Partitioning your hard drive in order to accommodate all the stored files in an organized manner is definitely not a daily task for any user.
The truth is that most of them generally do this operation at each acquisition of a hard drive, and then forget about it. This is normal behavior considering that the process of disk partitioning is one of the least frequent when working with a computer.
However, today's tools provide us with an easy and effective way of slicing the hard disks in whatever way we like, and even of physically moving the drives to different areas of the disk. And, to give you more incentive, you should know that there are even free tools able to complete the job quickly, painlessly and with minimum input from the user.
EASEUS Partition Manager Home Edition, for instance, brings you the benefits of the old Partition Magic (now known as Norton Partition Magic) and something on the side. It is a free software designed specifically to help you with dicing a hard disk to your needs and liking.
The moment you start the application, you can clearly see that the interface and its design are not at all among its strong suits. Judging strictly by its aesthetics, this version of EASEUS Partition Manager is torn from an older operating system, and has nothing in common with the shiny visuals in Vista. Truth be told, there is nothing visually appealing about the window, starting from the colors, and ending with the font used and the general presentation of the information.
Then again, at the opposite pole, you have functionality, which is ubiquitous. The app lets you easily manage all the operations available from the both the toolbar, as well as from the side panel or even from the disk map and partition list. All elements are at hand, making choosing the desired drive and modifying it according to your wishes quite a cinch.
From the drop-down menus in the side panel, users can choose to complete operations like creating a new partition, resizing and moving an existing one, or even deleting it altogether. If you think about moving the data on the drives to be processed, you don't really have to worry because the application can perfectly finish the job without affecting stored files. But just to be on the safe side, it is best to perform a backup of all the information before engaging in slicing and dicing, or moving the partition.
The Good
First things first, the software is marked by a fantastic ease of use. Furthermore, should you have any questions regarding it, you can find the answers in the provided documentation.
The application allows for the accomplishment of multiple tasks, and no restart is needed for the less complicated ones. Users can make entire partitions with data on them invisible in Windows environment, allowing them to protect the information included.
The Bad
The interface is in desperate need of a session at the beauty parlor, as it fits neither XP nor Vista's looks and aesthetics.
You can only undo either the last change or all of them, with no option being available for something in the middle.
There is no backup option present although, to be on the safe side, it is best to protect the files on the handled drive one way or another.
Download:
EASEUS Partition Manager 2.0.1 Home Edition: Free Download (link 1)
EASEUS Partition Manager 2.0.1 Home Edition: Free Download (link 2)