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How to open and manage Windows Disk Management
Windows Disk Management enables IT administrators to configure disks, manage volumes and troubleshoot storage using a built-in graphical utility.
Windows Disk Management is a built-in system utility and Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that enables IT administrators to view and manage storage devices and partitions on Windows computers or servers without requiring third-party software. IT admins use it for routine administration and storage troubleshooting.
IT admins use Disk Management for several storage-related tasks, including the following:
- Initial disk setup. New drives can be initialized, formatted and assigned drive letters.
- Partitioning drives. To create or delete partitions to organize data or prepare for dual-boot systems.
- Troubleshooting storage issues. To check if drives are online, healthy or have file system errors.
- Expanding or shrinking volumes. To adjust storage allocation without reinstalling the OS.
- Managing removable drives. To assign drive letters or change mount points.
- Configuring disk types. To convert disks between basic and dynamic formats.
The utility provides direct control over how storage is organized, allocated and maintained. IT admins use this tool for everything from basic disk setup to advanced volume configuration and troubleshooting.
Disk Management has several categories of functions that IT admins use regularly.
Viewing and monitoring disks
All connected storage devices are displayed, including hard disk drives, solid-state drives, removable drives, optical drives and sometimes virtual disks.
Disk Management presents a graphical view of the partition layout, showing sizes and file systems (see Figure 1).
Each disk shows one of the following states:
- Healthy (Primary Partition). The volume is functioning normally.
- RAW. The partition is unformatted or corrupted.
- Unallocated. Space has not been assigned to a specific volume or partition.
- Offline. The disk is disconnected or unavailable.
- Failed. The system has a hardware or disk connection issue.
IT admins can review file systems such as NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and, in some server editions, ReFS, and check capacity and free space at a glance.
Initializing and configuring new disks
Admins can configure disks using either the Master Boot Record for disks up to 2 TB or the GUID Partition Table for disks larger than 2 TB. They can bring disks online before use, create and format partitions in unallocated space and assign a file system. They can also mark a partition as active and assign drive letters or mount paths.
Modifying existing volumes
Admins can use Disk Management to extend, shrink or delete volumes. They can also change drive letters or paths and format volumes with a different file system. In some cases, file systems such as FAT32 can be converted to NTFS without reformatting by using command-line tools.
Managing disk types and volumes
Admins can convert basic disks to dynamic disks. Basic disks use standard partitions, while dynamic disks support advanced configurations such as spanned, striped, mirrored and RAID-5 volumes.
Dynamic disks support the following volume types:
- Simple volumes. Standard single-disk partitions.
- Spanned volumes. Combine multiple disks for a single large volume.
- Striped volumes (RAID 0). Improved performance but no redundancy.
- Mirrored volumes (RAID 1). Data redundancy by duplicating data across two disks.
- RAID 5 volumes. Data striping with parity requires three or more disks, typically on servers.
How do you open Disk Management?
IT admins can open Disk Management in several ways, depending on their preferred method: graphical menus, shortcuts or the command line.
Use the Start menu
In Windows 10 and 11, it is possible to open Disk Management through the Start menu. This method provides quick access without requiring IT to type anything.
Right-click the Start button and select Disk Management or access it through Computer Management.
Alternatively, use the Start menu search bar: Type disk management or create and format hard disk partitions and press Enter.
Use Windows Search
Another way to open Disk Management quickly is to use Windows Search. This method is best for users who prefer searching over navigating menus. Use the following steps:
- Open Windows Search from the Taskbar or Start menu.
- Type disk management or create and format hard disk partitions, then select the result.
Use the Run Command
Power users who prefer keyboard shortcuts might opt to open Disk Management through the Run command. Use the following steps:
- Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
- Type diskmgmt.msc, then press Enter.
Use the Command Prompt
To open Disk Management using Command Prompt, take the following steps:
- Open Command Prompt.
- Type diskmgmt.msc, then press Enter.
Use PowerShell
To open Disk Management using PowerShell, take the following steps:
- Open PowerShell.
- Type diskmgmt.msc. This launches the same MMC snap-in. Or use PowerShell cmdlets such as Get-Disk, Get-Partition, etc.
Use Computer Management
When managing multiple system tools in one console, it's best to open Disk Management through the Computer Management page. IT can access Computer Management from Control Panel or File Explorer, or by searching for it.
From Control Panel, navigate to System and Security > Windows Tools > Computer Management. Or, if using File Explorer, right-click This PC (or My Computer) and select Manage.
Once in Computer Management, go to Storage > Disk Management.
Use Windows 11 Settings
For basic tasks such as changing drive letters or formatting small drives, admins can open Disk Management using the Settings menu in Windows 11.
Go to Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Disks & volumes. This provides a simplified view; for full functionality, use diskmgmt.msc.
Is Disk Management different for Windows 10 and Windows 11?
The core functionality is almost identical between Windows 10 and Windows 11, with minimal changes over the years.
The main differences are in accessibility and integration. Windows 11 introduces a modern Settings interface for basic operations, but it does not replace Disk Management. Instead, it provides a simplified layer for common actions such as viewing disks, creating volumes and assigning drive letters.
Disk Management remains part of the broader Windows management framework, alongside tools such as Computer Management, PowerShell and Windows Settings. The Disk Management console and command-line tools still rely on more advanced tasks.
Helen Searle-Jones holds a group head of IT position in the manufacturing sector. She draws on 30 years of experience in enterprise and end-user computing, utilizing cloud and on-premises technologies to enhance IT performance.
