Hard disk drive is an indispensable component in Windows server, no matter you use SSD, traditional HDD or hardware RAID array. You need to do any operations to a disk. For example: initialize a brand new disk, create, delete and format partition. Clone Windows Server 2022 to a larger disk, convert disk partition type without losing data. Shrink, move, extend and merge partitions to optimize disk space usage. To accomplish these tasks, you need a powerful and reliable disk partition manager. There's a native free partition manager in Windows Server 2022 - Disk Management. It is easy to use, but it can only do some basic operations. If you need to clone, convert and resize partitions, you need third party software. This article introduces the ablity of Disk Management and the best partition software for Windows Server 2022.
Native free partition manager in Windows Server 2022
There's an inbuilt Disk Management tool in Windows Server 2022, it has no difference or improvement comparing with the previous Server versions. If you just want to create, delete or format partition, you may try this native tool without any software. It has 4 kinds of abilities.
1. Basic management ability
Before saving files to a brand new disk, you must initialize it as MBR or GPT, then create partitions on this disk. Finally, format partition with a file system. The most common types of file system in Windows computer are NTFS and FAT32. Disk Management can help you accomplish these tasks. In addition, it is able to set "Actvie" partition, change drive letter and path.
2. Convert disk type
If you initialzed a disk as MBR, you can only create 4 Primary partitions, create maximum 2TB partition and use maximum 2TB space. To overcome these shortages, you should convert MBR to GPT. Disk Management gives you this option, but you must delete all partitions on the disk before convering.
In addition, Disk Management has the option to convert "Basic" disk to "Dynamic". But after that, only one operating system is bootable. The worst, it cannot covnert dynamic disk back to basic without losing data.
3. Manage dynamic disk volume
In the very early days, hard disk is small and expensive. To maximize the use of disk space, improve data read/write speed and fault tolerance ability, Microsoft developed dynamic disk volume. The reality is that this technology is not perfect, it brings many problem and consumes much resources. Nowadays, few people use dynamic disk volume, hardware RAID is much better choice.
4. Change partition size
The free partition manager in Windows Server 2022 has "Shrink Volume" and "Extend Volume" to help adjust partition size, but only NTFS partition can be resized. Furthermore, it can only shrink partition and make Unallocated space on the right. It cannot extend partition by shrinking another one. In stead, you must delete the adjacent partition on the right before extending the left partition.
Best disk partition software for Windows Server 2022
There are many disk partition software for Server 2022 and other versions in the market, then which is the best? Everybody has their own choice, but you may consider from following aspects:
- Clean interface and easy to use.
- System/data protection ability (the most important).
- Efficiency
Download NIUBI Partition Editor, you'll see the main window with 5 sections.
- All single partitions with detailed parameters.
- All physical, RAID array and virtual disks with graphical structure.
- Available operations to a selected disk or partition, unavailable operations are hidden automatically to keep interface clean.
- Pending operations in virtual mode.
- Cancel, redo or apply the pending operations.
The safest partition manager for Windows 2022 server
There's potential system/partition damage risk when you modify server disk partitions. It is not enough even if you have image backup tool. You need a reliable and safe server partition manager. Better than other tools, NIUBI Partition Editor has advanced technology to protect your system and data.
- Virtual Mode - real disk partition won't be changed until you click "Apply" to confirm.
- Cancel-at-will - you can cancel the ongoing wrong operations without destroying the partitions.
- 1-Second Rollback - if the program detects any error while modify disk partition, it reverts server to original status in a flash automatically.
- Hot-Clone - it is able to clone disk partition without server interruption. So you can clone system disk regularly and boot from the clone disk immediately when system disk is down.
The fastest disk partition software for Windows Server 2022
Besides data protection ability, efficiency is also important. For example, when you shrinking a partition towards right or moving a partition, all files in this partition will be moved to new locations. It costs such as long time if there are large amount of files. Better than other tools, with the help of advanced file-moving algorithm, NIUBI Partition Editor is 30% to 300% faster when you shrink, move and clone disk partition. Nobody likes to waste such a long time, especially when some operations require server rebooting to proceed.
This partition manager is compatible with Windows Server 2022/2019/2016/2012/2008/2003. All types of SSD/HDD/RAID, VMware/Hyper-V/Virtualbox virtual disk, USB flash drive and memory cards are all supported. Watch the video guide how to operate.
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