There are several basic methods for working with hard drives. In the event that you need to change the volume of the hard drive, it is recommended to use special utilities.
Necessary
Partition Manager
Instructions
Step 1
If you need to increase the hard disk space, then use the utility included in the set of standard programs for Windows operating systems. Open the My Computer menu. Right-click on the hard disk you want to enlarge and go to its properties.
Step 2
Select the General tab. At the bottom of the window, find the item "Compress this disk to save space", check the box next to it and click the "Apply" button. The time taken for the compression process depends on the size of the disk, the number of files on it, and the speed of your computer.
Step 3
If you need to reduce the volume of a disk or its partition, then use the Partition Manager program. Download the version of this program suitable for your operating system and install it. Reboot your computer.
Step 4
Turn on Partition Manager. Select Power User Mode. This will allow a wider range of disk operations to be performed. Open the "Wizards" tab located on the main toolbar.
Step 5
Select "Create Section". In the window that appears, activate the item "Mode for advanced users" and click the "Next" button. Select the hard drive you want to shrink. Click "Next".
Step 6
Set the size of the future local disk. It is by this value that the size of the changed volume will be reduced. Click "Next".
Step 7
Select the file system for the future partition. Specify a volume label, if required. Click "Next". In the new window, click the "Finish" button.
Step 8
To start the process of reducing the size of the hard disk and creating a new partition, click the "Apply pending changes" button. It is located under the main toolbar of the program. If you reduce the size of the hard disk on which the operating system is installed, the computer will continue to perform the operation in MS-DOS mode.
