GParted Instructions: How To Partition Your Hard Drive

If you want to change the partition size of your hard drive during operation, you need a special tool such as GParted. In a guide, we show you exactly how to proceed and how to use the program correctly.

Preparation: Release the hard disk partition for GParted

To be able to partition your hard drive with GParted, you must first shrink an existing partition and free up the memory:

1. For this you need the free tool "Easeus Partition Master".
2. Run the program after installation and mark the partition you want to shrink with one click.
3. Then click on "the partition" above and select the option "move the partition / resize".
4. Enter the desired size here and confirm with "OK". The free space is now successfully released.

Partitioning the hard drive with GParted - a guide

1. Download the free Linux "GParted" to your PC.
2. Since this is a CD image in ISO format, you can either burn it to a DVD or transfer it to your USB stick using the "Live USB Helper". This software makes your USB stick bootable.
3. Now switch to your BIOS and change the boot sequence so that the PC boots from the USB stick or DVD.
4. As soon as the boot process is complete, select the entry "GParted Live".
5. In the first step you have to specify the keyboard layout with "Select keymap from arch list".
6. You then define the language of the keyboard. If you are not using a USB keyboard, select "Standard" in the next step.
7. To ensure that no special characters are used, choose "latin1 - no dead keys".

GParted Instructions: This is how the hard disk tool works

1. You are now in the actual GParted system. Select the hard drive you want to partition from the list at the top right.
2. An "unallocated" area of ​​the hard disk appears in the lower area. Right-click on this entry and select "New".
3. In the following you can define the desired size and the file system. The format is usually "NTFS".
4. You then have to confirm your desired processes by clicking on "Apply". Only then will the program begin partitioning.
5. After all work is done, you can restart the system with "shutdown". Now you have to reset the boot order to the original settings and then you can use the new partition.

You can also partition an external hard drive with GParted. You can find out how in the next practical tip. This guide is based on GParted Live 0.22 and Windows 7.