On Windows 10, you usually connect a USB flash drive to your device, use the format tool to set up the compatible file system, and then start dumping files on it. While there's nothing wrong with this approach, there a number of scenarios where dividing the drive into multiple partitions can bring additional benefits.

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For instance, if you work in a mixed OS environment, and you would typically format your USB flash drive using the exFAT file system on Windows 10, unless you use workarounds, you won't be able to access the files from a Linux machine. Instead of switching to a different file system, you can configure one partition compatible with Windows 10 and another compatible with Linux.

You can manage and format hard drive separately. The disk partition on Mac os x can allow you to manage both partitions in different ways. If you want to use another volume of the mac, it will require double space so, make a wise decision and select the right option according to the available space. It will give you a private space. Oct 07, 2019  If you have previously partitioned your Mac's hard drive in order to download a macOS beta or install Windows, but now you need that storage space back, you can remove the partition and recapture the much-needed space.Here's how. Getting rid of a secondary partition on the Mac.

If you have to work with a flash drive formatted using FAT32, you can only use up to 32GB of space, and if the drive is large, you could be wasting a lot of storage. The ability to divide the storage on the device lets you create additional partitions with the same or a different file system to take advantage of the entire drive. Also, if you carry around a thumb drive with sensitive data, creating multiple partitions can create storage for easy access to app installers and other non-critical files and another one that you can encrypt with BitLocker to protect sensitive data.

Whatever the reason, you can use the Disk Management tool on Windows 10 to set up multiple partitions on a USB flash drive to keep different groups of data separate or configure a drive with various file systems.

In this Windows 10 guide, we walk you through the steps to divide a flash drive into multiple partitions, and we show you the steps to password-protect a partition using BitLocker.

Important: This process will delete everything on the drive, so you should back up any data of the flash drive before proceeding.

How to create multiple partitions on USB flash drive

Although the process to create multiple partitions on a removable drive involves a number of steps, it's not complicated. You only need to erase the drive and set up the new storage layout.

Erasing a flash drive

To clean a removable flash drive using Disk Management, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Disk Management and click the top result to open the experience.

3. Right-click the flash drive that you want to configure, select the Delete volume option.

4. Click the Yes button.

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Once you complete these steps, the data on the drive will be deleted, and you'll end up with a large unallocated space.

Creating multiple partitions flash drive

To create multiple partitions on a USB flash drive, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Disk Management and click the top result to open the experience.

3. Right-click the Unallocated space, and select the New Simply Value option.

4. Click the Next button.

5. Under the 'Simple volume size in MB' section, specify the amount of space in megabytes that you want to allocate for the first partition.

6. Click the Next button.

7. Use the 'Assign the following drive letter' drop-down menu to select a letter for the new drive.

8. Click the Next button.

9. Use the 'File system' drop-down menu, and select the exFAT option.

   Tip: If you're using a flash drive larger than 32GB, you won't see the option to format using the FAT32 file system. In the event that you need to use the FAT32 option, make the partition size less than 32768 megabytes. If you want to use the exFAT option, make the partition larger than 32769 megabytes. If you want to use exFAT on a partition that's less than 32GB, create a FAT32 partition, and then use the 'Format' tool to change the file system to exFAT.

10. Use the 'Allocation unit size' drop-down menu, and select the Default option.
11. In the 'Value label' field, type a descriptive name for the drive.
12. Check the Perform a quick format option.
13. Unless necessary, clear the Enable file and folder compression option.
14. Click the Next button.
15. Click the Finish button.

16. Right-click the remaining Unallocated space, and select the New Simply Value option.

17. Click the Next button.

18. Under the 'Simple volume size in MB' section, specify the amount of space that you want to allocate for the second partition. (If you're only creating two partitions, you don't need to change this setting.)

19. Click the Next button.

20. Use the 'Assign the following drive letter' drop-down menu to select a letter for the new drive.

21. Click the Next button.

22. Use the 'File system' drop-down menu, and select the NTFS option (or the file system that you want to use).

23. Use the 'Allocation unit size' drop-down menu, and select the Default option.
24. In the 'Value label' field, type a descriptive name for the drive.
25. Check the Perform a quick format option.
26. Unless necessary, clear the Enable file and folder compression option.
27. Click the Next button.
28. Click the Finish button.

After completing the steps, you'll end up with a USB flash drive that includes multiple partitions and different file systems (depending on your configuration), so you can use the drive on different OSes without worrying about compatibility or to keep content separate.

If you're in the market for a large USB flash drive you can use to create multiple partitions, we recommend the SanDisk Extreme Go because of its storage capacity, reliability, and price.

Reliable storage

SanDisk Extreme Go

When you have to take a lot of files on the go, the SanDisk Extreme Go (CZ800) is an excellent choice. The USB drive offers up to 128GB of storage with fast transfers speeds up to 200MB/s, it's backed by the strong brand, and it's also affordable, at around $32 for 128GB.

How to create multiple partitions with password protection on a USB flash drive

Another case when using multiple partitions can come in handy is to set up a USB flash drive with a partition to store non-critical files, and another one protected with BitLocker to carry sensitive data. (BitLocker is only available for Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise. Also, you won't be able to unlock the drive on non-Windows devices.)

Partitioning flash drive

To create two partitions on a USB flash drive, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Disk Management and click the top result to open the experience.

