How to Remove Factory Drive Partitions

When you purchase a new computer, it may come equipped with partitions on the hard drive created by the original equipment manufacturer. These partitions may contain diagnostic tools, repair utilities, your operating system files and other important information. Despite the usefulness of these partitions, some users may prefer to keep this information solely on backup media or do not wish to use the default utilities provided by their manufacturer. By removing factory drive partitions on your computer, you regain access to hard-disk space that was previously occupied.

• 1

  Log into the computer as an administrative user if you have not already.

• 2

  Click "Start" and type "Computer Management." Press "Enter."

• 3

  Click "Disk Management" on the left pane under the "Storage" category.

• 4

  Check the use of the partition under the "Status" field. Your system disk cannot be erased and will have a number of roles assigned to it. Other disks may be listed and have a label and a status that only says "Primary" or "Extended." These partitions are not in active use by Windows for important system files.

• 5

  Right-click the partition you would like to remove and click "Delete Volume."

• 6

  Click "Yes" and repeat the process for any additional factory partitions that you would like to remove.