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HP Support Center
HP and Compaq Desktop PCs - Managing Drive Volumes (Windows 7)

This document applies to HP and Compaq Desktop PCs with Windows 7.
Understanding drives, partitions, and volumes

A partition is an area of a hard disk that can be formatted and assigned a drive letter. On a hard disk, a volume is a formatted primary
partition or logical drive. The terms partition and volume are often used interchangeably.
HP and Compaq computers with Windows 7 have hard disk drives that contain two partitions. The first partition, labeled with the letter C,
contains the system files, program files, and usable file storage space. The second partition, labeled with the letter D, contains system
recovery information in case the information on the C partition is damaged or unusable.
CAUTION: When using the steps in this document, do not delete the Recovery or FACTORY_IMAGE partition or use it for file storage.
Doing so prevents the HP Recovery Manager from recovering the computer when the information on the C partition is damaged.
Adding a new drive letter

Add a new drive letter to the computer using one of the following methods.
Add a new drive - If you need more space for photos, videos, music, or other files, add a new hard disk drive to the computer. The
new hard disk can be inside the computer (internal) or can be external, attached to a USB connector on the computer.
NOTE: To add an internal hard drive, the computer must have an empty drive bay. Check the specification for the specific computer
model to verify whether there is an empty drive bay in the computer.
Partition the existing drive - If you do not need more file storage space but need another drive, create another partition on the
existing hard disk. This might be useful if you need to share files on a drive but want to prevent access to your personal files by
keeping them on another drive.
This method does not add more space, but re-allocates some of the empty space on the existing hard disk into another partition. This
space is then treated as another drive and labeled with its own drive letter.
Creating a new partition

To create more partitions or volumes, the hard disk must contain unallocated space that is not part of an existing partition. Shrink the volume
on an existing drive to create unallocated space and then create and format a hard disk partition.
Read the following section for more detailed instructions. If the heading has a plus (+) sign, click it to expand the information.
Creating a partition and managing the volume space from the Disk Management tool
1. To open the Disk Management tool, click Start
. In the Search field, type partition . Then click Create and format hard disk partitions .
Figure 1: Opening the Disk Management tool
The Disk Management tool opens and displays information about the data storage devices on the computer.
2. To create unallocated space on the drive, right-click the drive you want to partition. For most applications, select the C: drive.
Then click Shrink Volume...
CAUTION: Do not use the Recovery or FACTORY_IMAGE partition to create a new partition. Doing so might prevent the HP
Recovery Manager from recovering the computer when the information on the C: partition is damaged.
Figure 2: Shrinking the volume to create unallocated space
http://h20565.www2.hp.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?sp4ts.oid=5359405&docId=em... 20.11.2014
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3. Do not make any adjustments to the settings In the Shrink window. Click Shrink .
Figure 3: Shrinking a volume
When the Shrink is complete, the new partition displays in the Disk Management utility as Unallocated space.
Figure 4: New partition with unallocated space
4. Right-click the new partition. In the menu that displays, click New Simple Volume.. .
Figure 5: Creating a New Simple Volume
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5. The New Simple Volume Wizard displays. To continue, click Next .

6. The Specify Volume Size window displays. Type in the volume size, or click Next to accept the default setting.
Figure 6: Specify Volume Size window
7. The Assign Drive Letter or Path window displays. Select a drive letter and click Next .
Figure 7: Assign Drive Letter or Path window
8. The Format Partition window displays. To name the drive, type a name in the Volume label box. Then click Next .
NOTE: Do not select Perform a quick format or Enable file and folder compression .
Figure 8: Format Partition window
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9. The settings window displays. Click Finish .

