Delete a partition on a windows 7 hard drive. About interesting things from the IT world, instructions and reviews

Quite often, you can find situations where, for some reason, users of Windows systems have to solve the problem of how to delete a partition. Disk Management (the system's built-in tool) allows you to do this without any problems. You can also use specialized programs. But in any case, this issue must be approached very seriously, after weighing all the pros and cons. These actions are mainly used to merge partitions when you need to fix some failures in the system, to prepare for a reinstallation of it, or to convert GPT partitions.

How to delete a partition (disk management)?

Windows systems themselves have a built-in tool for working with any type of partition. It's a utility called Disk Management. It is quite simple to delete a partition or perform any other manipulations with its help.

This tool can be accessed in several ways: through RMB on the computer icon, through the "Control Panel" (disk management is invoked through administration), or through the "Run" menu by entering the command diskmgmt.msc.

Here it is enough to select the desired partition and use the volume delete line through the RMB menu. The system will issue a warning that the data in this partition will be destroyed. If you agree, confirm the action, after which the so-called unallocated area will appear, in which you can create a new partition or expand another partition at its expense. But that is another topic.

Disk Management in Windows 10 through the command console

One of the universal tools for such operations is the command line, which uses the DiskPart tool (a tool for managing disk partitioning). The actions here are quite simple, but you should be especially careful when choosing the right sections.

So, disk management in Windows 10 or in any other version of the system through the command console begins with calling it with administrator rights (cmd) and entering the primary one by pressing the enter key after it.

After that, executing the list volume line makes it possible to view all disks and partitions available in the system. Only they will be marked not with letters, but with numbers (the desired section can be determined at least by its size).

Finally, we enter the delete volume command, after which, in fact, the deletion follows. If the selected volume is not deleted for some reason, you can write an extended version of the delete command - delete volume override. Upon completion of all procedures, the exit line is exited, after which the console can be closed and the system rebooted.

The best applications for working with disks and partitions

If for some reason the user does not want or cannot use the tools built into the system, any disk management program used to create logical partitions is suitable as a means of removal.

Among the simplest and most popular utilities are the following:

An example of using the program from AOMEI

Let's consider as an example the first utility presented in the list (although almost all of them work according to the same principles and do not differ in particularly abstruse interfaces).

Here you just need to select the section of interest to the user, and then select the delete line in the menu at the bottom left. Everything seems to be simple. But the advantage of this application is that it immediately offers two options for uninstalling: quick and complete. In the first case, deletion will be carried out in such a way that after that, if there are appropriate programs for recovering information, anyone can access the files and folders previously stored in the partition.

In the second case, as stated, the information will be completely erased, and it will be impossible to restore it even when using the most advanced software (the sectors in which the information was stored earlier will have zero values). However, for many, the impossibility of data recovery in this case raises legitimate doubts.

Next, select the preferred method and click the "OK" button, after which the pending task will be created. In the top panel, click the "Apply" button, and then after checking the correctness of the data in the confirmation window, click the "Go" button. After that, the selected section will be deleted (the estimated time of the operation is displayed at the bottom of the window).

Finally

That's all for third party programs, command line and the Windows Disk Management tool. Deleting a partition in all three cases is quite simple. The main question is only the advisability of carrying out such actions, because in order to install the system, you will have to create a boot partition, mark it up by formatting, etc. And you should think about the safety of information in advance by copying it to another place or creating a backup copy.

Many hard drives are divided into two or more partitions. Usually they are divided according to user needs and are designed for convenient sorting of stored data. If one of the existing partitions is no longer needed, then it can be deleted, and the unallocated space can be attached to another disk volume. In addition, such an operation allows you to quickly destroy all data stored on the partition.

Deleting a partition on a hard drive

There are various options for deleting a volume: for this, you can use special programs, the built-in windows tool, or the command line. The first option is most preferable in the following cases:

  • It is not possible to delete a partition through the built-in windows tool (the "Delete volume" item is inactive).
  • It is necessary to delete information without the possibility of recovery (this possibility is not available in all programs).
  • Personal preferences (a more convenient interface or the need to perform several actions with disks at the same time).

After using one of these methods, an unallocated area will appear, which can later be added to another partition or distributed if there are several.

