager Professional;
  • AOMEI Partition Assistant Technician Edition.

These utilities are specially adapted to perform almost all basic operations with HDD, SSD and other storage media. They have a fairly clear interface designed to work with both specialists and ordinary users.

We will analyze how to split a disk into partitions using such universal utilities using the example program AOMEI Partition Assistant, which can be installed on your computer as a standard application, or used from portable mode.

And also for comparison, we will show the operation of the utility in two modes when dividing the main disk into two and dividing the new hard disk into several partitions.

We open the program and see a window with extensive information on all connected storage media and their sections.

Divide by two

The algorithm for partitioning the main hard drive “C” consists of a set of sequential commands:


After the reboot, having completed all the operations, the system will boot, but with the main disk divided into two parts.

Dividing a new disk

Typically, the new HDD will represent unallocated space and will only be visible in the program window.

First, be sure to clearly indicate the disk with which we will work by hovering the mouse cursor and obtaining the corresponding color gradation of the position. But in case of an error, you can lose all important information on a randomly selected existing storage medium.


The algorithm for working with other universal programs for resizing various storage media is very similar to the example above. The only significant difference will be the program interface and menu layout.

Partitioning the main disk using the Windows PE boot shell

If you decide to install a new operating system or completely update the old one, and the existing partition sizes of the main HDD do not suit you or do not meet the necessary requirements, then it is better and easier to reformat by logging into the computer from a special simplified shell.

If desired, various versions can be downloaded from the Internet, and they are freely available there and are equipped with a set of all the necessary portable programs for working not only with storage media, but also have a whole set of various useful utilities. For example, you can take the distribution kit from the site https://diakov.net/8305-adminpe-30.html, which does not require additional registration from the user.

Having loaded onto a USB or CD/DVD media, we boot the system using the key to call up the menu, in which there is a choice of boot device. As a rule, this is the function key F11, after pressing which we select our media.

After loading the portable desktop, a desktop will appear that almost completely replicates the familiar Windows shell, but with pre-installed software modules.

We open a universal program for working with various storage devices and work according to the example given earlier in the background and without unnecessary reboots.

The main advantage of the shell is that the software modules are in no way connected to the hard drives, which allows you to perform all possible operations to reformat them in any possible way without any restrictions.

Conclusion

In this article we learned how to partition a PC or laptop disk in different ways. Examples were considered: how to divide a hard drive into 2 parts, and how to create partitions on a hard drive. You can use similar methods to partition an external hard drive. Just connect it to your computer and do the same steps.

Video on the topic

Sometimes you need to create an additional partition on the disk ( split it) for example, for a second operating system or to separate system files from user files. This way, you can ensure their safety if something happens to your computer. I will show you how to create a partition in Windows itself through disk management and during its installation.

I'm looking forward to the question: won't the files be deleted from the disk from which the partition will be created? No, they will not be deleted and it will work exactly the same. You will take only part of the free space and a partition will be created from it.

Creating a partition in Disk Management

Open the run bar Start >> Run (or Win + R) and enter the command that will open the Disk Control Panel.

Then you will see all disks and partitions. To create a new one you need free space ( green area) or unallocated space ( black area).


I only have 118 megabytes of unallocated space - this is certainly not enough, which means I need to take free space from a free disk. In this case C.

Before doing this, it is highly advisable to do this, otherwise the space may not be allocated at all. In the context menu, click “Shrink Volume” and wait.


Select a size for the volume. 5000 megabytes is enough for me for Windows XP. For Windows 7, 8 and 10 - at least 16 gigabytes. More is better if you plan to actively use the system.


As a result, such an unallocated black area should appear.


Make a section out of it. To do this, right-click on it and select “Create simple volume” as in the image below.


The built-in volume creation program will open. Move on.


You will be asked to choose a size from the available space. I choose 5000 MB to install Windows XP. This size is for demonstration only, you can put much larger to make it comfortable to work with.


Then assign an unassigned letter to avoid confusion.


After this you need to perform formatting.

  1. File system - NTFS.
  2. Cluster size is default.
  3. Volume Label - Enter the name of your operating system to avoid confusion later. I'm going to install Windows XP there, that's what I called it.

Finish creating the partition.


A partition with a blue area will then appear, which can be used when installing Windows or for storing files. I prepared it specifically for Windows XP.

It can also be seen as an additional disk by going to My Computer explorer.


