Helpdesk Challenge – how to resize hard drive partitions

Partitioning the hard disc on computers has been really popular for a few years now, mainly because the prices of hard discs have dropped and nano technology has allowed us to fit more memory than we need on our computers.

One of the main reasons to partition a hard disc is to protect personal data by separating it from system files in case of a software breakdown.

A frequent problem that arises after the disc partition is done, is realising that the partition with the operating system is not big enough to hold new programs and updates. When you try to modify it, you will find that the disc management tools (Vista and Windows 7) for crating partitions don’t allow you to change it.

This is when freeware like EaseUs Partition Master come to our rescue to help us resize the partitions safely without the need for technical knowledge.

A word of caution…

Creating a partition and/or resizing partitions on your computer is a very risky task as you are configuring the hard disc where your OS and files are sitting, so please make sure you backup your computer before starting the procedure.

Downloading the freeware

The first step is to get the application.  You can download it from the official website but – as with all free software – sometimes it’s difficult to get to the right part of the website to download it, since they will try to get you buy other products. If you are feeling less adventurous, this link to Cnet download might be easier.

Just make sure you don’t click anywhere else but on the green download button that says “CNET secure download” and then just wait until you get the pop-up window to save the file.

Getting to know the interface

The interface of this software is very friendly and clean (see image below). You can see the options on the Operation menu on the left pane, the detail list of hard disc and partitions on your computer on the right and an outline of the disc selected at the bottom of the window.

You will be using the first option on the left pane “resize/move partitions”.

Resizing…

First you need to make sure you have selected the disc you want to resize on the right hand side list, normally named C:. You should have more than one hard drive fitted on your computer as you have already done the disk partition.

Then click on the option “resize/move partitions” on the left, and you will be prompted to a window that has the diagram of your disc with a small circle in the middle of the partitions which you can drag to either side to resize you partitions according to your needs. You will see the size of each partition listed below the graphic. Once you are happy with it click OK.

At this point changes haven’t been made to the disc yet and you still can undo the changes with the options you have on top of the operations pane (undo, redo, apply and refresh).

Finally, if you are certain of the new size of the partitions and you want the changes to take effect, click on the Apply button.

The changes will come into effect and you will be asked to restart your computer, and then you’re done.

More on this…

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