How to Partition Laptop Hard Drive in Windows 11 [2 Ways]

Why partition laptop hard drive?

Before proceeding to how to partition laptop hard drive in Windows 11, you should have a basic understanding of the reasons. Partitioning a hard drive involves dividing the physical hard drive into multiple independent drive partitions, and there are good reasons to consider this process. Here are some of the main advantages:

✦ Organize data better:

Partitioning allows precise organization of data across logical drive partitions. For example, you can designate one partition for the operating system and another for personal data, thereby enhancing overall data management.

✦ Run different operating systems:

If you wish to run multiple operating systems on a single computer, creating separate partitions becomes imperative. Each operating system requires its own independent partition for seamless coexistence.

✦ Reduce the threat of data loss:

Maintaining separate partitions for the operating system and personal data reduces the risk of data loss. Having separate partitions keeps personal files safe if the operating system crashes and is subsequently reinstalled.

How to partition laptop hard drive in Windows 11/10/8/7?

No matter why you need to partition a hard drive on your laptop, these two methods will assist you in finishing this task.

Way 1. Partition laptop hard drive via Disk Management

Windows has a built-in program called Disk Management that enables users to shrink volumes, extend partitions, create new partitions, and format existing partitions easily. Now, let’s learn how to partition a laptop hard drive using this tool:

Step 1. Open Disk Management: right-click "This PC", then click "Manage"->"Storage"->” Disk Management”.

Step 2. Select a partition you want to shrink and choose"Shrink Volume".

Step 3. In this pop-out mini window, you can know the total size before shrinking, and available unused space you can shrink for a new partition. You can save the default shrink size and directly hit “Shrink”. Or you can specify the size of the eventual partition by inputting it in megabytes in the respective field.

Step 4. After that, you'll get an "unallocated" space shown next to the original partition. Right-click the "Unallocated" space and select "New Simple Volume" from the resulting menu, then follow the guidance to create a new partition.

Way 2. Partition laptop hard drive with third-party software

Creating partitions on a laptop running Windows 10 or 11 doesn’t just rely on disk management; An alternative worth exploring is AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. This third-party disk manager stands out for its powerful features, especially in the area of disk partitioning.

If the complexity and monotony of disk management seem daunting, consider opting for this software that will allow you to easily create partitions on your laptop in just a few clicks.

How to partition a hard drive Windows 11? Download the demo version to get started and experience the user-friendly partitioning capabilities it brings to your laptops. 

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. Then, right-click on the C drive and select "Split Partition".

Step 2. In the following window, you can customize the size of the source partition and new partition by adjusting the length of the 2 green bars. After that, click on "OK".

Step 3. Hit "Apply > Proceed" as the screenshot displays to commit the operation.

For those who want to quickly set up multiple partitions, the "Quick Partition" feature is a convenient option that can create up to 10 partitions in a single operation. It is important to note that using Quick Partition on a target disk with existing partitions will result in the deletion of the pre-existing partitions, resulting in potential data loss. Therefore, a prudent first step is to create a backup to protect your valuable data.

Step 1. Right-click the disk you want to partition and then select "Quick Partition" in the drop-down menu.

Step 2. Then the "Quick Partition" window shows as below. You have the flexibility to customize sizes and modify labels according to their preferences.

Conclusion

How to partition laptop hard drive in Windows 11 or 10? You can try built-in Disk Management and the third-party AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. While both are discussed in this article, the latter stands out as a more advanced and user-friendly tool that is not only easy to use but also saves a lot of time. In addition to partitioning features, AOMEI software also includes additional features such as allocating free space, checking partition health, and resizing/moving partitions.

For those using Server systems, one option worth exploring is the Server version of this versatile software.