Two Ways to Format Partition C in Windows 7 without Formatting

Updated By

Sherly 

Written By

Linda 

Last Updated on April 19, 2024

Windows 7 is one of the most popular versions of Windows ever released by Microsoft, and it's still used by many small and large offices as well as individual users. If you have a computer with Windows 7 installed and want to format your C drive so that you can keep different types of files separate and avoid losing them, you'll need to do some preparation beforehand.

This will delete all your data from the C: drive, though. However, some tools can teach you how to create a new partition on Windows 7 without formatting. Read on for more information, and share this article on your social media platforms to help other users!

How to Resize the C Drive Partition in Windows 7 Without Formatting

There are two ways to partition your C drive, but one method is easier than the other because it involves fewer steps.

Method 1: Professional Partitioning Tool - Partition Master

Partition Master Pro is a reliable tool to format your C drive without formatting. You can also reformat the drive to a different file system, like NTFS, without formatting from FAT32, and likewise convert from MBR to GPT without formatting. Furthermore, with this program, you can adjust partition size, extend or merge, delete, and more, later on. This tool covers various disk-related needs and will be of help to you for life. Give it a try now and create partitions on your C drive without formatting!

Option 1: Partition the new hard drive

If you want to partition the new hard drive and set it as C drive, you can try using the "New Disk Wizard" feature in the tool Partition Master, which allows users to partition with one click. Follow the step-by-step guidance to partition your new hard drive:

Step 1: Run Partition Master and go to “Partition Management”. Then in the popped-up “New Disk Wizard” window, click “Partition this disk”.

Step 2: Specify the number of partitions you want to create and select the partition style for your disk – MBR or GPT.

Alternatively, you can accept the defaults that Partition Wizard provides. When you're finished, click “Next.”

Step 3: Click “Run 1 Task” and “Apply” to finish partitioning the new HDD/SSD or external drive.

Option 2: Split the existing C drive

Users often need to partition C drive. To help you with hard disk partitioning, Partition Master offers the “Partition Manager” feature to resize partitions, create and delete partitions without losing data.

Important: Although this process is relatively safe, it's still crucial to back up all your data just in case something gets accidentally deleted.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, and check the free space of the disk in "Partition Management".

• If you have unallocated space on your hard drive, skip to Step 3 to create the partition. • If you do not have any unallocated space, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2. Shrink the partition to create unallocated space.

Right-click on the target disk partition with lots of free space and select “Resize/Move”.

Then, you can drag the partition to the left or right to shrink it and free up unallocated space. You'll see how much you've reduced the size by in the “Size” field. Click “OK.”

Click on “Perform XX Task” and then “Apply” to save all the changes.

Back in the “Disk Management” tool, you should see the unallocated space on the same drive. You can now proceed to create a new partition on the hard drive.

Step 3. Create a new partition on the target drive to allocate the unassigned space.

Right-click the unallocated space and select “New”.

Create Partition Step 1

Customize the partition size, drive letter, volume label, and file system (NTFS, FAT32, EXT2/3/4, exFAT) in the "Advanced Settings." Click "OK."

Finally, click “Execute Tasks” and “Apply” to create the partition with the unallocated space on your disk. Repeat these steps to partition hard drive and create more partitions.

Create Partition Step 3

Method 2: Open Disk Management

"Disk Management" is a built-in Windows tool used to create partitions, format internal or external drives, and more. You can use Disk Management to partition a new hard drive for your Windows 7 computer, but if you want to partition an existing "C:" drive, the entire drive will be reformatted.

Option 1: Partition the new hard drive

Step 1: Click on "Start," search for and open "Disk Management."

Step 2. Select the drive and right-click on it, then choose the "Initialize Disk" option.

Step 3: Right-click on the unallocated space, and select "New Simple Volume" from the menu that appears.

Step 4. The New Simple Volume Wizard will open. Choose the volume size, file system, etc., to complete the process.

Option 2: Partition the existing C drive

Step 1. Open Disk Management.

Step 2. Right-click on the unallocated space and select "New Simple Volume."

Step 3. Click the Next button in the New Simple Volume Wizard.

Step 4. Follow the on-screen instructions to add the unallocated space from Drive C to the disk you want to expand.

In addition to the C drive, you can also partition other storage devices, following these steps:

Why Do We Need to Partition C Drive?

The C drive is where Windows is stored, and you can save files there, but it can get cluttered. Instead, you can partition the C drive in Windows 7 to create extra C drives for different uses. For example, use D: for media files, E: for work files, and so on.

This keeps everything organized and prevents accidental deletion of system files that could damage the Windows operating system. There are more reasons to partition your C drive, though. Here are some:

• Install another operating system
• Use a different file system than the local disk C:
• Create backups easily
• Enhance data security

For more information, you can read the relevant articles below:

Pros and Cons of Partitioning a Hard Drive

Should I partition my hard drive? This page will tell you everything you need to know about disk partitioning, including its advantages and disadvantages.

Conclusions

Windows is an excellent operating system, with Windows 7 still being famous worldwide. If you have a single partition on your C: drive and want to organize your files correctly or create partitions for other reasons, Partition Master is the best tool you can use to create partitions without formatting the drive.

Disk Management can help you partition an existing C drive, but it will format your drive. If it's a new drive, Disk Management can do the job. However, whether it's a new or existing drive, Partition Master lets you format the drive with just a few clicks and is user-friendly for all ages and levels of computer literacy.

Frequently Asked Questions on How to Partition C Drive in Windows 7 Without Formatting

Do you have other questions about increasing C drive space in Windows 7 without formatting? Here, we will answer some related questions.

1. How do I partition an existing C drive in Windows 10? To partition an existing C drive in Windows 10, follow these steps: 1. **Open Disk Management:** - Right-click the "Start" button or press `Win + X` on your keyboard. - Select "Disk Management" from the menu that appears. 2. **View disk layout:** - In the Disk Management window, you'll see a list of all disks. Locate your C drive (usually labeled as "Disk 0" or "System Drive"). 3. **Check available space:** - Make sure there is enough unallocated space on the C drive to create a new partition. If not, you might need to delete an existing partition (be cautious, as this will result in data loss). 4. **Create a new partition:** - Right-click the unallocated space next to the C drive and choose "New Simple Volume." - Follow the wizard's instructions, allocating the desired size for your new partition, assigning a drive letter, selecting a file system (like NTFS), and setting security options. - Click "Finish" when done. 5. **Wait for completion:** - The system will start creating the new partition, which may take a few minutes. Please note that directly partitioning the C drive could potentially damage system files, so it's advisable to back up important data beforehand. If you're unsure about the process, seek assistance from a professional.

Here are the steps to resize an existing C drive partition:

1. Open Disk Management. 2. Right-click on the unallocated space on your hard drive, and select "New Simple Volume" from the context menu. 3. In the "New Simple Volume Wizard," click "Next." 4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

2. How do I partition C drive into two parts?

To split the C drive into two, follow these steps:

1. Open Disk Management. 2. Right-click on the C drive and select "Compress volume." 3. Right-click on the available space and choose "New Simple Volume." 4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

3. How to extend C drive space in Windows 7?

Please follow these steps to extend the C drive in Windows 7:

1. Launch Disk Management. 2. Right-click on the C drive and select "Compress Volume." 3. Click on the unallocated space and choose "New Simple Volume..." 4. In the "New Simple Volume Wizard," you can choose the size and other settings for your new partition.