Be careful, deleting a partition erases all data stored on it!

Save the necessary information in advance in another place, and if you just want to combine two sections into one, you can do it in another way. In this case, files from the deleted partition will be transferred independently (when using the built-in windows programs they will be removed).

Read more: How to merge sections hard drive

Method 1: AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard

Free utility for working with drives allows you to perform various operations, including deleting unnecessary volumes. The program has a Russified and pleasant interface, so it can be safely recommended for use.

Download AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard


Method 2: MiniTool Partition Wizard

MiniTool Partition Wizard - free program to work with disks. She does not have a Russified interface, but basic knowledge of the English language is enough to perform the necessary operations.

Unlike the previous program, MiniTool Partition Wizard does not completely delete data from the partition, i.e. they can be restored if necessary.


Method 3: Acronis Disk Director

Acronis Disk Director is one of the most popular programs among users. This is a powerful disk manager that, in addition to complex operations, allows you to perform more primitive tasks.

If you have this utility, then you can delete a partition with it. Since this program is paid, it makes no sense to purchase it if you do not plan to actively work with disks and volumes.


Method 4: Built-in windows tool

If there is no desire or opportunity to use third-party software, you can solve the problem with regular means operating system. windows users The Disk Management utility is available, which you can open as follows:


Method 5: Command line

Another option for working with a disk is to use the command line and the DiskPart utility. In this case, the entire process will take place in the console, without a graphical shell, and the user will have to control the process using commands.

We have looked at ways to delete a hard drive partition. There is no fundamental difference between using third-party programs and built-in windows tools. However, some of the utilities allow you to permanently delete files stored on the volume, which will be a very additional plus for some users. In addition, special programs allow you to delete a volume even when it cannot be done through Disk Management. The command line also handles this problem very well.

We are glad we were able to help you resolve the issue.

Poll: Did this article help you?

Not really

lumpics.ru

How to remove a hidden drive.

Each user faces such a question during the operation and work on his computer. The thing is that manufacturers of computers and laptops (most), during the production of their PCs, create a backup copy of the disk on which your operating system is stored on the hard disk, if you bought a PC with a preinstalled system. This HDD is an emergency, and serves as a helping hand for you if you have deleted or somehow killed your operating system. This hidden section is also called the manufacturer's OEM section.

Without certain manipulations, you will not be able to delete a hidden partition on a disk, because manufacturers usually make it invisible to the system. After all, this section contains a copy of your system, all installed drivers and programs installed by default.

An ordinary user may not even suspect that 10 - 15 gigabytes of valuable space are missing on his hard drive. If you do not feel sorry for this space, then you can not take a steam bath and do not delete anything in your system. If you decide to install another, not native operating system, but your own, then it makes no sense for you to keep a hidden partition on your hard drive. If you do not have a distribution kit from your laptop, you will have to download the drivers from the manufacturer's website.

Removing a hidden partition on a disk.

Removing a hidden partition is a simple and not complicated procedure that is performed without additional programs and utilities. All manipulations can be performed using the CMD command line (windows + R), write CMD and click OK. It is important that your account has administrator rights. Next, we sequentially execute the list of commands:

diskpart #run the partition manager#

list disk #list hard drives#

select disk x #where, x is the disk number from the previous list, for example, select disk 2 if it was in the list as Disk 2#

list partiotion #display the list of partitions on the selected disk, output example#

Section ### Type Size Offset

----- ------ --- ---

Partition 1 Primary 470 GB 1024 KB

Section 3 OEM 15 GB 470 KB

In our case, partition 3 is the hidden partition that we want to delete, make sure it is select partition 3 #select the desired partition detail partiotion #detailed information on the partition Section 3 Type: 12 Hidden: Yes Active: No

Byte offset: 234216226825

vpachin.ru

The Delete partition/ Delete volume field is inactive

After I wrote the articles How to add space to the system disk (drive C) + video and How to merge local drives in windows7 + video, I began to receive messages from readers that they did not have the "Delete Partition" field active. What happens... In this article I will tell you in what cases this happens and how to make the Delete section field active.

The line "Delete volume" is not active because of the paging file.

One of the reasons the Delete volume box is not active is that the volume is being used for the paging file.

