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Do you want to partition your USB drive using the built-in Disk Management tool in Windows 10? Want to create multiple partitions on a USB drive? Here is how to partition a USB drive in Creators Update and above versions of Windows 10.
In Windows 10 Anniversary Update and earlier versions of Windows 10, Windows would not allow users to partition USB drives from Disk Management. While it has always been possible to create multiple partitions on internal drives via Disk Management, partitioning USB drive was not possible.
We had to either use the Command Prompt or third-party software to create additional partitions on a USB drive.
With Windows 10 Creators Update (v1703), Windows 10 allows users to partition USB drives. The only condition is that the USB drive must be formatted in NTFS to partition it.
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In this guide, we will see how to partition your USB drive in Windows 10 from Disk Management without using the Command Prompt or third-party software.
To partition your USB drive on Windows 10
IMPORTANT: Back up all data from the USB drive to another location before proceeding further to avoid data loss.
Step 1: First of all, connect your USB drive to a PC running Windows 10 Creators Update (v1703) or above version of Windows 10. Back up all data to another drive.
Step 2: Open up This PC. Right-click on the USB drive which you want to partition and then click Properties. Check if the USB drive is formatted in NTFS. If yes, you should see NTFS next to File system as shown in the picture below.
If the USB drive is formatted in FAT or FAT 32, right-click on the USB drive again (in This PC), click Format. Choose NTFS from File System drop-down box and then click Start button. Click OK button when you see the warning dialog to format the USB drive in NTFS. Once done, you will see “Format complete” message.
Step 3:Right-click on the Start button on the taskbar. Click Disk Management to open the same.
Step 4: In the Disk Management window, right-click on the USB drive and then click Shrink Volume option. This action will open Shrink dialog. If the USB flash drive is formatted in FAT, the Shrink Volume option doesn’t appear.
Step 5: In the “Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB” field, type in the amount in MB that you want to use for creating a new partition on the USB drive. For instance, on a 16 GB drive, if you want to create two partitions of about 8 GB, then shrink the drive by about 7000 MB.
Click Shrink button. The action will create unallocated space on your USB drive.
Step 6: Now, right-click on the newly created unallocated space on USB, and then click New Simple Volume option. Make sure that you are right-clicking on the unallocated space of USB drive only.
Step 7: Once New Simple Volume Wizard appears on screen, click Next button.
Step 8: In this step, you need to specify the size for the new volume or partition. If you want to use all unallocated space to create a partition (two partitions on USB drive), go ahead and click Next button. But if you want to create two or more partitions from the available unallocated space, reduce the Simple volume size.
Click Next button.
Step 9: Choose a drive letter for the new partition on the USB. Click Next button.
Step 10: Finally, click Next button to create a new partition on the USB drive. Click Finish button to close the wizard.
You should now see two partitions on USB drive in File Explorer as well as in Disk Management.
To delete partitions
IMPORTANT: This will erase all data on the USB drive. Please back up your data to another drive before deleting partitions.
Step 1: Open up Disk Management.
Step 2:Right-click on one of the partitions on the USB drive, and click Delete Volume to create unallocated space. Do this step for all partitions on the USB drive. Please make sure that the partition or volume you are deleting is on the USB drive, and there is no data on the USB.
Step 3: Now, right-click on the unallocated space on the USB drive, click New Simple Volume, click Next, click Next again (don’t change Simple volume size), click Next once again, choose file system as NTFS and finally, click Next again. That’s it!
Also check out our how to shrink or extend partitions in Windows 10 guide.
It's not a matter of 'if,' it's a matter of 'when.' Sooner or later the hard drive on your computer will die, and the odds are that you will lose all your files stored on that drive.
Of course, there is a number of ways to prevent data loss. You can, for example, keep a current backup of your computer, you can make copies of your files to an external drive, or you can store your data in the cloud. However, similar to previous versions, Windows 10 includes a feature that let you mirror the data on one drive into another to offer data protection from a drive failure.