Now all that remains is to install the operating system. You can also create a partition directly during ( see below).

The same instructions can be viewed in video format. All actions are carried out on the Windows 7 operating system.

Creating a partition during Windows installation

I believe that this method is much more convenient and simpler than others, as it allows you to do everything at once during the installation process. But if you just want to split the disk into several, then this method is unlikely to suit you. The instructions are applicable for versions of Windows 7, 8 and 10. Their installation interface is almost the same.

As soon as you select the language and accept the license agreement, a window with section settings will appear. In it you need to create a new one by clicking on the corresponding button as shown below and assign its size.

If you do not have unallocated space and there are still partitions, then delete them using the corresponding button. They will be converted and a new partition can be made from them. Please note that all data on them will be permanently deleted.


Then select the created partition and click next to proceed to the simple installation process.


Partitioning a disk using a program

Most programs for working with hard drives are paid, but there is also a free solution in Russian. That's what I'll look at now.

Download AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard and install. It is very convenient to divide, create and change partitions. In addition to this, the program has many other features, but in this article I will look at how to divide a disk into 2 or more. You can check out the rest of the features yourself.

All disks and partitions are located on the main screen. Select the one you want to split, and then from the context menu, click split partition.


In the window that appears, set the size. For example, I have 256 megabytes installed.


Now you need to confirm the changes. To do this, on the main screen, click “Apply” and a window will appear in which there will be a warning that a reboot is required. After it, changes will occur and you will be able to see the result.


I think these methods are enough to solve this problem. Ask your questions in the comments.

How did you create the section?

Using the built-in Disk Management tool, you can add a new volume to your hard drive to create a new logical partition. In the article "" I talked about how to shrink an existing hard drive volume. Using the freed up space, you can create a new volume and a new logical partition for the operating system. Here's how it's done.

Disk management

First, you need to run Disk Management with administrator rights. Open the Start menu, type “diskmgmt.msc” into the search bar without quotes, right-click the “diskmgmt” link in the search results and select the “Run as Administrator” option from the context menu (Figure A).

Figure A: Run Disk Management with Administrator rights.

The window shown in Fig. will open. B. As you can see, after shrinking the volume, there is free unallocated space on the disk.


Figure B. There is free space on the disk.

Right-click on the unallocated space and select the New Simple Volume option (Figure C) to launch the New Simple Volume Wizard.


Figure C. Launch the Create Simple Volume Wizard.


Figure D. First page of the Create Simple Volume Wizard.

You can create multiple partitions on unallocated space, but I'm going to use all the available space to create a new simple volume (Figure E).


Figure E: Specify the volume size.

The next page asks you to assign a drive letter or path to the new volume (Figure F). Three options are available:

“Assign the following drive letter.” By default, Windows suggests the first available character, and this is usually the best option.

“Mount in the following empty NTFS folder”. Instead of assigning a drive letter, you can mount the volume as a folder, which will make it look and act like a simple Windows directory.

“Do not assign a drive letter or drive path.” In the future, the drive letter or path will still need to be specified so that the volume can be used to store data.

For example, let's leave the default option selected and assign the drive letter “E”.


Figure F: Assign a drive letter or path to the volume.

The next step asks you to set the volume formatting parameters (Fig. G). As a rule, it is recommended to format volumes, but you can also choose FAT32. The other default option is best left alone unless you have a specific reason to change the cluster size.

The volume should be given a label to make it easier to distinguish it from other sections. When choosing a quick format, the operation takes less time, but in this case the system does not mark bad sectors on the hard drive, which can lead to problems in the future.

NTFS has a built-in compression system that operates unnoticed by users and can be useful if there is not enough free space on the disk.


Figure G. Setting formatting options.

The final page of the wizard lists the selected options, with the ability to go back and change them if necessary (Figure H). If you are satisfied with everything, click the “Finished” button.

Some users do not know how to split one disk into several logical partitions, but this can be very useful. If you have several logical partitions, you can store information not on the system volume. In this case, the risk of losing it when reinstalling the system or formatting the disk is sharply reduced. This article will tell you several ways on how you can create a second volume D, both using standard tools and using third-party software.

Using Disk Management to create a new partition

The built-in disk management utility will allow you to perform all the necessary actions, and this program is present in all the latest versions of Windows. To run it you need pressWin+R enter diskmgmt.msc.