If in Disk Management in the "Status" field next to the disk that you want to delete or expand it says "Paging file", then you will not be able to delete or expand the volume. First you need to remove the paging file from the disk, and then work with it.

The "Delete section" field is not active.

In another case, you have deleted a volume, after that you want to delete a partition, but the "Delete partition" line is not active.

It has to do with hard disk partitions. If the partition you want to delete is surrounded by a green frame, and there are volumes inside the partition, then first you need to delete all volumes, and then you can delete the entire partition. Those. delete all the volumes circled in green, in this case volume D. After that, you will have a partition the size of "volume D" + free space with which you can work further, for example, add space to drive C. As you can see, the partition is wider concept than volume. Volumes make up partitions, or a partition can consist of a single volume.

These are the most popular factors blocking the ability to delete a partition or volume. If you are faced with a situation where the methods indicated here did not help you, write in the comments or write a letter to info(pes)pk-help.com, we will try to figure it out.

pk-help.com

How to remove a hidden partition on a hard drive | Computer world

It is possible to delete a hidden partition on a hard drive. You just need to know the necessary programs and methods.

Often, some of the security features implemented in windows are a little annoying. One such case is a closed extended partition that takes up valuable disk space. Let's try to remove it.

Protective function: A computer preinstalled with Windows usually comes with a so-called recovery partition on the hard drive. This, often hidden, section contains compressed program files that serve as a system backup. If windows does not start, then using these files, you can return the system to its original state.

For many experienced PC users, the recovery partition is simply unused space. They prefer to work with their own backups or disks, since the back-up method using compressed program files on a hidden partition will overwrite all data (at least on the C: drive) created after buying a PC, and then only a full recovery will help. deleted files via special programs or professionals in the field. In addition, the recovery partition takes up several GB of space, which can be used much more efficiently on computers with small hard drives than for such purposes.

Protection bypass: Simply deleting data from a hidden partition does not make sense, as it will remain hidden anyway. But if the size of the hidden section was “sticky” to an existing one, that would be a plus. Paragon Partition 2011 will help you unlock hidden places on your hard drive. It displays hidden partitions, deletes them and adds space to another partition.

Deleting a hidden partition: To delete a hidden partition, run the program and select the "Partition Manager" item in the first window. In the next window of the program, you need to select the option "delete partition".

The wizard then starts and shows all the partitions on the hard drive. Select a recovery partition. If you are not sure which one to choose, do the following: compare the partition sizes displayed in the wizard with the disk sizes in windows Explorer (can be launched using the Win+E keyboard shortcut).

Once you have found the desired partition, select it in the list of partitions in Paragon Partition 2011, and then click the "Next" and "Run" buttons. After that, click the "Finish" button and go back to the main window of the partition manager.

Enlarging another partition: the created free space must be attached to the partition you need. To do this, right-click on the section you are interested in in the main menu of sections and select the "Edit section" menu item. In the new window, make the partition resize using the slider. Then close the window by clicking on the "OK" button.

Then you need to return to the main menu of sections and click the "Run" button. The process will start, the program will adjust the changes in the hard disk partitions in accordance with the changes you made. After completing the wizard, you need to restart the computer.

Attention: You managed to delete the hidden partition on the hard drive, but after performing all the above operations, the windows recovery system using the recovery partition will not work. You should use the necessary programs to create backup system partition. For example, the Paragon BackUp&Recovery 2011 utility can create a copy of your disk and burn it to an external storage medium. In the event of a malfunction in the operating room windows systems it can be restored using this program and a backup copy recorded, for example, on one or more DVD discs or a USB drive.

If we want to get rid of the current structure of the hard disk - remove all partitions on it and return it to its original unallocated space, we can do this in an active Windows environment using its standard tools, subject to two conditions. Firstly, as an operated disk - the one on which we want to remove all partitions, of course, the storage of the current OS should not act.


The storage refers to either all partitions of the system, or at least one of them, for example, bootable. Secondly, there should be no deletion-protected partitions on such an operable disk. If the previously operated disk had a layout style MBR, using the utility included in Windows, we will easily delete all user and system partitions.

And we will turn the disk space into unallocated space, on the basis of which we can create a new partition structure for other tasks.

