How to Partition a Hard Drive Without Formatting in Windows 11/10 (Including C:)

Updated by

Tracy King 

Written by

Linda 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

Hello everyone, I recently purchased an Asus laptop with Windows 10 installed. However, its hard drive is only partitioned into one section, which is the C drive. I'd like to shrink the C drive and create new partitions. Can anyone tell me how to partition a hard drive in Windows 10 without formatting? I want to avoid any data loss.

It's inevitable for all Windows users to manage or operate a hard drive partition, especially for new computer or hard disk users. It could be challenging for beginners. In this article, we will introduce you 3 methods to partition a hard drive in Windows 10 with the built-in Disk Management and Diskpart in Windows 10/8/7, or with a professional free partition manager.

How to Resize C Drive without Formatting in Windows 11/10

Have you ever received the message that you need to format a disk before you can use it? The most common reason for this is that the hard drive is full.

However, when it happens to the C drive, you cannot format the C drive with Diskpart or Disk Management. Without third-party software, you can only format the data, meaning data loss, or reinstall the system.

Then, how to partition C drive without formatting in Windows 11/10? You can use a professional partition manager tool - AOMEI Partition Assistant to partition and split C drive without formatting.

How to Extend C Drive Without Formatting in Windows 10/8/7

Step 1: Free up unallocated space on the C drive.

If there's no unallocated space on the system disk, you'll need to enter the Disk Management tool, right-click on the partition next to C:, and select "Resize/Move Volume." Then, drag the left boundary of the partition to the left to create unallocated space behind the system C: drive, and click "OK".

Step 2: Increase the size of the C drive.

1. Right-click on the C drive and select "Resize/Move."

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2. Drag the endpoint of the system partition to the unallocated space to add space to the C drive, and then click “OK”.

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Step 3: Click Apply to save all changes and extend the C drive.

Click “Apply” and then “OK” to expand the System C drive with all the changes.

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Aside from resizing and extending the C drive, you can also use the Partition Master tool to:

• Merge partitions
• Resize partitions
• Convert FAT to NTFS
• Convert disk from dynamic to basic
• Convert disk from MBR to GPT, and more

How to Partition a Hard Drive in Windows 10

If you have enough unallocated space on your HDD or SSD, you can use Disk Management, Diskpart, or third-party software to allocate the space. However, there are limitations to each method, so read on to choose the best solution for you.

Quick Navigation: How to Partition a Hard Drive in Windows 11/10 (Video Tutorial)

How to Partition a Hard Drive in Windows 10 Using Disk Management

The easiest way to partition a new or existing hard drive in Windows is with the built-in Disk Management tool. Disk Management is a utility that Microsoft has included with Windows since Windows XP as a replacement for the old fdisk command.

If you have only one partition on your hard drive, like the user in the introduction of this article, you can use Disk Management to shrink C: and create a new simple volume on the unallocated space. Although this guide is based on Windows 10, it also applies to Windows 8 and Windows 7.

Limitation: The volume size is displayed in MB. This is annoying for the user.

1. Open the Windows 10 Disk Management utility.

Search for “Disk Management” using the Windows search box, then select “Create and format hard disk partitions” from the results. Alternatively, access Disk Management via the Windows Power User menu (Win+X) and click “Disk Management.”

2. Right-click the drive and select “Shrink Volume.” This will create unallocated space.

3. Right-click on the unallocated space and select "New Simple Volume." Proceed to the New Simple Volume Wizard by clicking "Next," and specify the size of your volume.

4. Assign a drive letter or path, then format the partition with the default NTFS file system. Click "Finish" to create a new partition in Windows 10.

If your computer is well-partitioned but you're running out of space on the C drive, you can use Disk Management to delete a partition and extend the C drive.

How to Allocate Disk Space in Windows 10 Using CMD

Another tool to partition hard drive in Windows 10 is Diskpart. You can use CMD to allocate disk space, including extend volume, delete partition, format disk, etc.

Limitation: Advanced user-facing design tool. Try another method if you've never used this tool before.

Steps for extending a logical partition: List disks > Select disk * > List partitions > Select partition * > Extend size=* Disk=*

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How to Use a Free Partition Manager on Windows 11/10

Partition Master is a tool that lets you partition new or existing hard drives by creating, resizing, moving, and merging partitions.

It has none of the drawbacks of the previous two approaches, in terms of either space allocation or flexibility.

If there is unallocated space, you can create a new partition on it directly as needed. If you have only one C drive on your computer as mentioned, you can shrink it and then create a new partition on the free space.

Step 1. Run AOMEI Partition Assistant and check the free space on the disk in "Partition Management".

If you have unallocated space on your hard drive, skip to Step 3 to create a partition.

Step 2: Shrink the disk partition to create unallocated space.

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

Next, drag the partition either left or right to shrink its size, making sure there's enough unallocated space. You'll see the amount of space reduced visually in the "Partition Size" area. Click "OK."