In Windows, we call the feature 'mirror,' but the concept actually comes from the standard RAID levels, which define a number of techniques to combine multiple hard drives to offer speed, redundancy, or performance.
On the standard RAID levels, 'mirror' is defined as RAID 1, and it consists of having an exact bit-to-bit replica of the data in another hard drive. Usually, a mirror setup contains two hard drives, but you can always add more, as long you add them in pairs.
In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to create a mirrored volume on your computer to protect your data from drive failure.
Details before beginning
Before we dive in this guide, it's important to note that to create a mirrored volume on Windows 10, or with any operating system, you'll need at least two physical hard drives. Your second drive should be at least the same size as the original (a larger second drive is okay).
How to create a new mirrored volume
The instructions described below are to create a brand new mirrored volume where neither hard drive have any data.
To create a mirrored volume, do the following:
- Use the Windows key + X keyboard shortcut to open the Power User menu and select Disk Management.
- Right-click one of the empty drives, and select New Mirrored Volume.
- Click Next.
- Select the available drive from the left.
- Click Add.
- Specify the amount of space for the mirrored volume.Important: The volume cannot be larger than the amount of the available space in the smaller hard drive, as you can't mirror data to space you don't have.
- Click Next.
- Assign a drive letter or leave the default settings and click Next.
- Select Format this volume with the following settings option making sure file system is set to NTFS, allocation unit size is set to default, and you enter a name for the volume.
- Check the Perform a quick format option.
- Click Next.
- Click Finish.
- Click Yes to convert the basic disks to dynamic disks, which is a requirement to create a mirrored volume on Windows.
Once the process completes, you'll only see one volume created, and as you store content on the new volume, the data will also automatically get replicated into the secondary drive.
How to create a mirrored volume with data already in the drive
The following instructions explain the steps to set up a mirrored volume when one of the drives already have data on it.
To create a mirrored volume with data already in the drive, do the following:
- Use the Windows key + X keyboard shortcut to open the Power User menu and select Disk Management.
- Right-click the primary drive with data on it, and select Add Mirror.
- Choose the drive that will act as a duplicate.
- Click Add Mirror.
- Click Yes to convert the basic disks to dynamic disks, which is a requirement to create a mirrored volume on Windows.
After completing the steps above, Windows 10 will synchronize the data on the primary drive to the second drive. This process can take a long time depending on the data you have stored in the volume.
How to recreate a mirror after drive failure
Once you set up a mirror, if either hard drive fails, you'll still be able to access your data. However, it's highly recommended that you replace the drive as soon as possible.
To recreate a mirror after a drive failure, do the following:
- Use the Windows key + X keyboard shortcut to open the Power User menu and select Disk Management.
- Right-click the hard drive in working conditions on the mirror and select Remove Mirror.
- Select drive labeled Missing.
- Click Remove Mirror.
- Click Yes.
- Right-click the primary drive with data on it, and select Add Mirror.
- Select the new drive that will act as a mirror.
- Click Add Mirror.
- Click Yes to convert the basic disks to dynamic disks, which is a requirement to create a mirrored volume on Windows.
After completing the steps above, Windows 10 will synchronize the data onto the new drive. Then simply repeat the process whenever a drive fails (which hopefully shouldn't be very often).
Wrapping things app
The primary purpose of a mirror setup is to provide data redundancy to protect your files from a hard drive failure. It's not designed to offer speed or performance like other RAID array levels.
Although mirroring can protect your data, it's not a replacement for a data backup. If you accidentally delete a file from one drive, the action will also replicate to the second drive.
Finally, it's worth pointing out that thanks to the Windows 10 flexibility, you can also use Storage Spaces to create a mirrored volume.
Do you use any form of file redundancy on your computer? Tell us in the comments below.
More on Windows 10 resources
For more tips, coverage, and answers on Windows 10, you can visit the following resources:
On Windows 10, a virtual hard disk (VHDX or VHD) is a file that can use a '.vhdx' or '.vhd' extension and acts like a physical hard drive, but with the difference that this is a file stored on a real disk.
