Hard drives, whether internal or external, are nowadays the best storage medium available. They are very popular and widely used across the population. If they are so appreciated, it is because of their large capacity, their portability, and the many other features they offer. What is the best way to manage the free space these storage devices provide? Partitioning your drive is the right solution for gaining a new volume. However, you need to make sure you don’t lose your personal data!
What does it mean to partition a hard drive?
What does partitioning a drive refer to, and is it possible to carry out the operation without losing data? Partitioning a drive refers to dividing or virtually splitting it into several parts, in order to create new volumes. It can therefore contain one or several partitions, allowing you to separate your important files into several segments of the storage device.
Partitioning is important if the storage device is used by several people. It allows each user to have their own free space in which to keep their documents.
Furthermore, partitioning is also important, even essential, if the device stores different operating systems. These will be isolated in the different partitions.
Partitioning a drive is also recommended because the operation optimizes the device’s performance. Since data is stored in different areas of the HDD, the read head will quickly carry out searches in a specific sector, rather than across the entire storage device.
By partitioning your HDD, you also protect your files in the event of logical faults. Indeed, only the partition hosting the OS will be affected, which will prevent you from losing your other files. Whereas if they were all in the same sector, they would all be lost.
Partitioning a drive without losing data
Does partitioning a drive cause data loss ? When done properly, partitioning is safe for your important files. Two methods can be used to carry out this operation:
Partitioning with the Disk Management tool
It is possible to partition a storage device without losing your data. If you are using Windows, you can use the Disk Management utility. It is a tool built into the operating system, so you don’t need to download any other tool. With it, you can format, delete, create, or resize partitions.
Using this tool is easy. If it’s a new storage device, you must first format it and choose the file system you want to use (NTFS, exFAT, FAT32). Afterwards:
- Press the “Windows + R” keys, then type the command diskmgmt.msc to open the utility.
- Once it’s open, right-click on the drive you want to partition, and select the option that matches your needs (shrink, delete, extend the volume).
- If you want to add a volume, you must define the new allocated disk space, click “Finish” and let the tool do the rest.
Partitioning with the AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard tool
Does partitioning a drive cause data loss? With the AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard tool, you don’t lose your important files. To use it, you must first download and install it on your PC.
Next, connect your external storage device to your computer, and follow the recommended steps for creating partitions:
- Once the tool has been downloaded and installed, you must run it. It will then display the various information about your partition on its interface.
- Next, right-click on the drive in question, or on the unallocated space on your storage device, and choose the “Create Partition” option.
- You will then need to allocate the size of the new volume, and click “Apply” to confirm the operation.
The operation does not cause data loss when carried out by following the instructions to the letter.
Backing up your data in advance
To partition your drive and avoid losing your data, you can first save it to another storage device. This way, you can carry out the partitioning of your device without fear that your files will be permanently deleted.
Should you nevertheless lose your files, don’t hesitate to call on recovery professionals. They will be able to find a solution to your problem, depending on the nature and extent of the loss observed.
As you can see, it is possible to partition a drive without losing your important data, or affecting the storage device’s BIOS. Whether you use the Windows utility or specialized software, simply make sure to follow the instructions provided. The extended partition created gives you more space and lets you keep your files in a new volume.