How to Create a New Partition on a Hard Disk

A hard disk is a key component in any PC or laptop. It serves as the main storage space for everything from system files to personal documents. Today’s hard disks come in a wide range of capacities—from just a few hundred megabytes to several terabytes.

Even with larger storage capacities, many users still choose to divide their hard disk into multiple sections. This process is known as partitioning.

So, why should you partition a hard disk? There are several advantages: it helps organize your files more efficiently, can boost system performance, protect important data, speed up program loading times, and even support dual operating systems.

In this guide, Carisinyal will walk you through how to create new partitions on your hard disk. You can also follow these steps if you're using an SSD (Solid State Drive).

1. Open the Disk Management Tool

The first step is to shrink the existing hard disk space using the Disk Management tool. Disk Management is a built-in Windows utility that lets you manage your drives without needing any third-party software. With it, you can view, add, delete, or resize partitions.

To open it, type "Disk Management" in the Windows search bar at the bottom-left of your screen, then press Enter. This will bring up the Disk Management window.

2. Choose the Drive You Want to Shrink

Next, locate the drive you want to resize. Once you've identified it, right-click on the drive and choose "Shrink Volume."

Windows will then calculate the available space and show you how much you can safely shrink from that drive. This space will be used to create the new partition.

3. Set the Drive Capacity

Now it's time to decide how much space you want to take from the existing drive for the new partition. Enter the amount of storage (in MB) you want, then click the "Shrink" button to begin the process.

Wait a moment while Windows reduces the drive size. Once it’s done, you’ll see a new section marked in black labeled "Unallocated"—this is the free space you’ll use to create the new partition.

4. Create a New Volume

To create a new partition, you need to use this unallocated space. Right-click on the unallocated section and select "New Simple Volume." This will launch the New Simple Volume Wizard, which will guide you through the setup process.

Click "Next" to continue.

5. Set the Size and Drive Letter

In this step, you’ll be asked to enter how much of the unallocated space you want to use for the new partition. You can use all of it or just a portion—it’s up to you. Once you’ve entered the size, click "Next."

After that, you’ll need to assign a drive letter—this is how Windows will label the new partition (like D:, E:, F:, etc.). Choose any available letter you prefer, then click "Next" to continue.

6. Choose the File System

In this step, you’ll need to select the file system for your new partition. You’ll see options like NTFS, FAT, or exFAT. For most users, NTFS is the best choice—it supports a wide range of file types and works well with modern Windows systems.

You’ll also have the option to name the new partition by entering a Volume Label. This name helps you identify the drive later on. You can leave it blank if you’d like—Windows will name it "New Volume" by default.

Once everything is set, click "Next", then hit "Finish" to complete the setup. And that’s it—your new partition is now created and ready to use!

7. Check the New Partition

After completing the setup, the last step is to make sure your new partition is working properly. Open File Explorer and check if the new drive appears in the list.

If you see it there and can open it without issues, you’ve successfully created a new partition! You can also try saving a file to the drive just to double-check that everything is working as expected.

And that’s how you create a new hard disk partition on a Windows PC or laptop. You can repeat these steps if you’d like to create more than one partition.

Aside from using the built-in Disk Management tool, you can also try third-party software if you’re looking for more advanced features. For suggestions, check out our article: "10 Best Hard Disk Partitioning Applications."