3. Right-click the Unallocated space, and select the New Simply Value option.

4. Click the Next button.

5. Under the 'Simple volume size in MB' section, specify the amount of space in megabytes that you want to allocate for the partition that will be available to anyone who connects the drive to a computer.

6. Click the Next button.

7. Use the 'Assign the following drive letter' drop-down menu to select a letter for the new drive.

8. Click the Next button.

9. Use the 'File system' drop-down menu, and select the exFAT option.

10. Use the 'Allocation unit size' drop-down menu, and select the Default option.
11. In the 'Value label' field, type a descriptive name for the drive.
12. Check the Perform a quick format option.
13. Unless necessary, clear the Enable file and folder compression option.
14. Click the Next button.
15. Click the Finish button.
16. Repeat steps No. 3 through No. 15 to create another partition to protect with BitLocker.

After you complete these steps, you'll end up with two partitions on the removable drive, and the only thing left to do is to use BitLocker to encrypt the partition that will hold your important files.

Setting up BitLocker on a flash drive

To set up BitLocker on a USB flash drive, use these steps:

1. Open Control Panel.

2. Click on System and Security.

3. Click on BitLocker Drive Encryption.

4. Under the 'Removable data drives' section, expand the storage that you want to protect with BitLocker.

5. Click the Turn on BitLocker option.

6. Check the Use a password to unlock the drive option.

7. Create a password to encrypt the thumb drive partition.

8. Click the Next button.

9. Click the Save to a file button.

10. Select a location to store the recovery key.

    Tip: If you forget the password or lose the recovery key, you won't be able to recover your files, so make sure to keep this file in a secure place.

11. Click the Save button.
12. Click the Next button.

13. Select the Encrypt used disk space only option.

14. Click the Next button.

15. Select the Compatibility mode option.

16. Click the Next button.

17. Click the Start encryption button.

18. Click the Close button once the encryption has finished.

After completing these steps, the flash drive will include a partition to store any files using a compatible file system and another password-protected partition to save important data.

Accessing an encrypted drive

To access the partition encrypted with BitLocker, connect the flash drive to a Windows device, and use these steps:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click on This PC from the left pane.

3. Under the 'Devices and drives' section, double-click the encrypted drive (the one with the lock icon).

4. Type the BitLocker password.

   Quick tip: If you can't remember the password, click the More options link, click the Enter recovery key option, and type the 48-digit recovery key available in the text file that you should have saved when setting up BitLocker.

5. Click the Unlock button.

After you complete these steps, you'll be able to access the drive and its contents. If you want to lock it, you'll need to disconnect and reconnect the drive again. Also, because you're using BitLocker To Go, you'll be able to unlock the drive on any compatible computer.

This guide is focused on flash drives, but you can apply these instructions to any kind of removable or fixed storage drive. Also, you can use these steps on virtually any version of the OS, including Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.

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More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

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By default, your Mac starts up from its built-in hard disk, but a startup disk can be any storage device that contains an operating system compatible with your Mac. For example, if you install macOS on an internal or external drive, your Mac can recognize that drive as a startup disk. You can then follow the steps in this article to start up from it.

Use Startup Disk preferences

When you use Startup Disk preferences to select a startup disk, your Mac starts up from that disk until you choose a different one.

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Startup Disk.
2. Click the lock and enter your administrator password.
3. Select your startup disk, then restart your Mac.

If you see a message that your security settings do not allow this Mac to use an external startup disk, check the External Boot setting in Startup Security Utility.

Use Startup Manager

When you use Startup Manager to select a startup disk, your Mac starts up from that disk once, then returns to using the disk selected in Startup Disk preferences.

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1. Press and hold the Option (Alt) key immediately after turning on or restarting your Mac.
2. Release the Option key when you see the Startup Manager window.
   If your Mac is protected by a firmware password, you can release the key when you're asked to enter the password.
3. Select your startup disk, then click the arrow under its icon, or press Return.
   If you press and hold the Control key during this step, your selection is saved in Startup Disk preferences, so it persists until you change it.

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If your Mac is using OS X Lion 10.7.3 or later, you can also use this method to start up from your Time Machine backup disk. Startup Manager identifies your Time Machine backup as ”EFI Boot.”

If you can't select your startup disk or start up from it

Check for these possibilities if you can't see your disk in Startup Disk preferences or Startup Manager, or your Mac won't start up from it.

Check for a compatible operating system on the startup disk

Make sure that your startup disk is using a version of macOS that is compatible with your Mac.

To start up from an external disk with macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, the disk must connect via USB-A, USB-C, or Thunderbolt, not FireWire.

Check startup security settings

If you're using a Mac that has the Apple T2 Security Chip, check the settings in Startup Security Utility. These settings determine whether your Mac can start up from another disk.

Check for Option ROM firmware

If you're in Startup Manager and can't see a third-party startup disk, the startup disk could be using Option ROM firmware. To enhance system security, Mac computers with up-to-date software don’t show devices that use Option ROM firmware until you load their firmware. To do that, press Option-Shift-Command-Period while in Startup Manager. If your startup disk appears, do that each time you want to start up from it or from another disk connected to it.

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If you're using a firmware password, the ability to load Option ROM firmware is disabled as an additional security protection.