Using either format (.vhdx or .vhd) for a virtual drive, you can store any files, including documents, pictures, videos, boot files, and an entire OS installation. The only differences between the two formats are that a .vhdx file supports a maximum size of 64TB, features resiliency against power failure, and provides better performance.
Windows 10 Disk Management Delete Partition
Typically, a VHD comes in handy to add extra storage to a Hyper-V virtual machine, and thanks to its ability to support other OS installations, you can even use this storage virtualization technology to create a dual-boot system without modifying an existing partition.
In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to create and set up a virtual hard disk to store files on Windows 10.
How to create a VHDX or VHD on Windows 10
In order to create a VHD on Windows 10, do the following:
- Open Start.
- Search for Disk Management and click the top result to launch the experience.
- Click the Action button.
- Click the Create VHD option.
- Click the Browse button and locate the folder you want to store the virtual disk.
- In the 'File name' field enter a name for the drive.
- Use the 'Save as type file' drop-down menu and select Virtual Disk files (*.vhdx) . Or select Virtual Disk files (*.vhd) if you're planning to create a VHD file.
- Click the Save button.
- Under 'Virtual hard disk size,' specify the size of the drive in megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB), or terabytes (TB).
- Under 'Virtual hard disk format,' select the VHDX option. (While using a VHDX format is recommended, you can also select the VHD format, but use it only if required.)
- Under 'Virtual hard disk type,' select the Dynamic expanding option. (If you have selected the VHD format in the previous step, it's recommended to select the Fixed size option when selecting a type.)
- Click OK.
Once you complete these steps, you'll have created a VHD that you can then set up and use with any compatible version of Windows.
How to set up a VHDX or VHD on Windows 10
Using the above steps, you created a VHD, but it's empty without any data or file system. To make it useful, you need to initialize the disk, create a partition, and format the drive using these steps:
- Right-click the newly created drive button on the far-left side, and click the Initialize Disk option.
- Select the disk from the list.
- Check the MBR (Master Boot Record) option. (You could also select the 'GPT (GUID Partition Table)' option, but this option isn't supported by all versions of Windows.)
- Click OK.
- Right-click the Unallocated space, and select the New Simple Volume option.
- Click Next.
- Specify the size of the partition. (Leave this option unchanged if you're planning to use all the available space for the partition.)
- Click Next.
- Using the drop-down menu, select the drive letter you want to assign to the drive.
- Click Next.
- Under the Format this volume with the following settings section, make sure to use the following options:
- File System - NTFS.
- Allocation unit size - Default.
- Volume label - Use the name of the drive file, but you can enter any name.
- Perform a quick format - Formats the drive faster.
- Enable file and folder compression - If it's not required, don't select it (optional).
- Click Next.
- Click Finish.
After completing these steps, the VHDX or VHD will be initialized, partitioned, and formatted. The VHD will mount automatically, and you can now access and save files using File Explorer.
How to mount a VHDX or VHD on Windows 10
Although during the setup process, Windows 10 will automatically mount a VHDX or VHD file to your device, that won't always be the case.
If you're creating a VHD for another device, or you're storing the file on an external hard drive, you'll need to know the steps to properly attach and detach the virtual drive.
Mounting
To mount or attach the virtual hard disk, do the following:
- Open Start.
- Search for Disk Management and click the top result to launch the experience.
- Click the Action button.
- Click the Attach VHD option.
- Click the Browse button, and locate the .vhdx or .vhd file.
- Quick Tip: If you are only viewing and extracting files from the drive, you can also check the Read-only option to prevent accidental deletion or temper with the virtual drive's content.
- Click OK.
After completing these steps, you can access the VHD like any other drive using File Explorer.
Dismounting
It's important to save any files and applications located in the VHDX or VHD file before dismounting or detaching to prevent data loss.
- Open Start.
- Search for Disk Management and click the top result to launch the experience.
- Right-click the drive button on the far-left side, and select the Detach VHD option.
