Managing disk space on Windows is no less than a hustle. In such cases, disk management turns out to be one of the best solutions to manage storage like a pro. For beginners, disk management is just disk partition. It is a great way to manage space, but a wrong move can cause a huge data loss. 

Hence, I am writing this article to help you master disk partition, along with a suggestion for a free partition software that can help you during the whole process. Hence, keep reading till the end.

What Is Disk Management Windows?

In modern versions of Windows (Windows 10/11) Windows Disk Management is a software utility that helps provide a graphical interface for disk management. In earlier versions of Windows, disk management was done through the Disk Administrator Tool. 

Disk management is crucial for computers in two ways:

• Manage disks
• Manage basic volumes with disk management

These are two ways in which disk management plays a major role.

How to Use Windows Disk Management to Set Up Hard Drive?

Disk management not only helps in organizing storage but also in mitigating the risk of viruses. So, here is the step-by-step tutorial on how you can do so:

Initialize A New Disk

• Step 1: Start by installing and connecting the new hard drive to the computer.
• Step 2: Go to Disk Management.
• Step 3: Find the hard drive you just connected and hit the “Initialize Disk” button on the menu.
• Step 4: Set the partition style you want.

  

Create A New Volume

• Step 1: Go to Disk Management.
• Step 2: Right-click on the “Unallocated” space and click “New Simple Volume…”.
• Step 3: Choose the File system, Allocation unit size, and Volume Label.
• Step 4: Once done, hit the Next button.

  

Choose the Right Volume With Windows Disk Management

• Step 1: Go to Disk Management.
• Step 2: Choose the volume you want to edit and hit the “Extend Volume” or “Shrink Volume” button according to your need.
• Step 3: Set the required size in MB.
• Step 4: Hit the Next > Finish button if you are extending the volume, or the Shrink button if you are shrinking the volume.

  

Format Partition By Disk Management

• Step 1: Go to Windows Partition Utility.
• Step 2: Right-click on the volume of your choice and hit “Format…”
• Step 3: Edit the volume label, file system, and allocation unit size.
• Step 4: Select “Perform a quick format”.
• Step 5: Hit the “OK” button.

  

NOTE: The format function causes data loss, so, create a backup of your all necessary information. 

Convert MBR to GPT or GPT to MBR

Start by deleting all volumes:

• Step 1: Launch Disk Management.
• Step 2: Right-click the volume on the disk of your choice.
• Step 3: Click on the “Delete Volume”.
• Step 4: Hit the “Yes” button.

Then, start to convert the partition style:

• Step 1: Right-click on the disk of your choice. 
• Step 2: Choose the “Convert to GPT Disk” or “Choose to MBR Disk” option.

  

Change A Driver Letter With Windows Disk Management

• Step 1: Start by running disk management.
• Step 2: Right-click the partition and hit the “Change Driver Letter and Paths…” button.
• Step 3: Pick the new drive letter.
• Step 4: Hit the “OK” button.

  

Change Basic to Dynamic Disk

• Step 1: Go to Disk Management.
• Step 2: Right-click on the disk.
• Step 3: Click “Convert to Dynamic Disk…”.

This is how the partition is made in the computer disks to manage storage like a king. 

Disk Management Software for Windows: Our Recommendation

Disk management may get tricky and difficult for those who are just starting with it. Since it has so many steps to follow, it might get overwhelming for them and may cause heavy data loss. So, a partition manager like Partition Wizard can be a lifesaver.

Partition Wizard is a great program where you can use both free and paid versions. Both versions come with their own advantages and limitations. 

The following are some of its important features:

• Create/Delete/Format Partition
• Move/Resize Partition
• Wipe Disk/Partition
• Merge/Split Partition
• Convert FAT to NTFS
• Copy Disk/Partition

With these abilities and features, Partition Wizard is one of the best free platforms you can go for. 

Final Words

Finally, this article gave you all the necessary details you needed to know about Windows Disk Management. The step-by-step guide will help you complete the process with ease and zero error. Also, the article gave you a suggestion regarding the best software to explore. If you find it helpful, consider sharing it with friends and family. 

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