Partition the Hard Drive in a Windows 7 Install

How to Partition the Hard Drive in a Windows 7 Install​

   Information

The purpose of this tutorial is to see what tools are available to partition the hard drive while installing Windows 7. Although not a complete partitioning utility, you can delete existing partitions, create new partitions, extend partitions into unallocated space, shrink existing partitions, and format.

   Tip

It is not necessary to create the Windows 7 partitions on a new (empty) hard drive or format the partitions before installing Windows 7 as the installer will do that automatically.

Here's How:
1. Boot your computer to the Windows 7 DVD. At this screen choose to install now.


2. Select to "Go online" for latest updates.


3. Select the Operating System you wish to install.

4. Accept the license terms and click next.

5. Select "Custom (advanced)".

6. In this screen you see existing partitions (my test setup). Click "Drive options (advanced)".

7. I used "Delete" to remove the existing partitions. Now select "New" to create new partitions in the Unallocated space.

8. You can choose to use the entire empty space, or just a part of the space.

9. In this screen, I have chosen to use half of the 20 GB available.

10. Windows will, by default, create the "System Reserved" partition.

11. In this screen you see the "Reserved Partition" of 100 MB. I recommend keeping this. Next, you have the options of creating a new partition in the unallocated space, extending the selected partition into the unallocated space, shrinking the selected partition, or deleting one or all existing partitions.

12. I have chosen to extend the partition into all the unallocated space.

Now you can complete your Windows 7 installation in the partitions you have created. You can also cancel the installation process here while leaving the newly created partitions intact. Useful if you intend to install a different Operating System into one of the newly created partitions.

Conclusion:

While the Windows 7 hard drive partition utility is limited, it offers a convenient way to install Windows 7 without filling the entire hard drive. The leftover space can then be used for other purposes.

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Do a Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version
• How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7
• How to Do a Custom Installation of Windows 7
• How to Shrink a Partition or Volume in Windows 7
• How to Extend a Partition or Volume in Windows 7
• How to Delete a Partition or Volume in Windows 7
• How to Create a New Partition or Volume in Windows 7

 

[babinjo]

No option available to format hard drive with W 7

Hi there,

I just installed Windows 7 over my Vista and all those steps you listed were identical except steps 7 & 8. I did not have an option to format my hardrive and now that Windows 7 is installed, I am unable to custom reinstall it.

Can you please help.

Thanks.

 

[Vista32toWin7]

Not sure if anyone is responding to this thread, but have a question? On the 1st page of this tutorial it says in the tip:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tip It is not necessary to create the Windows 7 partitions on a new (empty) hard drive or format the partitions before installing Windows 7 as the installer will do that automatically.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I currently have Vista 32 bit OS installed and will be clean installing a Win 7/64 Pro Upgrade version with the CD disk, onto a new (empty) hard drive. I have no knowledge of partitioning, but if the Windows 7 installer will do the partitioning automatically, then that's a time saver for me.

Question: Based on the above "Tip", the Windows installer will do the partitioning automatically on the new HDD. And I won't have to do any manual partitioning myself, correct?

Thanks, Vista.

 

[AddRAM]

Only if you want to, what size is the drive ?

 

[Vista32toWin7]

750GB SSHDD. My current drive has a (C drive for the system files, and a (D drive for the DATA.

I presume Windows installer will auto partition these two drives same as above, on the new HDD for me during the install process?

That is my question?

Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Hello Vista32toWin7,

If you do a clean install and delete all partitions on the SSHDD until the SSHDD shows as unallocated space, then installation will create a 100 MB System Reserved partition, and a partition to the left if this for Windows 7.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html
Any other partitions you want could be added later after installation is finished if you like.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2672-partition-volume-shrink.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2674-partition-volume-create-new.html
Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Vista32toWin7]

Thanks Brink. I appreciate the reply and links, but I'm linked out?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tip It is not necessary to create the Windows 7 partitions on a new (empty) hard drive or format the partitions before installing Windows 7 as the installer will do that automatically.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just want to know if the above tip means that I don't have to format/partition my new drive if the Windows installer will do it for me? Yes or no?

And give me what I have on my current drive, a (C drive and a (D drive?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you do a clean install and delete all partitions on the SSHDD until the SSHDD shows as unallocated space, then installation will create a 100 MB System Reserved partition, and a partition to the left if this for Windows 7.

R. I presume here you are saying that , not the [installer], should delete all partitions on the new HDD? I have no clue what, if any, partitions a new HDD would have? Or where I would find/see this info on my computer?

Then a 100 MB reserved partition will be created by the installer. Not sure what this small partition would be used for?

And a partition to the left of this for Windows 7. Where would I be seeing this?

