- A partition is a logical division of a hard disk that is treated as a separate unit by operating systems (OSes) and file systems. The OSes and file systems can manage information on each partition as if it were a distinct hard drive.
- Partitioning allows the use of different filesystems to be installed for different kinds of files. Separating user data from system data can prevent the system partition from becoming full and rendering the system unusable. Partitioning can also make backing up easier.