And here is the space GPT-drives on which Windows was previously installed, so we will not be able to clean it completely. For hidden system EFI-partition, neither the delete function nor any other options will be available.

Even if you get rid of all other partitions, EFI section will remain.

Like the last one, on carriers OEM-devices may also have non-removable service Recovery-partitions needed to roll back Windows to factory settings.

How to clear a hard disk with protected partitions from the structure - delete all partitions, remove the markup style so that it becomes the same as before initialization? Let's consider several options for how this can be done.

1. Command line

A regular Windows tool can clean up data carriers from their structure - command line. Important nuance: it must be run as administrator.

In its window, enter sequentially:

diskpart list disk

Here, instead of zero, everyone must substitute their serial number.

The last step is to enter the command to clear the media from the structure:

clean

Everything - the disk is cleared of partitions and initialization. After that, we can again turn to the utility to form a new structure.

Choose GPT- or MBR- markup style.

2. Windows installation process

The process can delete hidden disk partitions Windows installation. If the installation media of the system is connected to the computer, you can boot from it and remove partitions at the stage of choosing the installation location. And then stop the installation and restart your computer.

True, this option is only suitable for users who know the disk being operated on well. Since the installation process displays the disk space as a list of partitions, there is a high possibility of erroneously corrupting the structure of a non-operable media.

Command-line haters can resort to third-party software to work with disk space like Acronis Disk Director 12. This is a more functional, more usable and even, in some sense, a safer way to carry out operations with the markup of data carriers.

3. Acronis Disk Director 12

And a disk manager from the company Acronis , and its analogues are notable for their clear and understandable presentation of the disc structure. Moreover, such programs Live Disk- this is the only way to solve the problem posed in the article, if the operating medium is the only one in the computer. To use Acronis Disk Director 12 get rid of the disk structure, select it, for example, in the visual representation.

And let's use the function.

Acronis warns us that there are boot partitions on the media being cleared. And thus protects us from rash decisions. The fact is that two Windows installed on different disks can have both their own bootloaders and one common one. It is important to check this point: the abandoned Windows should have its own boot partitions:

OrSystem Reserved (MBR);
Or"Restore" and "EFI" (GPT).

In this article, you will learn how to remove a hard drive partition in the Disk Management console or using the built-in DiskPart utility in Windows 7.

Warnings

In order to delete a volume, you need to log into Windows 7 under account with administrator rights.

Deleting a partition erases all data stored on it. Archive any data you want to keep before deleting.

It is not possible to remove from under Windows 7 a partition that contains boot or other system files of the same copy of Windows 7, including partitions that contain its swap files. Therefore, if the hard drive contains only one partition, you will only be able to remove it during the Windows setup process.

Before starting the removal, in the settings of the Disk Defragmentation service, set the startup type Manually. If this service is disabled, then when you try to delete a partition, you will receive an error message: The specified service cannot be started because it is disabled or all devices associated with it are disabled.

Method 1: Deleting a partition through Windows 7 Disk Management

1. Open the Start menu, type diskmgmt.msc in the search bar and press ENTER.

2. Right-click the partition you want to remove and select the command.

3. Carefully read the warning that appears:

and press the button Yes to confirm the deletion.

4. Now the selected partition has been removed and an unallocated area has appeared in its place. In Disk Management, it appears as an unallocated partition and is marked in black.

In the resulting unallocated area, you can or existing on the same physical hard drive.

Method 2: Removing a hard disk volume using DiskPart (command line)

2. Type the diskpart command and press ENTER.

This command launches the DiskPart utility built into Windows 7, designed to manage hard drives, their volumes and partitions.

3. Type the command list volume and press the ENTER key.

After that, all existing partitions with the numbers assigned to them will be displayed on the screen.

4. Enter the command select volume X (instead of X number of the section to be deleted) and press ENTER.

With this command, you select a volume for further operations with it.

5. Type the delete volume command and press ENTER.

Attention! After executing this command, the hard disk partition selected in step 4 of this guide will be permanently deleted. This operation cannot be undone. Run this command only after making sure that all the previous steps have been completed correctly.

If the volume is not deleted after the previous command, enter another command: delete volume override and press ENTER.

6. Type exit and press ENTER to exit the DiskPart program. After that, you can close the command prompt window.

We recommend reading