Typically, there is only one partition in a USB drive. However, with a larger and larger capacity of a USB drive, you can partition your USB drive to store files. If you have already partitioned the USB drive and want to extend the frequently used partition, this post will show you some secure methods to resize a USB partition without data loss.
Step 1: Save Files from the USB Drive
Your files are facing a risk of being overwritten when you try to extend or shrink a partition. Once files are overwritten, you are unable to recover them, especially for deleted/lost files. Therefore, we highly advise you to save files from the USB drive before resizing partitions.
Option 1: Back Up Files with MiniTool ShadowMaker
If you just want to ensure the security of existing files, backing them up to another device is the best choice. Considering the number of files, you can opt for different ways to back up files.
When there are only a few files, copying and pasting could be the easiest way. For people who save a large number of files on a USB drive, professional backup software, like MiniTool ShadowMaker, can be a better choice.
MiniTool ShadowMaker allows you to back up files, folders, disks, and partitions quickly. Besides, it offers three types of backups: full, incremental, and differential backups. In addition to backing up files, you can also run this software to sync files, clone disks, create bootable disks, and perform other operations.
You can quickly get this backup software by clicking the download button below. The trial edition gives you a 30-day free trial.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Option 2: Recover Files with MiniTool Power Data Recovery
Another situation is that you need to recover lost useful files from the USB partition before resizing. Thus, MiniTool Power Data Recovery can help you a lot in this situation. Running this data recovery software can discover existing, lost, and deleted files at once. You can select all useful files and restore them to another device.
Pictures, Documents, Videos, Audio, Archives, and other types of files are supported to recover. Furthermore, the software contains plenty of practical features to assist you in quickly locating files and checking files before saving them.
You can get MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free and recover 1GB of files without any charge.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Step 2: Resize Partition in the USB Drive
Now, you can try the following methods to resize a USB partition without worrying about data. Here are several methods for you to change partitions. You can choose one that suits you best.
Way 1: Resize a Partition Using Diskpart
If you are familiar with Command Prompt, you can also try to resize a USB partition using the Diskpart command.
Step 1: Run Command Prompt as administrator.
Step 2: Type the following command lines and hit Enter at the end of each command.
- diskpart
- list volume
- select volume x (change x with the number of the target USB partition)
- shrink desired=xxx/extend size=xxx (xxx refers to the partition size you want to shrink/extend. Note that the size is in MB and 1024MB is equal to 1GB.)
Way 2: Change a Partition with MiniTool Partition Wizard
However, you may encounter errors when running the Command Prompt. MiniTool Partition Wizard can help you resize USB partitions easily without other conditions. Even if you are a newbie, you can finish the operation easily.
Step 1: Get MiniTool Partition Wizard by clicking the download button below.
MiniTool Partition Wizard FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Step 2: Connect the USB drive and launch the software. You can choose the target partition on the main interface and right-click on it. Choose Extend or Move/Resize from the context menu based on your situation.
Step 3: Move the slider to adjust the size of the partition, then click OK to save the change.
Step 4: You can preview the status of the USB partitions. Then, click Apply to finish the suspend process.
Bottom Line
This post shares a detailed guide to help you resize USB partitions without losing data. You can back up or recover files from a USB drive and then try the above two methods to change the size of a USB partition. Hope you can get useful information from this post.