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Disk-partitioning tools can make life easier for both PC and Mac users. But which one to choose?
Disk partition tools are excellent utilities to help you partition your disk. These programs make cumbersome tasks much easier, considering the hassle of cleaning, formatting, or changing storage size. However, the challenge lies not in finding a tool but in locating a good one.
So, how to choose a good disk partition tool? Is there any science behind it or can any tool do the job? Well, there are some reliable ones. But then, there are those that you cannot fully trust because you want to ensure your data safety and the physical health of your disk.
So let's just jump right in.
What is a disk partitioning tool?
Disk partitioning or slicing refers to the creation of one or more regions on secondary storage, so each area can be managed independently (source: Wikipedia). A disk partitioner is a tool that helps you divide a hard drive into multiple partitions. So, let's say you have 1000 GB of storage space and want to split it into four roughly 250 GB partitions; you could use a disk partitioner to do that.
There are many disk partition tools out there, with some of the most common probably already built into your PC or Mac. There are also third-party options, however. Using a reliable tool has several benefits, such as:
- Saves you the trouble of manual operations
- Ensures the safety of your data
- Split and create partitions without formatting or losing data
- Enlarge or add space to a specific partition
- Saves you a lot of hassle and time
These are some of the most common benefits of using a disk partition tool. You can do this with regular tools built into the Windows or Mac operating systems. However, it's more advantageous to use a third-party tool since these often cover various scenarios for creating or deleting partitions.
How to Get a Disk Partition Tool? Top 5 Best Disk Partition Tools for Windows and Mac
The easiest way to get a disk partition tool is to look for one that's already on your computer. However, to find a reliable third-party option, you might have to do some research. Don't worry, though—we've done that research for you.
Let's divide the tools into two broad categories: those you find in an operating system:
Then, you can download the two most reliable third-party tools, which are:
All of these tools can help you partition a hard drive, but which is the best? First, let's talk about built-in options.
#1. Disk Management (Windows)
"Disk Management" is a built-in tool that any Windows user can access.
- 1. Press the ⊞ Win key, then type "Disk Management," and press ↵ Enter.
- Alternatively, right-click the "This PC" icon on your desktop, then click "Manage."
2. Click "Disk Management" in the left pane.
This built-in tool is great, but it does have some limitations. For example:
- You can only increase the size of a partition by deleting and moving another one
- You need unallocated space to extend a volume
And it's a great tool, until you run into some of these problems.
Advantages:
- Easy to use
- Built-in
- Free
Disadvantages:
- Limited in some aspects
#2. CMD (Windows)
The “Command Prompt,” or “cmd,” might have been the first computer program you learned about in school. But this console might also be the most powerful tool in your operating system. Here's how to access it:
- 1. Press `Windows + R` keys, then type `CMD`.
2. Type `Diskpart` and hit Enter.
3. In the Diskpart console, type `List Disk`.
As you can see, there are three disks here, and you have to select the one that you want to partition, for example.
- Type the following commands:
- select disk 0
- create partition primary size=200000 (where 200000 represents 200 GB or the size you want to allocate for the partition)
To extend a particular partition, just type “Create an extended partition.”
Advantages:
- Easy to access
- Probably the safest and quickest way
Disadvantages:
- Too much hassle
- Risk of entering wrong partition info, resulting in data loss
#3. Disk Utility (Mac)
Disk Utility is probably the easiest way to create a partition for Mac users, and it's easily accessible on any Mac device.
When it opens, follow the steps to create your partitions:
- 1. Select the physical drive from the sidebar.
2. Click the "Partition" button that looks like a pie chart.
3. Click the "+" "Add" button, then click "Add Partition."
4. Enter a name (optional), then choose a volume type such as MS-DOS or ExFAT.
5. Choose a file system.
6. Type in a size or drag the pie chart until you reach a desired number, e.g., 200 GB.
7. Click "Apply," then click "Partition" (click "Continue" if prompted).
8. Click "Finish" when partitioning is complete.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Easily accessible on all Mac devices
Cons:
- Inability to use certain file systems created with Disk Utility on other operating systems like Windows
#4. MiniTool Partition Wizard - Best Third-Party Disk Partition Tool
tools Partition Master is undoubtedly the best third-party disk partition tool available. You can easily download and install it from its official website. If you need an all-in-one disk or partition management tool, this is the one to choose.