In the window that opens you need select drive C(or another section that you want to divide), you need to right-click on it and select the item “ Shrink Volume" In the next window you need to write the size of the new volume D; according to the standard, all free space is indicated there. But it’s worth leaving at least ten gigabytes of free space on the system disk for new programs and system files.

After this it will start formation process. At the end of it, unallocated space will appear on which you need to right-click.

Here you just have to select the item marked in the picture. In the next window you need to select letter for the new volume, in our case it is D.

Then it was suggested write the name volumes, and also select the file system and cluster. Here everything can be left as default. After this, formatting will be performed and the new logical partition will become available for use.

Using the command line to partition disks

Separation can also be done using the console. To do this, you will have to open it with administrator rights and enter the following operators:



Application of Aomei Partition Assistant Standard

There are quite a lot of applications that help manage logical partitions, as well as cut off and create new partitions. You can find many examples on the Internet, but here we talk about one utility. After the user downloads and installs it, you need to go to Main menu, select the desired hard drive, then right-click and select “”.

In the next section you will have to indicate the number of megabytes for a new section.

Then all you have to do is click OK, and then Go.

After this, the device will reboot and you can use the new partition.

Preparation of hard drives has a number of features associated with their significant volume and the ability to create several logical volumes on one physical storage medium. When working on a personal computer, it may be necessary to create or delete partitions on a hard drive, convert them, or restore them. If during the initial installation of Windows 7 the creation of volumes takes place interactively and the process is intuitive, then making changes to the created partitions requires a certain skill. Without any experience in these matters, you can perform the wrong operation, which will lead to irreversible consequences from complete loss of information to failure of the hard drive.

Rules for hard disk distribution in Windows 7

The sequence of preparing hard drives for installing Windows 7 is as follows:

  • low-level pre-formatting;
  • partitioning of a physical drive into logical volumes;
  • installation of software on logical drives.

    • All modern hard drives come formatted at a low level. After mounting them on a system unit or laptop, they must be marked and formatted as logical volumes. This is done at the initial stage when installing Windows 7 on a computer. You can carry out the distribution later by creating a single, common logical disk during installation, using all the free space on the hard drive for this.

    A number of specialists in the field of computer technology believe that there should be only one partition on the drive, and the presence of several only slows down the performance of the computer. This is not entirely true. Storing personal folders on another volume provides certain advantages, as it avoids accidental destruction when reinstalling the system or deleting old files and directories. And also the second volume allows you to unload the system partition and reduce the movement of files on it, which does not lead to large fragmentation of clusters.

    To directly resolve issues of partitioning into volumes, Windows 7 has a built-in Disk Management utility. This is a practical visual tool that is used to manage hard drive volumes, configure volumes, and perform other service operations.

    Using the built-in Disk Management utility allows you to:

  • create and delete volumes on the drive;
  • compress volumes;
  • add volumes without rebooting;
  • manage local and remote network drives.

    • There are several methods for launching the Disk Management utility.

  • The Start key services menu is applied:
  • The console “Administrator: Command Line” is used:
  • Launch using the Run service:

    • Another option: click on the “Start” button, select “Control Panel”, activate the “Administrative Tools” service, in the “Run” panel that opens, select “Computer Management”, and then “Disk Management”.

    What actions to take if the hard drive is not allocated

    Before installing Windows 7 on a hard drive, you need to prepare it for this.

    Most hard drives are sold prepared for installation of Windows 7, that is, with the main partition already created. Operations for distribution onto several volumes are carried out during system installation. Installation is carried out when booting from an optical bootloader or USB drive. When performing one of the initial installation steps, a window appears asking you to select a space for installing Windows 7.
    In the “Windows Installation” window, select the logical drive for installation

    Then you need to follow the instructions that appear on the screen. The installation program itself will guide you through all the steps.

    If the hard drive was not prepared for immediate installation of the system before going on sale, then all operations will have to be done by the user. To do this, you will need a bootable optical disc or USB drive.

    Before installing the system, you must enter the BIOS (Basic Input Output System) software and set it to boot initially from a DVD or USB drive. Entering the BIOS is done by pressing the F2, “Del” or other keyboard combination, depending on the manufacturer, when the computer starts booting. You can use the F11 key for this purpose, pressing it at the initial stage to display the bootloader panel.
    In BIOS, select boot from USB drive

    To create a system partition on a hard drive, all free space is used. The creation of other logical partitions is carried out after installing Windows 7. For these purposes, it is best to use bootable media with Windows PE, the assembly of which has built-in “Acronis Disk Director” or “Partition Magic”, which provides management of logical partitions of the hard drive.

