Partition your drive

You need a secondary (not backup) drive if you want to separate data from Windows. If you don’t have one, you can partition your main drive in two to separate Windows and your apps from your documents, photos, portable apps, and any les not directly tied into Windows.

It is possible to partition using the Disk Management tool (type diskmgmt.

msc into the Run dialog box), but if les are situated at the end of the drive, you won’t be able to partition it to the size you want. Instead, download and install AOMEI Partition Assistant ( http://bit.ly/2AXfGuV).

Ascertain how you wish to split your drive in two — typically look to allocate 64GB or more of space for your Windows partition, depending on the number of apps and games you use, leaving the rest for your data. If you’re currently low on space, temporarily move your data o the drive while you create the second partition.

Launch Partition Assistant, select your Windows drive (typically drive C), and click Check Partition. Choose ‘Scan and Repair’, and reboot to let it do its work. Once complete, restart Partition Assistant, select drive C again, and this time choose Resize/ Move Partition. Use the slider to shrink the drive by the amount you wish to free up for your data partition. Be sure to leave at least 5GB (preferably more) of free space for your system drive. If partitioning a solid-state drive (SSD), click Advanced, and select ‘Allow partition alignment’. Click OK.

Next, select the unused space, and click Create Partition. Leave all available space allocated, and File System set to NTFS. Click Advanced to set a label (such as ‘Data’), but leave all other settings alone. Click OK, then Apply. Review your changes, and click Proceed. Reboot when prompted — the new drive should then appear, ready for your data.