How to Expand or Shrink Disk or SSD Partitions in Windows

The hardware components that are part of our PC are essential for it to function in the most appropriate and optimal way at all times. Among these we can make a special mention of the processor, memory , graphics, hard drives, etc.

All of them together are part of our team and directly influence its operation. Of course, the better they are, the more powerful and faster we will have a computer, although as a general rule, also more expensive. But in order to have a more efficient team suitable for what we need, other very important factors come into play.

Expand or Shrink Disk or SSD Partitions in Windows

What are the partitions of a hard disk

First of all, to begin with, we must know that partitioning a hard drive is dividing it into several logical parts. In this way, what we really achieve is to distribute the contents that we are going to store here, and thus each partition behaves like an independent hard disk. Thus we can make use of several operating systems on the same disk , or use one of the partitions for a certain type of data. Here the possibilities are endless, everything will depend on what we need in each case.

Of course, if we want to partition a unit , it is advisable to do this before starting to use it. With this, what we want to tell you is that it is better to make the relevant partitions before starting to fill the hard disk with data. Because, In this way we can carry out all this without risk that our saved data is lost. But with everything and with it, we can also do some operations of this type even though the unit is already in use.

Resize a partition from Windows

For example, here we can talk about the correct use of both the hardware and the software that controls and manages it, as is the case. In fact, in these same lines we are going to talk about one of those components that could be considered crucial, specifically we refer to hard drives. These are the components in which we store, on the one hand, the operating system as such, and on the other, your applications and personal data. As you surely know, these have a fixed size by default that we can use.

But then, on the other hand, and in order to get the most out of it, we can divide it into parts and manage them, as we are going to show you in these lines. In the beginning, to manage the disk drives that we install in Windows, we have what is known as the Disk Management tool. We access it by right clicking on the Start menu and selecting Disk Management .

Administración de discos

This functionality offers us some interesting functions related to the storage units of the PC. Among these we find the possibility of formatting, extending or reducing the volume, changing the letters, etc. Similarly, this is a functionality that allows us to increase or reduce the volume of partitions, in those that can be done. For this we only have to click with the right mouse button on the desired one.

Thus, in the contextual menu that appears, we will see the two options that we comment on to expand or reduce the space of a partition.

Reducir-volumen-administrador

However, if we want to go one step further when it comes to managing partitions, we recommend using an external third-party solution.

Resize partitions using programs

This is something that we can carry out with various proposals that we can find on the Internet, as you know. But in this case we are going to make use of one of the best known solutions and that also has a free version . We refer to the program called EaseUS Partition Master , something that you can download from this link . Another of the most popular in this sense is the MiniTool Partition Wizard program that we can download from here .

As we have told you on many occasions, and something that is extensible to this case, it is preferable to have a backup of our data. It is also recommended that it be safe in a storage unit external to the computer, just in case. And it is that dealing with partitions is somewhat delicate, so any minimal precaution failure during the process can make us lose all the data of the partitions on which we are working.

Reduce partition size

First we will show you how to resize a partition , something that basically focuses on changing the size of an original partition. This is something that we can carry out both to make it bigger and smaller. When making it smaller we should not take into account any additional considerations, as we will see now. This is because we are going to create an unpartitioned space next to the original partition we are dealing with.

Later we will have the possibility of using that space for some of the tasks mentioned above. Of course, if what we want is to expand the size of one of these elements, we need to have a contiguous non-partitioned space, in front or behind, in order to take advantage of it in the expansion. In the program that we have mentioned, to carry out this that we are commenting on is very simple. We just have to click on the partition we want to change and click with the right mouse button we want to work and we choose to Resize or move.

Redimensionar particiones

Here we can already select the free space that we want to leave both in front of and behind the original partition. As you can imagine, this new space cannot be less than the one we already have occupied, in fact we recommend leaving a good part free. Thus, just by moving the markers that appear, we can even create two spaces, one in front and one behind. Once we have finished, EaseUS Partition Master can be launched, a process that, by the way, can take a while, it is not immediate.

A similar process is found in the case of MiniTool Partition Wizard, since we only have to right-click on the disk drive as such. Next we choose the Move / Resize option from the context menu. After that we only have to specify the new size that we want to apply.

Redimensionar minitool

Extend the size of a partition in Windows

When it comes to expanding the size of a certain partition from the available disk drives , the method is a bit more delicate. This is basically due to the fact that in order to expand a partition it is necessary for it to have free space without partitioning. This can be found both in front and behind, that is indifferent. an unpartitioned space.

In the event that we have that space we are talking about, or we have to carry out the same steps described above. But now, instead of reducing the size , we increase it.