Windows 7: Partition / Extended : Logical Drives

The Windows Master Boot Record (MBR) partition structure supports a total of only four (4) partitions per Hard Disk Drive / Solid State Drive, they can be either 4...

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I think there is a historic reason why the OS boot partition is still installed on a primary partition. Before Windows7, there was no hidden system partition which is the active partition containing the bootmgr.

In e.g. Vista the boot partition and the active partition were the same - namely C:. Thus C: DID contain the bootmgr (as active partition) and an active partition has to be a primary.

If you install Windows7 to a predefined primary, active partition, the installer will not create the 100MB seperate active partition. In this case you could not change that partition from primary to logical.

Next question would be why do we need a seperate 100MB active partition. But that is another long story.

No problem mate.

In addition to Wolfgang's post above, I believe that the OEM's like HP set the HDD up with 4 primary partitions to make it harder to make changes to the HDD structure. They could have just as easily created 3 primary and the rest logical. My guess is that they would prefer for the end user to add a second physical HDD and leave the factory one alone to preserve and protect the factory recovery partitions.

If you convert C: into a logical partition, it will not affect your current installation of Windows 7. If you shrink C: into some unallocated space and create another logical partition from this unallocated space, then yes you could install another OS if you like and if it's large enough to dual boot with your current Windows 7.

If your laptop supports having a second internal 2.5" HDD installed, then that would indeed be best, and make install another OS easier since you would not have to worry about the partitions on the factory HDD and would have plenty of free space.

Thank you Wolfgang and thank you Brink!!!
Perfect explanation!

Another question: there may be the problem to make C: bootable again after the conversion? For example to make a boot from the DVD boot of Windows 7 and perform a recovery opening? Is there this risk after conversion?

Thanks a lot!

I don't see what possible risk you could be referring to.

Sorry, for "risk" I would mean "circumstance", "event".
There may be the forced circumstance (obligation) to have to make C: bootable again after the conversion? For example, must make a boot from the DVD boot of Windows 7 and perform a recovery opening? Is there this circumstance, this event after conversion?

Sorry again

Sonovaio,

Converting C: from primary to logical will not affect it's bootability at all.

Hello again!
My question is about Method Two:
After point 1 and point 2 (set disc C: as logical with Partition Wizard Bootable Disc), at point 3 can I shrink volume with a different program of Windows 7 default? For example another program as "Easus Partiton Master" or "Partition Wizard Professional Edition"? Windows 7 don't let me shrink over a certain quantity.

Thanks a lot

Sure you can do that. i would use PW. But make an image of all partitions on the drive first. I once lost all partitions due to an itty, bitty mistake with PW. Better be safe than sorry.

Hello Everyone!

I would like start here by giving thanks to you and to the forum first as I have just had much info about Windows 7 partitioning structure, MBR etc all this sort of things!

I have just got a HP with 4 built in same Primary partition:
1. System (System, Active),
2. C: (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump)
3. Recovery
4. HP-Tools

I was looking for the ans if I can merge partition 1 and 2, as they are together, using some tools. Is it possible to function the OS?..or same merge 3 and 4??

If the merge is OK then I would prefer to do that rather than using method-2 mentioned in the tutorial, because of less effort!!

Thanks!

System Reserved Partition - Delete

Above tutorial should show you how to get rid of the system reserved partition.

You can't merge your recovery partition and the tools partition. You could delete the recovery partition if you have made recovery disks--although I'm not sure I would.