The hard drive is an important component of any computer. Thanks to the storage space it offers, it lets you save all your important data. However, there may come a time when you sorely lack space on your device to save other files. What can you do in this case ? Removing a partition from your storage device is one of the solutions available to you. While the process is easy, certain rules must be followed to avoid losing the data you want to keep. Follow our Chronodisk tutorial and safely remove a partition from your device !
Why remove a partition from a hard drive ?
Before learning how to remove a partition from a hard drive, you need to understand why this procedure matters. Several reasons may lead you to delete a partition on Windows :
- The partition has been affected by logical faults
- You simply want to get rid of the partition
- You want to get rid of all the data contained in this partition
- You want more free space
- You want to merge several partitions, etc.
Whatever the reason for merging back into the main partition, keep in mind that removing a partition permanently deletes the files located in the adjacent division of your storage device. This is why you must take precautions beforehand if you don’t want to lose sensitive data.
What to do before removing a partition from a hard drive ?
As previously mentioned, removing a partition from a hard drive deletes all the data it contains. If you erased them (the data) by mistake, recovery is still possible as long as the device has not yet been formatted.
How can you merge back into the system partition without affecting your files ? If the device to be deleted contains important information, we recommend first backing it up. To do this, you can use a USB key or another storage device of your choice (SSD, HDD, etc.).
What procedure should you use to remove a partition from a hard drive ?
How do you remove a partition from a hard drive on Windows ? You can proceed in three ways using this tutorial :
Windows’ Diskpart utility
You can remove a partition from a hard drive on Windows by using the Diskpart utility. How ? By running the command beforehand. To do this, you need to :
Run Diskpart
Search for the command by typing « Diskpart » in your PC’s Windows search bar. You can also find it by simultaneously pressing the Windows + R keys and typing « cmd » in the « Run » box.
Enter the correct commands
Once the command is running, you need to enter several commands, one after another, to delete the partition :
- « List disk », followed by #, where # represents the disk containing the partition to delete.
- « Select disk # »
- « List partition »
- « Select partition # »
- « Delete partition »
The deletion is now effective, and all that’s left is to click « Exit » to close the window.
Removing a partition from Disk Management
You can directly remove a partition from a hard drive using your laptop’s Disk Management tool. How do you proceed ?
- First, simultaneously press the Windows + R keys to open the « Run » dialog box.
- Next, type the command « diskmgmt.msc » in the search box, and press « Enter » to open the Disk Management tool.
- The window that then appears shows all the partitions available on your operating system. The next step is to right-click on the NTFS partition to delete, then click on « Delete Volume ».
Using partitioning software
How do you remove a partition from a hard drive ? You can also download partitioning software to delete the partitions available on your computer. This software will first format the division of your storage device before permanently deleting it.
Overall, removing a partition from a hard drive is not a difficult task. The trickiest part is protecting your important data. That’s why we always recommend backing up your data beforehand. How ? By cloning your source storage device or by creating a backup USB key. For more tips and information on data recovery, our team is available to help you at any time !