Use the disk management utility to make changes to drives in Windows.
You will need to open the Disk Management tool if you want to partition the hard drive, format the hard drive, change drive letters, or perform various disk-related tasks.
You won’t find a shortcut for Disk Management in the Start screen or Windows Apps screen because it’s not a program in the same sense that most other software on your computer is.
Follow the steps below to access Disk Management in Windows:
Note: You can open the Disk Management as below in any Windows version, including Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.
Required time: Take a few minutes to open Windows Disk Management and less time after you’ve learned how to get there.
How to open Disk Management in Windows
The most common and operating system standalone is open Disk Management through the Computer Management utility, described below. See More Ways to Manage Disk Open after this tutorial for some other options, some of which might be a bit faster for some of you.
- Open Control Panel. In most versions of Windows, Control Panel is readily available from the Start Menu or Apps screen shortcut.
- Click or click the System and Security link. Note: System and Security are only found in Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7. In Windows Vista, the equivalent link is System and Maintenance, and in Windows XP, it is called Performance and Maintenance. See which version of Windows I have? If you are not sure, you have one.Tip: If you view the Large icons or Small icons of the Control Panel, you will not see this link. If you’re in one of those views, tap or click the Administrative Tools icon and skip Step 4.
- In the System and Security window, click or click the Administrative Tools entry near the window’s bottom. You may need to scroll down to see it. Remember, this window is called System and Maintenance or Performance and Maintenance, respectively, in Vista and XP.
- In the main Administrative Tools window that is currently open, double-click or double-click the Computer Management icon.
- Once Computer Management opens, click or click Disk Management on the window’s left side, located under Storage. Tip: If you don’t see Disk Management listed, you may need to tap or click the |> or + icon to the left of the Storage icon. Disk management may take a few seconds or more to load but will eventually appear on the Computer Management window’s right side.
- You can now partition the hard drive, format the hard drive, change the drive letter or do whatever else you need to do in Windows’ disk management tool. Tip: Hard drive tasks can also be performed with most free disk partitioning software tools.
Other ways to open Disk Management
You can also type a simple command in any version of Windows to open Disk Management. Just execute diskmgmt.msc from whatever Windows command-line interface you want to use.
If you’re running Windows 10 or Windows 8 and have a keyboard or a mouse, keep in mind that Disk Management is one of the many super-handy Power User Menu options. Just right-click on the Start button or try the WIN + X combination on your keyboard.
How to open Disk Management in Windows
The most common and operating system standalone is open Disk Management through the Computer Management utility, described below. See More Ways to Manage Disk Open after this tutorial for some other options, some of which might be a bit faster for some of you.
- Open Control Panel. In most versions of Windows, Control Panel is readily available from the Start Menu or Apps screen shortcut.
- Click or click the System and Security link. Note: System and Security are only found in Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7. In Windows Vista, the equivalent link is System and Maintenance, and in Windows XP, it is called Performance and Maintenance. See which version of Windows I have? If you are not sure, you have one. Tip: If you view the Large icons or Small icons of the Control Panel, you will not see this link. If you’re in one of those views, tap or click the Administrative Tools icon and skip Step 4.
- In the System and Security window, click or click the Administrative Tools entry near the window’s bottom. You may need to scroll down to see it. Remember, this window is called System and Maintenance or Performance and Maintenance, respectively, in Vista and XP.
- In the main Administrative Tools window that is currently open, double-click or double-click the Computer Management icon.
- Once Computer Management opens, click or click Disk Management on the window’s left side, located under Storage. Tip: If you don’t see Disk Management listed, you may need to tap or click the |> or + icon to the left of the Storage icon. Disk management may take a few seconds or more to load but will eventually appear on the Computer Management window’s right side.
- You can now partition the hard drive, format the hard drive, change the drive letter or do whatever else you need to do in Windows’ disk management tool. Tip: Hard drive tasks can also be performed with most free disk partitioning software tools.
Other ways to open Disk Management
You can also type a simple command in any version of Windows to open Disk Management. Just execute diskmgmt.msc from whatever Windows command-line interface you want to use.
If you’re running Windows 10 or Windows 8 and have a keyboard or a mouse, keep in mind that Disk Management is one of the many super-handy Power User Menu options. Just right-click on the Start button or try the WIN + X combination on your keyboard.
