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Step-By-Step: Partition Your Hard Drive

Stan Miastkowski

1. Check, optimize, and back up your drive(s)

First, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, ScanDisk, click Thorough, and check the Automatically fix errors box. Then click Start.

Next, defragment each drive by selecting Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter.

To use Windows 9 x's or Me's built-in backup utility, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup and follow the directions. (If the utility isn't there, then for Windows 9 x, check Start, Settings, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, Windows Setup, Accessories, and for Windows Me, run Msbexp.exe from the Addons/MSBackup folder on the Me CD.) In Windows XP Professional, select Start, Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, Back up your data.

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