Resizing a partition in Windows is a common task that can help optimize disk space usage. This article will guide you through the process of resizing a partition using both the Disk Management tool and PowerShell.

Using Disk Management

Disk Management is a built-in Windows tool that provides a graphical interface for managing disk partitions. Here’s how to resize a partition using Disk Management:

1. Open Disk Management:

   • Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
   • Type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter to open Disk Management.

2. Select the Partition to Resize:

   • In the Disk Management window, right-click on the partition you want to resize.
   • Choose either "Extend Volume" or "Shrink Volume" depending on your needs.

3. Extend Volume:

   • If you want to increase the size of a partition, select "Extend Volume."
   • Follow the Extend Volume Wizard to specify the amount of space to add.

4. Shrink Volume:

   • To decrease the size of a partition, select "Shrink Volume."
   • Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB and click "Shrink."

Using PowerShell

PowerShell provides a command-line interface to manage disk partitions. Here’s how to resize a partition using PowerShell:

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator:

   • Press Windows + X and select "Windows PowerShell (Admin)."

2. List Available Partitions:

   • Use the following command to list all partitions:

     Get-Partition

3. Shrink a Partition:

   • To shrink a partition, use the following command:

     Resize-Partition -DriveLetter X -Size Y

   • Replace X with the drive letter of the partition you want to shrink and Y with the new size in MB.

4. Extend a Partition:

   • To extend a partition, you must first ensure there is unallocated space adjacent to the partition. Then, use:

     Resize-Partition -DriveLetter X -Size Y

   • Replace X with the drive letter and Y with the new total size in MB.

Considerations

• Always back up your data before resizing partitions to prevent data loss.
• Ensure there is unallocated space available if you plan to extend a partition.