In addition to that, you can use the new “New Simple Volume Wizard” which creates a new partition with just a few clicks, it doesn't get any easier than this.
Number 5: GParted
GParted is another third-party tool that can help you create partitions and do other nifty things. It's also free, so you don't have to worry about paying for it.
It supports multiple file systems and operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. However, it is not recommended for beginners, as it can get complicated.
What happens if you interrupt the disk formatter?
Formatting, partitioning, resizing, or shrinking a hard drive is a risky operation. Whatever tool you choose to use, you must make sure that it's 100% safe before you start. Interrupting a disk partitioning program can lead to all sorts of problems.
This includes:
- Irreversible data loss
- Unresponsive applications
- Unresponsive computer
- Device state rollback (rare, unless third-party tools are used)
- Inability to stop formatting/extending/shrinking operations
Before you begin running the disk partitioning program, make sure you are ready. Once most operations, such as disk partitioning, start, they cannot be stopped. In the worst case, your hard disk could become physically damaged.
So, how can you be sure? You can use a reliable third-party software like AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, which has an Execute Operation button that will prompt you to confirm before it formats or partitions your hard drive.
So, to be on the safe side, use a partition master tool to ensure the safety of your data and the physical drive.
It depends on the specific disk partition tool you're using, the type of format you're performing (e.g., quick format or full format), the speed of your device, and the complexity of the process (like if there are any errors or existing data to be wiped). Generally, formatting a 32GB USB drive with a standard tool like Disk Utility on macOS or the Disk Management tool on Windows should take around 1-5 minutes for a quick format, and up to 10-30 minutes or more for a full format. However, these are rough estimates, and the actual time may vary.
To find out which option is best, we will do a simple test of all five. We will format a 32 GB device with four of them and choose the fastest and most convenient one.
#1. Command Prompt/Disk Management Utility
If you're looking to save time, this is probably the worst option you could choose. Yes, it will format it properly, and might even fix any sector errors on the drive in the process. But this tedious process will take a long time—a 32GB device took us about 30 minutes.
#2. Disk Management
“Disk Management” might be the best built-in option to format your 32 GB device. A quick format took less than four minutes to complete.
#3. Tool: Partition Master
This tool has once again proved to be our best choice. After selecting the device to format, you will see the following:
Step 1: Right-click on the hard drive partition and select the "Format" option.
(2) In the new window, set the Partition Label, File System, and Cluster Size, then click OK.
Step 3: A warning will appear. Click "Yes" to continue.
Step 4: Click on "Perform 1 Task" and then hit "Apply" to start formatting the hard drive partition.
Once the tool is ready to perform the formatting, you can see how the operation will look when executed:
Formatting the 32 GB device with Partition Master took less than a minute to complete. This proves it to be the fastest, safest, and overall best option for partitioning and formatting.
Conclusions
That's it, folks. The best disk partition tool is either built into the operating system or available from third-party software, as discussed in this article. In some cases, Toolwiz proved to be the better option. So choose wisely.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Disk Partitioner in UTF-8 Encoding
If you have other questions about using a disk partitioning tool, refer to this page for answers.
1. How do I partition my disk?
- 1. Open Disk Management, then right-click on the unallocated space on the disk.
2. Select "New Simple Volume" and follow the on-screen instructions to assign a new drive letter.
3. Set the partition size and file system - choose NTFS to create the new partition.
4. Click "OK" and "Finish."
2. What are disk partition types?
Disk partition types help a computer locate an entry in the partition table, which can be either MBR or GPT. The partition table is a byte value that specifies the file system contained within the partition and how to access those partitions on the drive.
It depends on your needs. If you have a second hard drive for data storage and want to use the SSD or HDD solely as an OS drive, you could create just one partition on it.
But if you have only one hard disk on your computer, you may still want to create more than two partitions, so that your operating system is separate from your data drives, providing extra protection for your personal files.
4. Do I need to partition the disk?
Yes, disk partitioning is very necessary. To make the most out of your hard drive space, you need to create partitions on it to store and save files. You can even download and install programs, software, and games on the partitions you've created.