About Disk Partition

There are 2 types of partition operations: basic and advanced. The former are more frequent, but you are likely to need to perform the latter ones either. So, let’s analyze both types.

Basic partition operations:

• Create partition
• Increase/decrease partition size
• Increase free space

If a partition’s capacity is not sufficient for storing extra data on it, you might need to increase its space. The increase free space wizard will help you fulfill this task.

• Move partition

In what cases do you move partitions? First, if you want to change the letter order assigned by the OS. Then in case you need to work with some older OS that can boot from binary partitions located at the beginning of the disk, you also perform this kind of operation. Speeding up partition operations and changing partition configuration are also implemented by means of moving partitions.

• Copy partition

You perform this operation when you create a partition backup or want to move all data from an old disk to a new one.

• Delete partition

After a partition is deleted, its space is added to unallocated disk space. It can be used for a new partition or to resize an existing partition.

• Delete partition and destroy data (Wipe process)

To securely wipe out data stored on the deleted partition use special partitioning tools, which include powerful hard disk/partition wiping utilities.

• Split partition

You can split a partition in two or create an empty partition from another partition’s free space.

• Merge partitions

You can merge two partitions, even if their file systems are different. All data will stay intact and reside on the resulting partition.

• Explore partition

You can explore and manage partition contents before configuring operations on that partition.

• Changing partition labels

The partition label is a name assigned to a partition for easier recognition, for example, “System”, “Data”, etc.

• Format partition

To organize a file system that supports files and folders data storage, you must format a partition.

• Checking hard disk partitions for errors
• Defragmenting a partition

Defragmentation is reorganizing file storage on a hard disk partition so that parts of files are not spread about the disk, which allows the red head to move less across the disk and thus, increases PC and server performance.

Advanced partition operations:

• Changing partition letter

Some operating systems assign letters to hard disk partitions at startup. Connecting an additional disk as well as creating or deleting a partition on existing disks might change your system configuration. As a result, some applications might stop working or user files might not be opened. To avoid this, you can change letters assigned by the operating system.

• Converting a file system

Some file systems do not support large-sized partitions, files, or disks. They may also have a limited root size. To improve these characteristics you can use this particular feature.

Supported conversions:

FAT 16→ FAT 32

FAT 16→NTFS

FAT 32→FAT 16

FAT 32→NTFS

NTFS→FAT 16

NTFS→FAT 32

Ext2→Ext3

Ext3→Ext2

• Hiding a partition

This option is necessary for protecting important information from unauthorized or casual access. Partition software usually allows you to hide both primary and logical partitions.

• Unhiding a partition

This feature lets the operating system see the partition, assign a letter and provide access to its files.

• Setting active partition

Since a hard disk can have only one active partition, the latter must be set.

• Resizing a root

The FAT 16 partition is located in a special place and has a limited size. Advanced partitioning tools enable you to change the size of existing partitions.

• Changing cluster size

A file occupies at least one cluster (one unit of disk space allocation for files and directories). Smaller clusters reduce slack disk space.

• Changing partition type

This operation is performed to change a hexadecimal value that defines the file and operating system suitable for a partition.