    In the absence of such boot media, you can boot from an outdated boot media for Windows 98 containing the Volkov Commander software shell.
    Find and run the utility “Fdisk.exe”

    Volkov Commander launches the system utility “Fdisk.exe”, which is used when creating a system partition. The drive is then formatted using the Format.com utility.

    Rules for creating volumes on a hard drive in Windows 7

    A new volume is created in a free area of ​​the hard drive that is not yet part of a formatted volume. In the Disk Management console, this space is highlighted in bright green, and in the legend line it is indicated as “Free”.

  • Before creating a volume, we compress an arbitrarily defined partition. Thus, we take away part of the volume of this volume:
  • Enter the size of the space to be compressed and click the “Compress” button.
    In the volume compression panel, select the size of the space to be compressed and press the “Compress” button
  • When compression is complete, right-click on the compressed area, which is highlighted in light green, and in the drop-down context menu click “Create simple volume...”.
    Right-click on the free space and select “Create simple volume” from the drop-down menu
  • The simple volume creation wizard algorithm will begin to execute, in which the volume of the new volume is selected.
    Press the “Next” button
  • We determine the storage capacity for the created volume.
    Select the simple volume size and press the “Next” button
  • We assign a letter to designate the volume.
    Assign a drive letter and press “Next”
  • Set quick formatting options. The volume is formatted in the NTFS file system, leaving other parameters unchanged. Turn on the “Quick Format” switch.
    Select the file system, cluster size and volume label. Enable quick formatting
  • In the final window, click on the “Done” button. A logical volume with the specified letter is created.
    Press the “Done” button

    • Video: creating new partitions on a hard drive in Windows 7

    Rules for converting an MBR drive to a GPT drive

    GPT is a fundamentally new organization of the disk system structure, used when preparing a hard drive for the installation of Windows 7. It was developed and began to be implemented simultaneously with the release of Windows 8 to the market. It is gradually replacing the format of drives with MBR and a basic input/output system (BIOS).

    GPT disks have a number of advantages:

  • support up to 128 partitions on a physical drive;
  • work with hard drives up to 18 exabytes (EB);
  • information about partitions and boot information is stored in several copies in different places;
  • performance is better than that of an MBR drive and allows you to restore files if they are damaged;
  • stores code redundancy values ​​(CRC), which allows you to determine information corruption.

    • Before converting an MBR volume to GPT, you need to copy all information from it, since during the conversion process all information is destroyed. After conversion, the information is returned to the storage volume.

    To change the MBR format to GPT, there are two options:

  • The command utility “Diskpart.exe” is used:
  • Use the built-in Disk Management utility:

    • You can modify an MBR drive into a GPT drive using third-party developments. The most popular are “MiniTool Partition Wizard” or “Acronis Disk Director”. These developments are not supported by Microsoft and although they have proven themselves to be positive, 100% results can never be guaranteed.

    How to properly configure a network drive

    Before creating a network drive, select a directory that will be designated as such on the local network and open public access to it. The directory size is unlimited and varies depending on the free space on the hard drive. Before selecting a directory, configure the network parameters of Windows 7:

  • go from the desktop through the chain “Control Panel” - “Network and Sharing Center”;
  • Click on the service “Change additional sharing settings”;
    Select “Change advanced sharing settings” in the left panel
  • A console opens containing settings for two main profiles:
    • current profile;
    • general profile.
  • in the profiles we turn on all the switches for network discovery and sharing.
    In the panel, turn on the switches for network discovery and sharing

    • Having finished setting the network settings for Windows 7, we move on to opening shared access to the selected directory and mapping a network drive.

    Creating a public access:

  • find the directory on the hard drive, right-click on it and in the drop-down menu click on the “Properties” line;
  • in the “Properties: Contacts” panel, go to the “Access” tab and click on the “Sharing” button;
    In the “Properties” panel, select the “Access” tab and press the “Sharing” button
  • enter the word “Guest” in the top field, press the “Add” button and give him certain rights to work;
    In the “File Sharing” panel, add “Guest”, assign him rights and click on the “Sharing” button
  • public access is opened;
    We are waiting for the folder to be shared
  • When the opening is complete, click on the “Done” button.

