Can I repartition my hard disk?

If you are logged in as an administrator, you can repartition your hard disk by using the Shrink feature in Disk Management. You can shrink an existing partition or volume to create unallocated disk space, from which you can create a new partition or volume. (Note that the terms partition and volume are often used interchangeably.)

1. Click to open Computer Management.‌ If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2. In the left pane, under Storage, click Disk Management.
3. Right-click the volume you want to shrink, and then click Shrink Volume.
4. Follow the instructions.

Notes

• There are some things that might prevent you from shrinking a volume. For more information, on the Help menu, click Help Topics, click the Search tab, type Shrink a Basic Volume, and then click List Topics.

• If you have multiple partitions on your hard disk, you can delete and create partitions from the resulting unallocated space. When you delete a partition, all data on the partition is erased.

• You can also repartition hard disks with another partitioning program. Several third-party software providers offer programs that allow you to repartition your hard disk without erasing data.