Figure 9: New Simple Volume Settings window
10. The Disk Management utility displays showing the formatting progress.
Figure 10: Formatting the new partition
When the format is complete, the new drive shows in the Disk Management utility.
If the AutoPlay window displays, click the X in the upper-right corner to close it.
Figure 11: New volume
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Changing a drive letter

To change the drive letter, you can assign the letters C through Z to each drive on the computer. The system partition is usually labeled with
the letter C while the letters A and B are reserved for floppy disk drives or removable drives. If the computer does not have floppy disk drives,
you can assign A and B to volumes.
NOTE: Some MS-DOS and Windows programs make references to specific drive letters. If you change a drive letter, some programs that you
have installed on your hard disk might not work correctly. You cannot change a drive letter if the drive is either a system partition or a boot
partition. If you get an error, the partition or drive you are trying to change might be in use. Close any program or window that is using the
partition or drive and try again.
Changing a drive letter using the Disk Management tool
Complete the following steps to change a drive letter.
. In the Search field, type partition . Then click Create and format hard disk partitions .
2. Right-click the partition or drive you want to rename and then click Change Drive Letter and Paths...
Figure 13: Changing a drive letter
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3. In the Change Drive Letter window, click Change .

Figure 14: Change Drive Letter window
4. In the menu, select the new drive letter. Then click OK .

Figure 15: Selecting the new drive letter
5. The Disk Management caution message is displayed. Click Yes to continue.

Figure 16: Disk Management caution message
Removing a drive letter

A drive letter can be deleted by using the Disk Management tool.
CAUTION: Deleting a volume erases all the data on it. Back up any data you want to keep before deleting.
Removing a drive letter using the Change Drive Letter and Paths...option of the Disk Management tool
1. On the drive you want to delete, back up any data you want to keep.
. In the Search field, type partition . Then click Create and format hard disk
partitions .
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3. Right-click the drive letter you want to remove. Then click Change Drive Letter and Paths...
Figure 18: Changing a drive letter
4. In the Change Drive Letter window, click Remove .

Figure 19: Change Drive Letter window
5. The Disk Management caution message displays. Click Yes to continue.

Figure 20: Disk Management caution message
The drive letter disappears. To use this hard drive space again, continue to the next section to remove the partition.
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Removing a partition
From the Computer Management widow, delete the volume, delete the partition, and then add the unallocated space to another disk.
Read the following section for more detailed instructions.
Deleting the volume, partition, and then using the Extend Volume wizard to re-allocate the space
1. Right-click the volume or partition you want to delete, and then click Delete Volume...
Figure 21: Delete Volume...
2. If you have backed up the data you want to keep, click Yes .
The drive letter disappears and the partition is labeled as Free space.
Figure 22: Free space in the partition
3. Right-click the free space. In the menu that displays, click Delete Partition...
Figure 23: Deleting the Partition
Now the space is shown as Unallocated .

4. Right-click the drive to which you want to add the unallocated space. In the menu that displays, click Extend Volume...
Figure 24: Extending the volume
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5. The Extend Volume Wizard displays. Click Next .

Figure 25: Extend Volume Wizard
6. The Select Disks window displays. Do not change any settings. Click Next .
Figure 26: Select Disks window
7. Click Finish .
Figure 27: Completing the Extend Volume Wizard
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The unallocated space can now be used.
Related support
Microsoft support article - What are system partitions and boot partitions?
(in English)
NOTE: One or more of the links above will take you outside the Hewlett-Packard Web site. HP does not control and is not responsible for
information outside the HP Web site.

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Page 1 of 10

HP and Compaq Desktop PCs - Managing Drive Volumes (Windows 7)

Understanding drives, partitions, and volumes

Adding a new drive letter

Creating a new partition

5. The New Simple Volume Wizard displays. To continue, click Next .

9. The settings window displays. Click Finish .

Changing a drive letter

3. In the Change Drive Letter window, click Change .

4. In the menu, select the new drive letter. Then click OK .

5. The Disk Management caution message is displayed. Click Yes to continue.

Removing a drive letter

4. In the Change Drive Letter window, click Remove .

5. The Disk Management caution message displays. Click Yes to continue.

Now the space is shown as Unallocated .

5. The Extend Volume Wizard displays. Click Next .

The unallocated space can now be used.

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