Should I Partition My SSD for Windows 11?

SSD only has 1 partition on Windows 11 PC

"I just bought a new PC from a local digital store. After it powers on, I planned on installing some video games and so, I went to the File Explorer to check storage space. However, I noticed there was only 1 partition on the SSD, unlike my old PC that contains the C, D, E, F, and G drives. Thus, should I partition my SSD for Windows 11 or just let it be?"

Should I partition an SSD for Windows 11?

The SSD, short for Solid-State-Drive, is becoming more and more popular over the past few years. Compared with a traditional HDD, an SSD dramatically improves the system performance. For example, shorter load time, higher read-write speed, and less noise.

Due to the advantages of the SSD, many users choose to buy PCs with SSD installed on Windows 11. However, many people respond that after powering their new PC on, there’s only 1 partition – the C drive – on the SSD. Usually, we can always find multiple drives including C, D, E, and F on a computer.

So, should I partition an SSD for Windows 11? Is it Okay to partition SSD for Windows 11?

Partitioning an SSD in Windows indeed have benefits and drawbacks, depending on your unique requirements and circumstances. In conclusion, whether it is advisable to partition your SSD in Windows is determined by your unique needs and tastes. Partitioning can help you organize your data, segregate various sorts of data, or set up a dual-boot arrangement.

However, if you don't have a specific partitioning requirement or prefer simplicity, leaving your SSD as a single partition may be more appropriate. Here are some considerations.

Pros of partitioning SSD

▶ Organization and data management
Partitioning divides your SSD logically into discrete areas, making it easier to organize your data and files. For example, you may establish distinct partitions for your operating system, apps, and personal data.

▶ Improved performance
Partitioning an SSD may improve speed by separating various types of data. For example, you can set up a partition only for the operating system and apps, which may result in shorter access times and enhanced overall system performance.

▶ Dual-boot setups
Partitioning an SSD is frequently required for setting up dual-boot settings, which allow you to install several operating systems on separate partitions. This enables you to switch between operating systems on the same machine.

▶ Data protection and recovery
Separate partitions allow you to isolate vital files and data from the operating system and application files. This separation can give an extra degree of safety in the event of system failures or software difficulties. If one partition becomes damaged, data can be recovered from the other untouched partitions.

Cons of partitioning SSD

▶ Potential space constraints
Partitioning might restrict the available space for each partition. If you give too little space to a partition, you may run out of capacity to store data, but providing too much space to one disk may leave other partitions underused.

▶ Complexity and maintenance
Managing numerous divisions needs more time and attention. You may need to enlarge or rearrange partitions as your storage requirements change, which can be more difficult than maintaining a single partition. For example, portioning an SSD can create a complex logical system that may be difficult or confusing to navigate.

▶ Reduced flexibility
Once you've created divisions, it might be difficult to change their sizes or reallocate space between them. While disk management tools can be used to resize partitions, data backup and restoration may be required.

Top 2 ways to partition an SSD for Windows 11

"Should I partition Windows 11 SSD and how to get it done?" After referring to the introduction above, some of you must’ve decided to make the disk partitioning. Here, the top 2 ways are listed. Just choose either of them according to your requirements.

Way 1. Use Disk Management to partition SSD in Windows 11

Disk Management is a powerful Windows built-in program that helps manage your hard drives and partitions efficiently. It performs various operations including partition format, partition extension, and partition deletion. This time, we’re going to partition an SSD for Windows 11 from Disk Management.

1. Hit the search icon from the Windows 11 desktop and type "create and format hard disk". Then, open Disk Management.

2. Then, you’ll find the SSD only contains one partition. Right-click on the partition and select "Shrink Volume".

3. Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB and after that, hit "Shrink" to proceed.

4. Now, a piece of unallocated space appears right after the C drive. Right-click on it and select "New Simple Volume".

5. Follow the onscreen guide to finish the rest steps.

Note:
1. Disk Management only supports shrinking NTFS and RAW partitions. If it’s an FAT32 partition, you have to convert FAT32 to NTFS first.
2. When shrinking the C drive, it’s suggested to leave at least 100GB or 120GB of free space. On the on hand, it ensures there’s sufficient storage space for a future update; on the other hand, a PC runs smoothly when there’s enough storage space on the system drive.

Way 2. Try all-in-one disk partition manager for Windows 11/10/8/7

Disk Management is a good tool for disk partitioning. However, as you’ve seen above, you have to shrink the source partition first to create unallocated space before you’re able to create another partition. If you think it’s too complex or the only partition on your SSD is in FAT32, then, there’s a better alternative – AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional – to help you complete the SSD partitioning in only a few clicks.

To partition SSD on Windows 11, try the best disk manager out there to save both your time and energy.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. When all disks and partitions appear, right-click on the C drive and select "Split Partition".

Step 2. Now, you can see 2 partitions on the screen. One is the C drive and the other is the E drive. Drag the ring between the 2 partitions to customize the sizes. When it’s done, click on "OK".

Step 3. After returning to the home interface, hit "Apply" to commit the operation.

Apart from partition splitting, you can also try another feature of this software – Quick Partition – to create multiple partitions simultaneously from the C drive. In this way, the old existing files will be covered. So, please make a backup first.

Further reading: How to partition an SSD during Windows installation?

Sometimes, people want to install Windows on their newly purchased SSD but have no idea how to create multiple partitions during the Windows Setup. So, you’ll learn to use a Windows installation disc to run DiskPart and create extra partitions as follows.

1. Insert your installation disc into your PC and boot from it.

2. At the Windows Setup screen, press “Shift + F10” at the same time to launch Command Prompt.

3. Type "diskpart" and hit "ENTER".

4. Run the lines below to create a new partition.

◆ list disk

◆ select disk [disk number]

◆create partition primary [size=n]

For example, the follow process is creating a 30000MB primary partition on disk 0:

◆ list disk

◆select disk 0

◆create partition primary size=30000

Conclusion

Should I partition my SSD for Windows 11 when there’s only one partition on your newly purchased computer? Don’t worry, besides using Disk Management to create partitions from unallocated space, the more powerful third-party software – AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional – helps you partition SSDs on Windows 11 with much more ease. If you dig deeper, you’ll discover more useful features of this AOMEI product including free space allocation and SSD 4K alignment. If you want to use this software on Servers, you can try the Server edition.