How to partition a hard drive in Windows 11 without losing data?

I recently used Dr.Partition to partition my hard drive in Windows 11 without losing any data. It’s simple, reliable, and worked perfectly, but make sure to back up important files just in case before starting.

See this tutorial: https://www.osxcentral.com/how-to-partition-a-hard-drive-in-windows

It’s easy for beginners too!

While build-in Disk Management tool in Windows does its job. Third party tools does it better and offer much more features such as partition recovery, move, resize, etc..One of the most popular disk partition tool is mini tool partition wizard

Free edition works well for most users

Partitioning a hard drive on Windows 11 is beneficial for organizing data, improving system performance, and managing different types of files separately. By creating multiple partitions, you can allocate space for different purposes, such as having one partition for the operating system and applications, and another for personal files like documents, photos, or videos. This separation helps in better data management.

Another reason to partition a hard drive is for dual-boot setups, where you can install another operating system on a separate partition without interfering with Windows 11. Partitioning is also useful when you want to optimize disk usage by resizing partitions based on your storage needs.

FabianPark 

To create a partition or volume (these two terms are often used interchangeably) on a hard disk, you must be logged on as an administrator and you must have unallocated disk space on the hard disk or free space available in an extended partition.

Source:  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-and-format-a-hard-disk-partition-bbb8e185-1bda-ecd1-3465-c9728f7d7d2e

FabianPark 

FabianPark 

Actually, I have also partitioned hard drive on Windows 11 before, but my reason is different from yours. I reinstall the system several times a year, so I want to store music and documents separately for easy management. But if you only have one SSD and divide it into two partitions, C and D, the problem still exists: if the C drive crashes, the entire hard drive will be affected, and the data on the D drive cannot be saved. In other words, whether you partition or not, once the hard drive crashes, all the data is gone. If you don’t back it up in advance, it’s basically hopeless.

Let’s talk about the only benefit of partitioning. If you install some risky software or the Windows system itself has problems, you can choose to reinstall only the system without affecting other stored files. This is also the reason why I decided to partition at the time. But to be honest, the most important thing is to back up regularly. After all, if the hard drive is broken, it doesn’t matter how many partitions you divide it into, and all the data will be lost. So, if you plan to partition, don’t forget to back up important data in advance!

FabianPark GParted (GNOME Partition Editor) is a free and open-source partition manager that can be used to manage disk partitions on a variety of systems, including Windows. It is a graphical partition editor that allows you to resize, copy, and move partitions without losing data. It supports multiple file systems (NTFS, FAT32, ext4, etc.) and can create, delete, resize, and format partitions.

Although GParted is primarily developed for Linux systems, you can use it on Windows by booting from a live USB or CD. Here’s how you can use GParted to partition a C drive on Windows 11 without formatting:

1. Once in GParted’s interface, you’ll see a graphical representation of your hard drive and its partitions.

2. Right-click on the partition (e.g., the C drive) and select Resize/Move. Enter the new size or drag the slider to shrink or expand the partition.

3. Click on the unallocated space that appears after resizing. Right-click and select New to create a new partition, choose the file system (NTFS for Windows), and apply the changes.

FabianPark 

Follow this guide to create and format a hard disk partition on Window 11:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-and-format-a-hard-disk-partition-bbb8e185-1bda-ecd1-3465-c9728f7d7d2e

The Partition Manager on Windows 11 - it's a good start, but not exactly the most comprehensive tool if you're looking to get serious about partitioning a new hard drive in Windows 11. Based on my experience, the Disk Management tool is a bit of a relic from the past. It's been around for ages, and it shows. The interface is clunky, and it can be overwhelming to navigate if you're new to partitioning. I mean, where's the modern touch? It's like trying to solve a puzzle with a bunch of cryptic icons.

Another thing that gets my goat is that it's super limited when it comes to advanced features. You can't create complex disk configurations or even convert file systems (e.g., from NTFS to FAT32). It's basically just a simple partition manager with some basic functions. If you're looking for more advanced features, like dynamic disk management or GPT support, you'll be out of luck.

And don't even get me started on the user interface. It's like they took a 1990s-era UI design and slapped it onto a modern OS. The menu options are buried, and the window layout is just plain weird. I mean, who thought it was a good idea to put the "Disk Cleanup" option in the "File" menu? It's like they're trying to make it harder for you to find what you need.