- Ensure you're detaching the correct drive, and then click OK.
Once you complete these steps, the VHDX or VHD file will no longer be mounted, and it'll no longer show up in File Explorer.
While this guide is focused on Windows 10, the ability to use a VHD has been available for some time, and you can use the same instructions on Windows 8.1.
More Windows 10 resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:
Windows 10 Disk Management Utilities
RECOMMENDED: Click here to fix Windows errors and improve PC performance
Do you want to partition your USB drive using the built-in Disk Management tool in Windows 10? Want to create multiple partitions on a USB drive? Here is how to partition a USB drive in Creators Update and above versions of Windows 10.
In Windows 10 Anniversary Update and earlier versions of Windows 10, Windows would not allow users to partition USB drives from Disk Management. While it has always been possible to create multiple partitions on internal drives via Disk Management, partitioning USB drive was not possible.
We had to either use the Command Prompt or third-party software to create additional partitions on a USB drive.
With Windows 10 Creators Update (v1703), Windows 10 allows users to partition USB drives. The only condition is that the USB drive must be formatted in NTFS to partition it.
In this guide, we will see how to partition your USB drive in Windows 10 from Disk Management without using the Command Prompt or third-party software.
To partition your USB drive on Windows 10
IMPORTANT: Back up all data from the USB drive to another location before proceeding further to avoid data loss.
Step 1: First of all, connect your USB drive to a PC running Windows 10 Creators Update (v1703) or above version of Windows 10. Back up all data to another drive.
Step 2: Open up This PC. Right-click on the USB drive which you want to partition and then click Properties. Check if the USB drive is formatted in NTFS. If yes, you should see NTFS next to File system as shown in the picture below.
If the USB drive is formatted in FAT or FAT 32, right-click on the USB drive again (in This PC), click Format. Choose NTFS from File System drop-down box and then click Start button. Click OK button when you see the warning dialog to format the USB drive in NTFS. Once done, you will see “Format complete” message.
Step 3:Right-click on the Start button on the taskbar. Click Disk Management to open the same.
Step 4: In the Disk Management window, right-click on the USB drive and then click Shrink Volume option. This action will open Shrink dialog. If the USB flash drive is formatted in FAT, the Shrink Volume option doesn’t appear.
Step 5: In the “Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB” field, type in the amount in MB that you want to use for creating a new partition on the USB drive. For instance, on a 16 GB drive, if you want to create two partitions of about 8 GB, then shrink the drive by about 7000 MB.
Click Shrink button. The action will create unallocated space on your USB drive.
Step 6: Now, right-click on the newly created unallocated space on USB, and then click New Simple Volume option. Make sure that you are right-clicking on the unallocated space of USB drive only.
Step 7: Once New Simple Volume Wizard appears on screen, click Next button.
Step 8: In this step, you need to specify the size for the new volume or partition. If you want to use all unallocated space to create a partition (two partitions on USB drive), go ahead and click Next button. But if you want to create two or more partitions from the available unallocated space, reduce the Simple volume size.
Click Next button.
Step 9: Choose a drive letter for the new partition on the USB. Click Next button.
Step 10: Finally, click Next button to create a new partition on the USB drive. Click Finish button to close the wizard.
You should now see two partitions on USB drive in File Explorer as well as in Disk Management.
To delete partitions
IMPORTANT: This will erase all data on the USB drive. Please back up your data to another drive before deleting partitions.
Step 1: Open up Disk Management. Sims 4 aspiration mods 2019.
Step 2:Right-click on one of the partitions on the USB drive, and click Delete Volume to create unallocated space. Do this step for all partitions on the USB drive. Please make sure that the partition or volume you are deleting is on the USB drive, and there is no data on the USB.
Step 3: Now, right-click on the unallocated space on the USB drive, click New Simple Volume, click Next, click Next again (don’t change Simple volume size), click Next once again, choose file system as NTFS and finally, click Next again. That’s it!
Also check out our how to shrink or extend partitions in Windows 10 guide.