Updated By

Linda

Written By

Cici

Last Updated on April 22, 2024

NTFS stands for New Technology File System. It allows you to store, organize, and locate files on a hard drive. Due to its higher security and reliability, it is the default standard file system for Windows operating systems. Hence, you might be wondering whether you can delete an NTFS partition and how to delete an NTFS partition. This post will help you with these queries.

Can I delete an NTFS partition?

Of course, you can delete an NTFS partition from within Windows. Doing so frees up unallocated space for other systems, but you must make sure that the NTFS partition you're deleting isn't the one that holds the C: drive.

If the NTFS partition is a system partition, Windows won't let you delete it. When you try to delete it using Disk Management, you'll notice the Delete Volume option is grayed out. A system partition is used to boot Windows, so you can't delete it from within Windows. You'll need to use a third-party tool to do this. Below, I'll show you three ways to delete an NTFS partition.

Notice:
Deleting an NTFS partition will remove all data from the hard drive, so it's recommended to back up all important data beforehand.

How to Delete an NTFS Partition? [3 Methods]

Deleting an NTFS partition in Windows is a simple process. This guide will show you how to do it with both built-in tools and third-party ones, so choose your preferred method.

Way 1: Delete NTFS Partition with Partition Master Tool

Method 2: Delete an NTFS Partition via Disk Management

Method 3: Delete an NTFS Partition via Diskpart

One way is to use a reliable and feature-packed disk utility, since it can do so much more. So, we'll start with the best option and provide detailed steps.

Method 1: Delete NTFS Partition with Partition Master

With the help of free partition manager, you can easily delete NTFS partition and keep all data on the disk. By managing partitions properly, it can maintain good performance of the disk. Its interface is so simple and easy to use that even beginners can handle it. Download and try it, then you will know how to use it.

Step 1. Launch Partition Master and click on “Partition Manager”.

Before deleting any partitions on the disk, make sure you have backed up important data.

Step 2: Choose to delete a partition on the hard drive or delete all partitions.

    • Delete a single partition: Right-click the partition you want to delete and select "Delete."
    • Delete all partitions: Right-click the hard drive from which you want to delete all partitions, and select "Delete All."

Step 3: Click OK to confirm the removal.

4. Click on "Run xx Task", then click "Apply" to save the changes.

0:00 - 0:26 Remove a single volume; 0:27 - 0:53 Remove all partitions.

Note:
If the NTFS partition is on drive C, it is a system partition. You need to create a bootable disk to delete the partition.

Method 2: Delete an NTFS Partition with Disk Management

Disk Management is a built-in tool in Windows that you can use to manage your hard drive partitions with ease. To delete an NTFS partition using Disk Management, follow these steps.

Step 1. Open Disk Management: Press “Windows + R” to open the Run window, then type "diskmgmt.msc" and hit Enter.

Open Disk Management

< strong > Step 2. Select the Partition : Locate the NTFS partition that you wish to delete in the Disk Management window.

Step 3: Delete the partition: Right-click on the NTFS partition and select “Delete Volume.”

Delete Volume

Step 4: Confirm that you want to delete the partition, and click Yes.

Important Note
If the NTFS partition is an active system partition, you will receive an error message: "Windows cannot delete the active system partition on this disk". To delete it, create a Win-PE boot media with the Partition Master tool as in Method 1.

Method 3: Delete an NTFS Partition via Diskpart

Diskpart is a command-line tool for partition management and repair that's available to all Windows users and has more features than the Disk Management utility. However, it requires careful attention to syntax, as it's a fairly complex tool. If you're interested in using it to delete an NTFS partition, follow these steps.

Step 1. Launch Diskpart: Press “Windows + R” keys at the same time, then type "diskpart".

Step 2: Run the following command:

list disk - View all disks
select disk n - Where 'n' represents the number of the disk where the NTFS partition is located
list partition - View all partitions
select partition m - Where 'm' represents the NTFS partition to be deleted
delete partition

"Delete partition using Disk Management"

Step 3: Close the Command Prompt window.

Tip
If you want to delete all partitions with Diskpart quickly, please click the link to get help: Delete all partitions with Diskpart.

Conclusions

This article introduces 3 ways to delete an NTFS partition. tools Partition Master is a more powerful tool that allows you to delete or resize an NTFS partition with ease without requiring much computer expertise. Alternatively, you can use Disk Management or Diskpart to delete an NTFS partition. Lastly, some frequently asked questions about deleting an NTFS partition are included, which may be helpful to you.

Frequently Asked Questions about Deleting NTFS Partition

There are some common issues with deleting NTFS partitions.

1. Can I delete the NTFS recovery partition?

Of course, you can delete the NTFS Recovery Partition. But it should not affect your running operating system. Besides, the NTFS Recovery Partition usually takes up a small amount of space, so you can leave it on your hard drive.

How to remove NTFS from Windows?

Above are three ways to delete NTFS in Windows, among which Tools Partition Master is the best choice. If you want to delete an NTFS partition via Disk Management, follow these three steps:

Step 1: Open Disk Management by typing “diskmgmt.msc” into the Run window.

Step 2: Right-click on the partition you want to delete.

Step 3: Select “Delete Volume” and click “Yes.”

3. Can I safely delete a partition?

Yes, there are several ways to safely delete a partition. For instance, you can use built-in Windows tools: Disk Management and Diskpart. You can also rely on dependable software like Partition Master Tool.