As you can see I have little knowledge of partitioning/formatting, etc, and why I asked my simple y/n question initially and again lastly?

Thanks.

 

[Brink]

There's to much information to post it all here again, but if you look at step 8 in the clean install tutorial below it and the links it will explain all of this better.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html
For not, a new HDD should already be unallocated, so you should be seeing the same as the screenshot under step 7, and can just click on Next at step 8. No need to worry about anything else.

 

[Penki]

Help?

Hello
Can't instal windows becouse selected disk is of the GPT partition style. How to change that or how to instal windows?

 

[theog]

Hello
Can't instal windows becouse selected disk is of the GPT partition style. How to change that or how to instal windows?

As the new MOBO's now have a uEFI/BIOS firmware.
How to install Windows 64 bit on a uEFI/BIOS firmware:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...e-firmware-interface-install-windows-7-a.html

 

[Brink]

Hello
Can't instal windows becouse selected disk is of the GPT partition style. How to change that or how to instal windows?

Hello Penki, and welcome to Seven Forums.

In addition, if the selected hard drive has no other partitions on it that would be deleted, then you could convert from GPT to MBR first, then select the unallocated drive to install Windows 7 on.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/26203-convert-gpt-disk-mbr-disk.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Penki]

thanks for the help

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Penki. Glad we could help.

 

[Berkey]

So I have been running 7 for the past 5 years on an old dell latitude with only 55GB memory. Never really had any problems with functionality or lag ups, but wanted to do a clean install. My original setup never had partitions and was wondering if 55GB was enough to have a separate partition for the OS and another for everything else? If so, how large would you recommend each partition to be (if 2 would suffice) as i feel somewhat comfortable seeing in the example he is using only 20GB?

 

[Brink]

Hello Berkey,

It depends, but if you don't plan on installing much, then 55 GB should be fine for Windows.

 

[Berkey]

Hello Berkey,

It depends, but if you don't plan on installing much, then 55 GB should be fine for Windows.

I dont install much in the way of games and what not. My last real set up with and the bulk of most programs would include:

Chrome
Avast
Malwarebytes
Sandboxie
Winpatrol
CCenhancer
Zemana Antikeylogger
Microsoft Word and Excell (custom install as I don't use the other components of the suite)

toss in a few smaller programs for viewing comic books and an occasional viewer such as windirstat and that would be what the set up on this laptop looks like. I keep it rather bare bones and ususaly transfer most files of size to a external HDD. Only documents and the occasional pic/song stay on the hard drive long term.

I have no issue with the 55GB for running 7, but would splitting the 55Gb in half be wise for 2 partitions or should I just leave it all in 1 as it was in the past?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I have about 55 applications installed on C, along with Windows 7 Home Premium, fully updated.

Occupied space is 32 GB. I use a single partition on the 80 GB drive. My data is on an entirely different drive.

I don't see any over-riding reason why you should use more than a single partition if all you have is 55 GB. What would be the point?

I assume you have plenty of storage space on some other drive for your personal files. Even if you don't have many personal files and intend to keep them on the same physical drive as the OS, I don't see any reason to split up 55 GB. If you had several hundred GB of space and wanted to keep say 70 for the OS and 250 for personal data, that would be another story. But if you split such a small space as 55 GB, it's just a matter of time before you need more space than you have as you don't know how fast each of the split partitions will grow.

 

[Berkey]

I have about 55 applications installed on C, along with Windows 7 Home Premium, fully updated.

Occupied space is 32 GB. I use a single partition on the 80 GB drive. My data is on an entirely different drive.

I don't see any over-riding reason why you should use more than a single partition if all you have is 55 GB. What would be the point?

I assume you have plenty of storage space on some other drive for your personal files. Even if you don't have many personal files and intend to keep them on the same physical drive as the OS, I don't see any reason to split up 55 GB. If you had several hundred GB of space and wanted to keep say 70 for the OS and 250 for personal data, that would be another story. But if you split such a small space as 55 GB, it's just a matter of time before you need more space than you have as you don't know how fast each of the split partitions will grow.

Thanks for the tip. i finished my reinstall with the single partition as the old saying "if it ain't fix don't break it" fits with my scenerio. Thanks again to you and brink

 

[iRedix9]

Seriously Thank you

I have been searching for such a helpfull answer for days and now I found the best one
THANK YOU SO MUCH

 

[watisdisSorcery]

I did all this but wasnt able to install windows on any of that partitions "windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style".

 

[Brink]

Hello watisdisSorcery, and welcome to Seven Forums.

What OS are you trying to install?

Windows 7 can only be installed on a MBR formatted disk/partition instead.

Please post a screenshot showing your full layout in Disk Management, and let us know which partition and disk you are trying to install Windows on.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/274797-disk-management-post-screen-capture-image.html