Partitioning a drive allows you to divide a single physical disk into multiple logical drives. This can provide more flexibility in how you manage and organize your data. Partitioning is especially useful for large capacity external hard drives like the Seagate Backup Plus, as it allows you to create separate partitions for different types of files or uses.
Why Partition a Seagate Backup Plus Drive?
Here are some common reasons to partition a Seagate Backup Plus drive:
- Organize your data more logically – Create separate partitions for files types like photos, videos, documents, etc.
- Isolate and protect sensitive data – Store important files on a separate partition.
- Dual boot with multiple operating systems – Have different OS partitions to choose between during boot up.
- Try new operating systems – Install and boot from one partition without affecting others.
- Optimize performance – Separate partitions with different file types can improve read/write speeds.
- Quickly erase or format part of the drive – Only format one partition instead of the whole drive.
- Limit partition sizes – Split a large drive into smaller logical partitions for easier management.
The Backup Plus drives come preformatted as a single NTFS partition. To take advantage of partitioning you’ll need to delete this existing partition and create new ones from scratch.
Backup Your Data First
Before beginning, it’s very important to backup all your existing data on the Seagate drive. Partitioning will erase all data on the drive. So copy your files and folders to another location first.
To backup your data:
- Connect the Seagate Backup Plus drive to your computer if not already connected.
- Browse to the drive and locate all your important files and folders.
- Select these files/folders and copy or cut them to another location such as your computer’s internal drive, another external drive, cloud storage, etc.
- Verify the files have been successfully copied from the Seagate drive before proceeding.
Backup up your data is a crucial step before partitioning. Having a backup prevents permanent data loss. Be absolutely sure all your important data is copied off the Seagate drive first.
Delete Existing Partition
The Seagate Backup Plus comes from the factory with a single NTFS partition already created. To partition the drive you’ll first need to delete this original partition. This clears the drive of any existing partitions and file systems.
Follow these steps to delete the existing partition on a Seagate Backup Plus drive in Windows:
- Open the Disk Management utility. You can access this by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting “Disk Management”.
- In the lower portion of Disk Management, locate the rectangular bar that represents your Seagate drive. It will be listed as the full factory storage capacity.
- Right-click on the partition and select “Delete Volume” from the menu.
- Check the warning message and click “Yes” to confirm.
- The original partition will be deleted, leaving the drive space listed as “Unallocated”.
With the original factory partition removed, the Seagate drive is now ready to be partitioned.
Create New Partitions
Now it’s time to create new partitions on the empty Seagate drive. In Disk Management, any unallocated space can be formatted into new partitions.
Follow these steps to create partitions:
- In Disk Management, right-click on any unallocated space on the Seagate drive.
- Select “New Simple Volume” from the menu.
- Follow the on-screen wizard to configure the new partition:
- Specify the partition size.
- Assign a drive letter or mount as a folder.
- Select NTFS or another file system.
- Give the partition a meaningful name (optional).
- Click “Finish” to create the new partition.
Repeat these steps for each partition you want to create on the Seagate drive. For example, you may want to create three partitions – one for documents, one for media, and one for backups.
The partitions will then show up in File Explorer as separate drives for you to manage and store files in.
Change a Partition’s Drive Letter or Path
If needed, you can change the drive letter or path assigned to a partition after creating it:
- To change a partition’s drive letter, right-click it in Disk Management and select “Change Drive Letter and Paths”. Then assign it a new drive letter.
- To change a partition’s mount location, select “Change Drive Letter and Paths”, then click “Add” and select “Mount as an empty NTFS folder” and pick a new folder location.
Format Partitions
After creating partitions, you’ll need to format them before they can be used to store files. Formatting initializes the file system:
- In Disk Management, right-click a partition and select “Format”.
- Choose your desired file system – usually NTFS for Windows or exFAT for cross-platform compatibility.
- Give the volume a name and click “OK”.
Repeat the formatting process for each new partition you’ve created.
Set a Partition as Active
If you want to install an operating system to a partition, you’ll need to make that partition “active” first. Here’s how:
- Right-click the partition you want to make active.
- Choose “Mark Partition as Active”.
- Confirm you want to set it as active. Only one partition can be active at once.
The active partition will then show “(System)” next to the drive letter, indicating Windows will boot from that partition.
Common Partition Configurations
Here are some common partitioning setups you can use on a Backup Plus drive:
Two Partitions
- OS and Programs
- Files and Backups
Creates a partition for installing an OS like Windows, and another partition for personal files and backups.
Multiple File Type Partitions
- Documents
- Media
- Other Files
- Backups
Lets you organize by separating files types like docs, music, videos, photos, etc into their own partitions.
Dual Boot Partitions
- Windows 10
- Ubuntu
- Shared Data
Setup for dual booting Windows 10 and Ubuntu Linux from separate partitions.
Encrypted and Unencrypted
- Personal (Encrypted)
- Public
Uses one partition for private files encrypted with BitLocker or VeraCrypt. And another standard partition for public files.
Resize Existing Partitions
If you need to grow or shrink existing partitions, it’s easy to resize them in Disk Management:
- Right-click on the partition and select “Shrink Volume” or “Extend Volume”.
- Enter the new desired size and click “Shrink” or “Extend”.
- The partition will be resized to the new amount.
Just be aware resizing an existing partition will erase all data stored on that partition.
Delete a Partition
To delete a partition you no longer need:
- Right-click on the partition in Disk Management.
- Click “Delete Volume” to delete that partition.
- Confirm the deletion when prompted.
The partition space will then become “Unallocated” and can be used to create a new partition or expand existing ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I partition a drive without losing data?
Unfortunately no, partitioning a drive requires deleting any existing partitions and will erase all data on the drive. Be sure to backup your data before partitioning.
How many partitions can I create?
There’s no set limit on how many partitions can be created. But a practical limit is typically 2-4 partitions, any more tends to get confusing to manage.
What file system should I use for partitions?
NTFS is recommended as it’s compatible with all modern versions of Windows. exFAT can be used for cross-platform compatibility with other operating systems like Mac or Linux.
How much space should each partition be?
There are no set rules for sizing partitions. Assign sizes based on your expected usage for that partition. Just be sure to leave at least 15-20% free space on each.
Can I install an OS to an external drive partition?
Yes this is possible, just be sure to set that partition as active in Disk Management before installing the OS.
Should I partition a new drive right away?
Not necessarily. Partitioning is permanent, so it’s fine to use the full drive first to determine your needs before partitioning.
Conclusion
Partitioning can be a very useful way to divide and mange data on large external hard drives like the Seagate Backup Plus. Just be sure to backup your data first before making any partitioning changes. And with disk management tools it’s easy to create, resize, and remove partitions to suit your needs. Experiment with different partition setups to find the optimal configuration for how you use your Seagate Backup Plus drive.