Unlike earlier versions of Windows, such as Windows 98, the fdisk command is no longer used to set up partitions. If you’ve installed a new hard drive on a computer that’s running Windows and want to change its partitions or divide the disk, use the Windows Disk Management tool. However, if you still prefer a command line interface to set up drives, you can use the diskpart command.

How to open Disk Management

Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7

From the Windows desktop, press the Windows key, type Create and format hard disk partitions, and then press Enter.

Users may also set up partitions during the Windows installation process. For further assistance with installing Windows, see: How to install the Microsoft Windows operating system.

To set up a new hard drive or partitions in Windows, you must have administrative rights.

To partition an external USB hard drive, you must be running Windows 10 Creators Update or later.

  • How to open Disk Management.
  • How to set up a new drive.
  • How to create or add a partition.
  • Further information on partitions.

Once Windows Disk Management is open, you’ll be able to view the partitions.

Windows XP and 2000

  • Click Start, then click Run.
  • In the Run text field, type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.

How to set up a new drive

  • The Windows Disk Management tool should look similar to the image above. Any disks not yet set up are shown as Not Initialized and Unallocated.
  • Right-click the disk you want to set up and select Initialize Disk. If you are working with a disk already set up, skip to the next section.

If you’re running a more recent version of Windows that supports GPT, you are prompted to select a Partition Style. For most users, leaving as MBR is sufficient. If you’re setting up a drive or partition larger than 2 TB, or you want to use the latest partitioning style, select GPT.

  • Click the button.

How to create or add a partition

  • Once the drive is initialized, right-click it.
  • Select New Partition or New Simple Volume from the drop-down menu that appears.

If you are unfamiliar with any of the terminologies in the following steps, the next section should be helpful to you.

  • A New Simple Volume Wizard opens. Click the button.

  • Specify the size of the partition you want to create, and click the button.

  • Select a drive letter for your new partition, and click the button.

  • Ensure the drive format is NTFS, change the volume’s name (optional), and click the button.

  • Click the button, and your new partition appears.

Further information on partitions

Partition or Volume Size - By default, the size is the maximum capacity in MB of the drive. If you want the drive to have multiple partitions, change the size to that which you desire. The remainder of the drive can be allocated later and, if you specify the maximum size, you can also shrink this size at a later time.

Drive letter or Path - Each drive or partition in Windows can be assigned an available drive letter. Most Windows users prefer this setting. However, versions of Windows that support NTFS can also mount a drive to a folder on an existing drive. If you plan on using the drive to store only a specific type of file, such as pictures, music, or programs, this is especially useful.

Format - The format of the drive specifies the type of file system you want to use on the computer. For most users, we highly recommend leaving it at the default NTFS file system. Other options may include FAT32 or exFAT, depending on your version of Windows.

  • How to delete a partition in Windows.
  • How to merge partitions in Windows.
  • How to rename or label a disk drive.
  • How to change a drive letter.
  • See the Disk Management definition for further information and related links.
  • Hard drive help and support.