disk partitioning

Hi guys! I've got a new 1TB hard disk and nothing to partition it with. Any suggestions? Free would be good.

http://wiki.lunarsoft.net/wiki/Freeware/Disk_Management - Paragon Partition Manager 8.5

Is there a problem with using Windows' disk management? (too big perhaps?) Or partitioning it during Windows installation?

Quaker, it's just an extra drive so I don't need to install windows on it. There was no option to partition on win disk mngmt. Thanks Tarun, I'll check it out.

Edit: I downloaded and installed. When I tried to partition the new disk it said it couldn't because it's dynamic. ???

You can to partition on Windows Disk Management - it's what I use and it has always worked fine. Right Click on the new disk that says "Unallocated" and you will have the option "New Partition" just follow the screen prompts and you are good to go.

It doesn't say "unallocated" anywhere on that. When I right click and select properties it says the unalloacted is 0 mb.

In Windows' Disk Manager, you should see a list of the installed disks. Most of these will say Disk 0, Disk 1, etc., in the left column.
On the 1TB disk, right click on the area where it says Disk x, and you should have the option to "Convert to Basic disc". After it's converted you should be able to partition and format it. (Dynamic disks are used in things like RAID arrays)

I hate Paragon's Parition Managers. Tried 9.5, tried 10, both Premium versions I got from a magazine, neither worked well.

I suggest Partition Magic 8. Worked very well for me.

Unfortunately that was the only freeware version at the time, I did find 9.0 was out as freeware and as such updated. Alternative links are always welcomed. :P

"Convert to Basic disc" is grayed out so I can't select it. If I format it again would picking a "allocation unit size" help at all?

The disk might have the boot sector of that other weird format (GPT) instead of MBR. Delete everything on the disk in your list, then go to Create or whatever it has listed, and create an MBR disk, then create a new partition as maximum size. Disk Manager can do everything you'd ever need to do with a disk so if it can't do something, your disk is broken and needs to be replaced!

Under properties it says MBR.

Can you assign it a drive letter?

Can you format it?

Can you see how much free space or total space there is?

Did you plug in BOTH the SATA and POWER cables? If you only plug in the SATA, the OS see's the disk but can't do anything with it. SATA Power cables get knocked out very easily due to their short connection length, so you better recheck them. Mine have fallen out twice(!) in my life, and the results are always spectacular.

Yes, yes (already did but can do it again), yes; 931 GB free and total and yes, everything is plugged in.

Then your disk is already partitioned and ready for use! So what ever drive letter is assigned to it, go into it (Win Key + E) and start using it!

Ok, I know it is ready to use, but it is one big partition and I want to have at least 3 partitions.

I use Acronis.

I prefer it to Partition Magic.

It sounds like you just need to format and then create a "New Partition" choose "Primary" and then when you have the option to select a partition size you can size it to whatever you want; out of 931,000 MB you could choose one at 300,000 MB and then be able to repeat those steps in your 631,000 MB of unallocated space and create 2 more partitions at over 300 GB each.

Ok, that isn't working. I did format and then chose an allocation unit size and nothing changed. I'm beginning to think I may just as well leave it as is.

you could put a Windows Install Disc in if you have one and try that to format your partitions.... If you you followed the steps and as listed above it either has to work or you have a faulty disc... which would be interesting to say the least.