This important window allows you to configure all logical aspects of your hard disk(s) from a single location. From here you can partition and format new hard disks, assign new drive letters if necessary, and even mount new drives as directories on your other hard disks.

Windows XP also can create striped volumes (for increased disk performance) from here. For a comprehensive how-to on RAID, see our guide here. For the rest of the features of XP disk management, read on.

From the main computer management screen, you can view a graphical representation of the way that your system's hard disks are partitioned, and what file systems they are using, as well as a quickie diagnosis of that drive's relative health.

To start with, any and all disks, volumes (what Windows sees as a logical 'drive,' C:, D;, etc.) or partition options can be accessed from this screen by right clicking on either the disks at the bottom of the screen.

Partitions are the sections of the disk's free space that are organized for use by a file system, and if you hadn't already guessed, the first disk is numbered "0", and the second disk "1," etc.

Hitting 'properties' or by right-clicking on the individual volumes (C:, D:, etc.) at the top of the screen and selecting options from the menu will also give you some added insight.