Whether you’re trying to bypass file size limitations when sharing files through email, hitting upload restrictions on cloud storage platforms, or simply need to distribute a large file across multiple storage devices, knowing how to split a file in Windows is indispensable. This guide shows several different approaches to split files effectively, from using native Windows tools to third-party software.
Table of Contents
- Use an Online File Splitter
- Download a Dedicated File Splitter Tool
- Split a File Using a File Archiver Utility
- Use Windows Command Prompt to Split Files
Use an Online File Splitter
Difficulty: Easiest
There are many online file splitter tools that allow you to upload a file from your Windows computer and download it as multiple split segments. Virtually, all of them are extremely easy to use and don’t require installing any additional software. They are perfect for situations where you don’t have administrator privileges on your Windows machine.
However, the major downside of online file splitters is privacy. When you upload files to these services, they pass through third-party servers, so sensitive or confidential information could potentially be compromised. Some services may also retain copies of your files, even after you’ve completed the splitting process.
I have successfully used PineTool’s online file splitter in the past and can recommend it. Just click the Choose File button, upload your file, customize your splitting criteria (number of files or maximum size of a single file), and click the Split File button. Wait for the process to complete, and download your split files. To rejoin the split files, use the Join files tool.
Download a Dedicated File Splitter Tool
Difficulty: Easy
For just about every tech problem, there’s an app that attempts to solve it, and file splitting is no exception. A good example is the FileFracture app. It has a user-friendly interface for splitting files, while keeping your data local and secure on your machine.
Launch the app, and click the Browse button next to the Source file field to select the file you want to split. Do the same with the Destination directory. Choose your preferred splitting method: specify the number of parts, or set a maximum size for each segment. Once you’ve configured your settings, click the Split Files button and wait. Turning the parts back into a single file can be done in the Merge tab.
Note that the free version of FileFracture only allows splitting files into five parts or less and doesn’t include the option to split by file size. If you need more flexibility, upgrade to the premium version to unlock these additional features.
Split a File Using a File Archiver Utility
Difficulty: Medium
While dedicated file splitters are great, you may already have a powerful file splitting tool installed on your PC: a file archiver utility. I personally use 7-Zip, as it’s free, open source, and amazing in terms of performance and the number of supported file archive formats. The process is largely similar with other archiver utilities, like WinRAR.
To split a file with 7-Zip, start by right-clicking the file you want to split, and select Show more options (on Windows 11 only ) -> 7-Zip -> Add to archive from the context menu.
First customize your archive name, and choose the Archive format. (Use ZIP for maximum compatibility.) The magic happens in the Split to volumes, bytes field – this is where you specify the maximum size for each segment. You can either enter a custom number in bytes (1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes), or open the drop-down menu, and choose a preset. Click OK and wait.
To reconstruct the original file, right-click on the first part (the .001 file), and select 7-Zip -> Extract files. 7-Zip will automatically detect and use all the other parts to restore the original file, as long as all the parts are in the same folder.
Use Windows Command Prompt to Split Files
Difficulty: Hard
Advanced users who prefer command-line solutions should take a look at the FileSplitter PowerShell script. The sophisticated script makes it possible to split a file into multiple smaller parts using a simple command. You can even create a self extractor that will put the split file back together.
If you would like to give the script a go, open Windows Terminal, paste the entire script in the Terminal window, and press Enter. This registers the script for use in the current session.
Use the following command to split your file into multiple parts, each up to 100 MB in size, while creating a self-extractor script that allows you to easily recombine the split parts into the original file:
Split-File -Path 'C:\Users\David\Desktop\Image.iso' -PartSizeBytes 100MB -AddSelfExtractor
Don’t forget to replace the path with the actual location of the file you wish to split. You can also customize the size of each split part by adjusting the PartSizeBytes parameter to suit your specific needs.
While these methods offer effective solutions to split files in Windows, it’s worth noting that splitting isn’t always the optimal approach. If you’re only slightly exceeding a file size limit, compression could be a more elegant solution. Many file formats, particularly images that aren’t already compressed, can be significantly reduced in size through compression.
Image and screenshots by David Morelo.
David Morelo –
Staff Writer
David Morelo is a professional content writer in the technology niche, covering everything from consumer products to emerging technologies and their cross-industry application. His interest in technology started at an early age and has only grown stronger over the years.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox
Sign up for all newsletters.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and European users agree to the data transfer policy. We will not share your data and you can unsubscribe at any time. Subscribe