Computers (specifically laptops) generally only come with one hard drive or SSD, which is where all of your data is stored. However, you can split your disk into partitions that are treated as separate drives, and some manufacturers even do this out of the box.

While there's a constant debate between those who believe partitioning your disk is good and those who don't, today we're going to ignore that. If you do want to create partitions on your disk, there are some things you might want to keep in mind before you start. Here's a quick rundown of what you should consider.

5 Do it as early as possible

Your files can get in the way

If you know you're going to want to partition your hard drive, it's highly recommended that you do so as soon as you can. As you download files and install programs, space will be taken up on your drive, and since files aren't always stored contiguously, the amount of available space for shrinking your main partition can be significantly reduced.

It's probably fine if you end up creating a partition later, but if you want to have more freedom with the sizes of your partitions, doing it earlier is preferable.

4 Make sure you have enough space for your files

Especially if you're dual-booting

When you partition your hard drive, there is a potential downside in that the space in each partition will obviously be more limited. It may seem like a non-issue, but at some point, you may need to store a single file that's very large and may not fit on a single partition, and then you have no way to split it. It's important to make sure that your partitions have enough space for the files you want to store on it.

This is especially important, though, if you're planning to dual-boot your PC. Having two operating systems installed means the files for each one will be stored in separate partitions, and you're going to need more space than just the size of the OS itself. Be sure to give yourself some leeway to install apps and download files on all your operating systems, so you don't risk having an installation that turns out to be useless to you.

3 Back up your data first

Just in case

There should be no reason why splitting your partition would cause any problems with your data, but it doesn't hurt to be safe, especially if you're going to be deleting files to make room for an extra partition. Before you start doing all that, back up your important files to an external hard drive or to the cloud just in case things go awry.

Backing up your data is something you should be doing anyway, before or after partitioning the drive, so this is a great time to start. There are plenty of ways to backup your PC depending on the data you actually want to keep. If you just want your personal files and documents, simply uploading them to the cloud should be fine. If you want a copy of the entire disk, you may need dedicated software.

2 Don't make more splits than you need

There are downsides

Partitioning your hard drive does have benefits, but it's important to remember that more splits aren't better. If you want to keep your files organized, it's easier and less troublesome to create folders, which you can easily rename to whatever you need. There's no real benefit to using partitions for every division you want to make.

Creating too many partitions has multiple downsides. For one thing, it uses up more drive letters, which, while not a major problem for the majority of people, could lead to some problems if you have a lot of physical drives. Secondly, it goes back to the point above about potentially not having enough space for large files that can't be split across different partitions. And finally, too many partitions can make backups more complicated. If you back up your entire disk, then it won't be a problem, but if you plan to have separate processes for backing up each partition, then there's a higher risk you'll miss something or have a harder time staying on top of the backups.

1 Don't assume your data is safe

Partitions are still the same drive

Storing your data on multiple drives is an important safety measure to make sure your files are safe. If one drive stops working, you have a redundant drive ready to go so you can go about your life as if nothing happened. Having multiple partitions may give you the sensation that you have multiple drives that can keep your data safe, but this isn't the case.

Partitions can help, yes, if your operating system gets corrupted and stops working, in which case you can reinstall the OS without touching your data. But if there's a physical problem with your hard drive, then all the partitions are going to fail. Maybe not everything will fail at the same time, but you'll have no control or indication of what parts are breaking first until it's probably too late.

All that is to say, partitions aren't backup drives. You still need a separate drive if you want to keep redundant copies of your data.

Don't be too hasty

Partitioning your drive does have benefits, but it's important to be mindful of aspects like your data's security and your available storage space. These tips will help ensure you don't have regrets when it comes to partitioning your hard drive, so keep them in mind.