Creating An Extended Volume

[seekermeister]

I know how to create volumes, but in W7 I find no option to create an extended volume in Disk Management. There is Simple Volume, Spanned Volume, Striped Volume, Mirrored Volume and Raid 5 Volume (grayed out), but none of these seem to include an extended volume...how can it be made?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I don't know how valid it is, but I saw a web note from a MS MVP that you first have to convert the disc to basic--and then you can use Disk Management. I'm still fishing around for details.

Edit:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Create-and-format-a-hard-disk-partition

When you create new partitions on a basic disk, the first three will be formatted as primary partitions. Beginning with the fourth, each one will be configured as a logical drive within an extended partition.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/What-are-basic-and-dynamic-disks

A basic disk uses primary partitions, extended partitions, and logical drives to organize data. A formatted partition is also called a volume (the terms volume and partition are often used interchangeably). In this version of Windows, basic disks can have either four primary partitions or three primary and one extended partition. The extended partition can contain multiple logical drives (up to 128 logical drives are supported). The partitions on a basic disk cannot share or split data with other partitions. Each partition on a basic disk is a separate entity on the disk.

So--I'd guess you start with a basic disk and start creating partitions. After the first 3, you should have some sort of option to make the 4th one a logical drive within an extended partition. Again I would guess you could then delete partition 2 and partition 3, leaving behind C primary and D logical within an extended partition?

 

[seekermeister]

Thanks, your link didn't take me to a page that was specific to the question, but what you said below that answers the question. It seems odd that this is now automatic, but I just checked by adding a 4th partition on my system, and it created both the logical and extended partition. I then deleted the logical partition, and the extended partition remained. Nice trick, but I wish that they would have made it more apparent, so I wouldn't need to bother anyone with my questions.

EDIT: I tried to rep you, but it wouldn't let me. It said that I had to spread it around elsewhere first, before I could do you again.

 

[seekermeister]

Another question just popped into my head...I used my primary system to partition the harddrive for my secondary rig, and wasn't going to assign any drive letters, until I found that the partitions would not appear in a file manager until I did. Since I needed access to transfer some files into them, I added the letters...just barely, because between all of the devices that I have installed, there were only 4 letters left, which I just used.

This is not a problem, because as I said, this harddrive is going into another rig, but since I have been contemplating buying more harddrives for each rig, and I prefer modest sized partitions, rather than giant abysses, I was wondering if there is any way to have more than 26 ID assignments, since there are only 26 letters in the alphabet? If so, it is not apparent, because when I attempted to change the assignment of one of the partitions, there was nothing left.

 

[surfasb]

NTFS allows partitions to be assigned not only to drive letters, but they can be assigned as a folder off an existing drive letter.

 

[seekermeister]

I don't think that I understand. Are you speaking of something more than just placing a regular folder within a partition, as is common? If so, please clarify.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I have never used more than 3 or 4 partitions, but my earlier post in this thread says you can have up to 128 logical drives.

Therefore--I assume Windows has a way to work around a 26 character choice. I just don't know exactly how it works.

 

[surfasb]

You can place a whole partition inside a folder.

Linux users will be familiar with what I mean.

Go to Computer Management and select storage manager. Right click your OS partition as an example. There is the familiar option of assigning it to a drive letter. The second option will assign it to an existing empty folder. So lets say you make a new empty folder called MY CRAP inside of My documents. Now you can mount your freshly formatted 1TB partition inside of that folder. So anything you put inside the folder MY CRAP will go to your 1TB partitions.

 

[seekermeister]

I'm still lost. I assume by Storage Manager, that you are referring to Disk Management. When I right click the OS partition there is nothing mentioned about assigning it to an existing empty folder. If I goes to the Properties of any other partition, there is a customize tab, which says something about folders, but this doesn't sound like what you are talking about. More clarification please.

EDIT: Is this the way intended by MS to have up to 128 logical drives?

EDIT2: I did find an option to create a virtual harddrive under the "more actions" link in the right side panel, but again, this doesn't sound like what you are talking about either.

 

[Saltgrass]

What is being discussed is mapping a partition to an empty folder inside an NTFS partition. You can set up an unlettered partition and then map it to a folder within a lettered partition. You will not need a drive letter.

If you still do not understand, create a new partition. One of the options you will have it to map it to a folder. Try doing that so you will see how it works.

 

[surfasb]

Don't look under properties. Look under the option "Change drive letter."

 

[seekermeister]

Okay, I finally found it. I'm too busy at the moment setting up another rig, but I'll experiment with it later. Thanks.

 

[surfasb]

That is what we are here for. Sharing little nerdy secrets.

I was teaching youngin a while back how to write batch files with for loops.