NEWS – When I have to repartition or format my storage media, the Windows formatting tool really doesn’t cut it. The MiniTool Partition Wizard Free application was just what I was looking for. I’ve been using it for years and haven’t looked back.
It’s a wonderful, really handy, easy-to-use tool that will help you resize, split, or merge partitions and format your media as FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, Ext2, Ext3, Ext4 (the free version does other things too, but some of the features are only available with the paid versions). 
The application shows you how each of your storage devices is divided up, the file system that each device uses, the drive letters for each, and the used and unused portions, etc., all at a glance.
To use the MiniTool Partition Wizard, you need to select the drive or partition you want to change and either right-click on it or use the menu items listed at the top of the application to select your changes and then click on the “Apply” button located at the bottom left of the screen. Be aware that partitioning and formatting erase all the data on your media so be sure to back it up somewhere before proceeding.
I don’t need to use the MiniTool Partition Wizard very often, but when I do, it’s the only application that is simple enough to use, robust enough to do what I want, and is free! If you haven’t already tried it and are interested in this wonderful tool, you can find more information at partitionwizard.com. Scroll down to the middle of the web page (under “Pick the Best One for Your Needs”) to compare the versions and download the appropriate one for you.
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Pretty ancient and runs only on windows. I think you should’ve mentioned that since the filesystem list suggest it runs on linux as well.
Huls – Ah, indeed it is old. A much better title would have been, ”MiniTool Partition Wizard is one of my favorite free Windows tools and it’s still free!”. Then I could ask our readers about their favorite free tools…
And thank you for the comment about Linux. I don’t use anything that runs Linux or MacOS, so I imagine that those who have Macs and Linux machines, have their own favorite free tools.
Did you know that Windows 10 (since Windows 7/Vista) has had this functionality for a while now? Also, you no longer have to lose data when partitioning a, “live”, storage medium (we now have ssds). I personally didn’t know this and only learned about it today after reading your article and doing some research.
Your article made me flash all the way back to the great days when gadgeteer was just starting and we used tools like system commander (sc), partition magic and parted (for Linux).
This was slightly before CD writers but while AOL was sending out free coasters (or rear view mirror ornaments). Editing a partition table was akin to delicate surgery.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
James – I did know about Windows’ Disk Management tool and am still partial to MiniTool Partition Wizard. But I didn’t realize that you can repartition a drive without losing data – cool! Usually, when I’m repartitioning my storage devices, I’m also formatting them and so I never really thought to look into that. Thanks for the info!