    Click on the “Finish” button

    • Creating a network drive:

  • right-click on the “Computer” service on the “Desktop” and in the drop-down menu click on the line “Map network drive”;
    In the “Computer” pop-up menu, select “Map network drive...”
  • in the panel that opens, indicate the drive letter to connect;
  • Click on the “Browse” button and find the desired directory;
    In the panel, select the drive letter and the required folder
  • select the directory, click on the “OK” button and in the next panel click on the “Finish” button.

    • You can create such a disk on a local network on any local computer.

    How to remove drive C

    It is not possible to remove a system drive that is currently in use by Windows 7. If you try to do this, the system will warn you that the partition is in use and will not allow you to carry out the operation. This is a kind of fuse against rash user actions, which can lead to the loss of boot and system files. You can delete the system partition only during the reinstallation of Windows 7.

    How to properly delete the “System Reserved” partition

    System Reserved is a hidden partition designed to save Windows 7 boot information. The partition is used to provide information necessary when the computer fails to boot and is not reflected in the Explorer logical drive tree. It is not recommended to delete a section; it can be made invisible to the user if it begins to appear in Explorer. This is done very simply:

  • go to the “Disk Management” snap-in;
  • right-click on the backup volume and in the drop-down context menu click on the line “Change drive letter or drive path...”;
    In the drop-down menu, select “Change drive letter or drive path...”
  • in the panel that opens, click on the “Add” button; in the next panel, indicate the letter that denotes the reserved disk;
    In the panel, enter the drive letter to delete
  • Double-click on the “Delete” button.

    • I do not recommend deleting this partition; it is better to leave everything as it was created when installing Windows 7. A size of 100 megabytes does not affect anything and is not worth breaking the system. It seems to me that Microsoft did not come up with it in vain.

    Video: how to hide a “System Reserved” volume

    How the “System Reserved” section is created

    A backup volume always identifies itself as active, system, and primary. It can be used to launch one or two operating systems installed on a hard drive. If the partition was not created automatically during the system installation process, or was intentionally deleted, then you can create it again by executing a certain command sequence in the administrator console:

  • opening the “Run” panel, in the “Open” field enter the line “Diskpart.exe”;
    In the panel enter the command diskpart.exe
  • enter the line list disk - display information about partitions;
  • enter the line select disk - select a volume with working Windows 7;
  • enter the line shrink desired=100 - shrink the volume by 100 megabytes;
  • diskpart reduces the volume by 100 megabytes;
  • enter the line creat partition primfry - create a volume;
  • diskpart creates a partition;
  • enter the line format fs=ntfs - format the volume in the NTFS file system;
  • diskpart will format the volume;
  • enter the line activ - the volume becomes active;
  • enter the line assign letter J - assignment of an arbitrary letter;
  • enter the line exit - exit the program;
  • termination of work "Diskpart.exe";
  • enter the line bcdboot C:\Windows - boot files are created in the “System Reserved” volume.

    • This completes the creation of the “System Reserved” volume of 100 megabytes in size.

    Popular programs for dividing a hard drive into partitions

  • “MiniTool Partition Wizard” is a small utility that allows you to quickly manage hard drive partitions. It has a clear Russian-language interface that allows you to use it without much difficulty. Provides the ability to convert MBR drives to GPT drives without loss of information. Provides support for drives larger than two terabytes. The program has all the basic functions for working with hard drive partitions. Allows you to backup information.
    Start panel of the MiniTool Partition Wizard program
  • Acronis Disk Director is one of the most famous programs used for hard drive partitioning and partition management. It is often included in the assembly of boot media to divide the drive into logical drives before installing Windows 7. It has the ability to divide the volume into two parts and install two different operating systems in them. Supports all modern file systems. It has the function of converting, without loss of information, MBR drives into GPT drives. Can clone the system to another drive. Allows you to use a wide range of functions for working with partitions.
    Main window of the Acronis Disk Director program

    • Video: Partitioning a hard drive with Acronis Disk Director

    Despite all the variety of programs for working with hard drives, you should only use proven ones. There is always a danger that after processing a disk with an unknown program, you can lose information that has been accumulated and stored for a long time. If you are not completely sure, then it is better to use the disk management utility built into Windows 7, developed by Microsoft, or a program from the bootable media assembly. The programs from the assembly have wider functionality for processing hard drives, but require certain skills in operation. An error when working with them can lead to irreversible consequences. Therefore, it is recommended to start using them only after thoroughly familiarizing yourself with their capabilities.