Want to split your hard drive into separate storage areas? Use the Windows, Mac, or Linux steps below to create a partition from unallocated space or shrink an existing partition to make room.
Back up your files before changing partition boundaries, because deleting partitions or replacing the disk layout destroys access to the affected data. Free space inside a partition is different from unallocated space outside it, and formatting alone does not split a disk.
Make room on an existing Windows drive
Shrinking a volume makes room for a second partition.
Open Disk Management by right-clicking Start and selecting it. You need administrator access; the tool works with recognized internal and external HDDs and SSDs on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Locate the drive you want to divide. If it already has unallocated space, skip to the next section.
Right-click the existing volume and select Shrink Volume. This method supports NTFS volumes and partitions without a filesystem.
Enter the amount of space you want to release. This is the amount to subtract from the existing volume, not its final size. Select Shrink, and the released space becomes unallocated space, ready for a new volume.
If you have unallocated space, create a Windows volume
Use this method after shrinking a volume or when your disk already has unallocated space. A new, uninitialized disk needs initialization first.
Open Disk Management by right-clicking Start and selecting it. For a new, uninitialized disk only, right-click its disk label and select Initialize Disk. Choose GPT or MBR in the initialization dialog, then select OK.
Right-click the unallocated space on the intended disk and select New Simple Volume. Select Next to begin the wizard. Specify the volume size in MB. Leave some space unallocated if you want additional volumes.
Select Next, choose a drive letter, and select Next. Select the formatting options for the new volume. Formatting destroys any data on the volume, so check that you are working with the new volume. Select Next, then select Finish to complete the wizard.
Repeat the new-volume process on any remaining unallocated space to create more partitions.
Add an APFS volume on a Mac
In Finder, open Go > Utilities. Open Disk Utility, then select an existing APFS volume in the sidebar. Click Add Volume.
Enter a name for the new volume, then choose its format from Format. For optional space limits, open Size Options. Set Reserve Size to the amount of space you want set aside for the volume.
Set Quota Size to limit how much space the volume uses. Select OK to close the size options, then select Add to create the volume. Click Done when the operation finishes.
For separately named storage on an APFS disk, Apple recommends these volumes for most uses because they share container space without the fixed boundaries of separate physical partitions.
Create a physical partition in Disk Utility
A physical partition gives your Mac's disk separate storage areas with fixed boundaries. Back up the data on the device before changing its partition layout.
In Finder, open Go > Utilities. Open Disk Utility, then select a volume on the device you want to partition. Click Partition.
Click the Add (+) button below the chart, then select Add Partition. Enter a name in Name. Choose the new partition's format from Format.
Set the partition size, then click Apply. Select Partition to confirm the operation. If Disk Utility prompts you about resizing the startup volume, select Continue. Click Done after partitioning finishes.
Partition a Linux drive with GParted
GParted lets you shrink an existing partition and create another in the released space. Available operations depend on the filesystem, and many require the affected partitions to be unmounted.
Select the intended storage device in GParted and check the selected device before queuing changes. If you need to release space, select the existing partition. Open Partition > Resize/Move.
Reduce the partition's size in the dialog, then select Resize/Move to queue the change. Select the unallocated space intended for the new partition. Open Partition > New.
Configure the new partition's size, type, filesystem, and label, then select Add. Review the queued operations before committing them. Keep Device > Create Partition Table out of this workflow: it replaces the entire layout and destroys access to existing data.
Open Edit > Apply All Operations, then click Apply to commit the changes. If an operation fails because a partition is in use, try GParted Live on a compatible x86-64 computer. Its boot environment lets you use the same partitioning workflow outside the installed operating system; follow the project's boot-media installation instructions to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Windows Pro to partition a drive?
No. Disk Management is available in Windows 11 Home and Pro. You need administrator access to initialize a disk and create volumes.
Why won't Windows let me shrink a partition as much as I want?
Unmovable files limit how far Windows can shrink a volume, even when it has unused space.
Can I add unallocated space back to a Windows partition?
Yes, for an NTFS or ReFS volume when the unallocated space immediately follows it on the same disk. In Disk Management, right-click the volume and select Extend Volume. Select Next. Under Select Disks, specify how much available space to add. Select Next, then Finish.
Should I use Disk Utility to remove a Boot Camp partition?
No. Apple requires Boot Camp Assistant to remove Windows and restore the disk space on an Intel Mac. Back up your Windows data before removing that partition.