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

When you get back to the “Disk Management” utility, unallocated space will appear on the same disk, and you can proceed to create a new partition on the hard drive.

Step 3: Create a new partition on the target drive using the unallocated space.

Right-click the unallocated space, and then click New.

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

Create Partition Step 2

Finally, click “Execute * Task” and “Apply” to create the partition using the unallocated space on your disk. Repeat these steps to partition the hard drive and create additional partitions.

Create Partition Step 3

Frequently Asked Questions on How to Partition C Drive Without Formatting in UTF-8 Encoding 1. 什么是分区？ A partition is a section of a hard drive that operates as a separate entity, with its own file system and volume label. 2. 为什么需要对C盘进行分区？ Partitioning the C drive can help organize data better, improve system performance, and make it easier to backup or reinstall the operating system without losing personal files. 3. 如何在不格式化的情况下分区C盘？ To partition C drive without formatting, you can use built-in Windows tools like Disk Management or third-party software like MiniTool Partition Wizard. These tools allow you to shrink an existing partition and create a new one without erasing any data. 4. 在Windows中如何使用Disk Management？ - Press "Win + X" and choose "Disk Management." - Right-click on the C drive and select "Shrink Volume." - Enter the amount of space you want to allocate for the new partition. - Once the process is complete, right-click on the unallocated space and choose "New Simple Volume." - Follow the wizard to create the new partition. 5. 使用第三方软件时要注意什么？ When using third-party tools, ensure they are reliable and compatible with your operating system. Always back up important data before making any changes to disk partitions. 6. 分区过程中可能会遇到哪些问题？ Common issues include insufficient free space, data loss if not done properly, and potential system instability if the partitioning process is interrupted. 7. 如何避免数据丢失？ Always back up your important files before making any changes to your partitions. If possible, use a tool with a "preview" feature to see how the partition will be modified before applying changes. 8. 分区后如何管理新空间？ You can format the new partition with a different file system (e.g., NTFS, FAT32) and assign a letter. Then, use it to store specific types of files or applications, keeping your C drive organized. 9. 如何合并两个分区？ To merge partitions, you can use Disk Management or a third-party tool to delete one partition and then extend the other into the unallocated space. 10. 如何删除分区？ In Disk Management, right-click on the partition you want to delete and select "Delete Volume." Remember that this will erase all data on the partition, so backup first. Please note: This FAQ is provided for general information purposes only and may not cover every situation. Always exercise caution when dealing with disk partitions, and seek professional assistance if needed.

If you have more questions on how to partition C drive without formatting in Windows 11, refer to the answers listed below:

1. Can I partition my C drive without formatting?

When you have installed the Windows operating system, the C drive is created by default. You cannot repartition the C drive without formatting it.

However, the Windows operating system has a protection mechanism that prevents you from formatting or deleting the C drive with a regular disk partition tool. If you want to extend or shrink it, you can only change the size of the C drive on a Windows computer.

**How to split the C drive in Windows 11?** To split the C drive in Windows 11, follow these steps: 1. **Back up your data**: Before making any disk modifications, ensure that you have backed up important files to avoid accidental data loss. 2. **Open Disk Management**: Press `Win + X` and select "Disk Management." 3. **Check disk space**: In the Disk Management window, locate your C drive (usually "Partition 1" on "Disk 0") and note the available and used space. 4. **Create a new partition**: - Right-click on the unallocated space next to the C drive (if present) and choose "New Simple Volume." - Follow the wizard's prompts to specify the size of the new partition. Make sure to leave enough space for your C drive. - Assign a drive letter that is not currently in use. - Choose a file system (e.g., NTFS) and formatting options, then complete the wizard. 5. **Extend the C drive**: - If there is no unallocated space, you may need to compress the C drive first. Right-click on the C drive and select "Compress Volume." - Enter the amount of space you want to compress, and the system will calculate the available space. This process might take some time. - After compression, a new unallocated space will appear next to the C drive. Right-click it and select "Extend Volume," then proceed with the wizard. 6. **Wait for the process to finish**: Disk operations can take some time, so do not turn off your computer or interrupt power during this process. Keep in mind that different hardware and system configurations might require adjustments to these steps. If unsure, consider seeking assistance from a professional.

1. Launch Partition Master, right-click on the System C: drive and choose "Split Partition". 2. Set the size you want for the split from the C: drive. 3. Assign a drive letter and file system to the new split partition, then click "OK". 4. Finally, click "Execute Task".

How can I increase the partition size of Windows 11 without formatting?

To open Disk Management on Windows 11, right-click the partition with a lot of free space next to the volume you want to add space to, and select "Compress Volume." Set the amount of space you want to compress from the selected volume. Click "OK." Right-click the target partition where you want to add the space, and choose "Extend Volume." Select the free space you compressed earlier, click "Add," then click "OK."