Partition / Extended : Logical Drives

How to Create Extended Partition / Logical Drives Where Needed​

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 Primary partitions or three (3) Primary partitions and a single (1) Extended partition.
This shows the different methods to create an Extended partition wherever you need one so you can create as many Logical drives as there are available drive letters that can be used to install a Windows Operating System or for data storage.

   Warning

As with anything that makes changes to the Windows structure there is always the chance for an error to occur, it would be advisable to make reliable backups to the external media of your choice of any important data, i.e. pictures, music or documents, that you would not want to lose before you make any changes to your system, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Let's get started!
If there are 3 existing Primary partitions on the HDD / SSD already, the fourth partition created using Windows disk management will be an Extended partition by default.

To view the relevant information on the partition structure, type diskmgmt.msc in the Windows start menu search box, then right click the entry and click "Run as Administrator" if you should get a User Account Control (UAC) prompt enter your user credentials and click Yes.



Method One

This is what I'll be starting with.
click any image to enlarge

1) Open an elevated command prompt, in the command window that opens type diskpart and hit the <enter> key, all commands are followed by <enter>.

Here are the commands, click the images below to see how they are implemented.
list disk

select disk # (# = target disk number)

create partition extended

exit (2 times to close the command window)
If you need to create a specific size Extended partition, use this command.
create partition extended size=61440 <- 60GB
It has to be entered as MB and 1024MB = 1GB so 1024x60 = 61440

You can create any size you need using the formula above.



2) Now in Windows disk management right click the Extended partition Free Space to create Logical drive(s) as needed, anything created within an Extended will be a Logical drive by default.

You can create as many Logical drives within an Extended partition as there are available drive letters; you can create and name the drives in any way you like, this is just an example.





Method Two

Here's the situation a lot of people are finding themselves in when purchasing a factory built PC these days, a single HDD and all the partitions taken by the manufacturer, leaving no chance of creating any additional partitions.
The fortunate side of a layout like this is the use of the new Windows 7 System Reserved partition and it being the System Volume, where the Windows boot files are stored.

If this is the situation you're in, after you have made back-ups of the data you need to save to external media and created the set of factory recovery disks or better still, created a complete image of the entire HDD to external media that can be restored if the need ever arises, have a look at the information below.
click image to enlarge

   Warning

If you do not have the Windows System Reserved or a System Primary partition completely separate from the Windows 7 partition present that is marked as the "System" partition in disk management do not attempt this, if you do Windows will not boot as Windows will not/is not able to boot / start independently from an Extended partition Logical drive, the system boot files must be stored on a Primary partition to execute.

Windows XP users, do not do this or XP will not boot at all.

Start by downloading the Partition Wizard Bootable ISO file from either link below then use the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool to create a bootable DVD or USB flash drive.

Partition Wizard Free Bootable CD

OR

Partition Wizard Bootable Flash Drive
To boot the disk, in the BIOS set the PC boot order to boot first from the CD/DVD or USB drive, insert the PWBD and restart the PC, it'll take a few minutes for it to setup with no input at all from the user needed.
Once the program has started you can remove the CD/DVD or USB if you like.

1) In the Partition Wizard program, right click the Windows 7 partition and click Modify then Set as Logical; then at the top left Action bar click Apply; then click Yes for the conformation dialog box.
click any image to enlarge


2) You will get a Pending window but that just takes seconds to complete and then click OK for the Successful dialog box.

Then remove the PWBD from the CD/DVD or USB drive and at the upper left corner click General then Exit to close the Partition Wizard program and restart Windows 7.

Restart Windows a couple times before you proceed to make sure all is well.

In the Windows 7 start menu search box type diskmgmt.msc then right click the entry and click "Run as Administrator" if you get a User Account Control (UAC) prompt enter your user credentials and click Yes.

3) In disk management right click the Windows 7 partition and click Shrink Volume you can accept the offered size or you can create a specific size, don't make Windows 7 too small so installed programs/apps have the needed room.
click any image to enlarge

4) Now right click the new Extended partition Free Space and click New Volume to create the Logical drive(s) one at a time as needed.

It is suggested to restart Windows every time you make a change to let Windows 7 accept the changes to the system without issue.

Enjoy!

Related Tutorials

---

• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/121536-system-reserved-multi-boot-logical-partitions.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/119151-system-reserved-create-using-disk-management.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2670-partition-volume-extend.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2672-partition-volume-shrink.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2674-partition-volume-create-new.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/109752-partition-recover-space-used-older-os.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/566-virtual-hard-disk-create-attach-vhd.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/26829-convert-dynamic-disk-basic-disk.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/625-boot-vhd-using-windows-7-a.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/87768-password-reset-options-windows-7-a.html

 

[whs]

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.

 

[Brink]

Yes I know. But...
- I asked ... if all we need to create another partition on pc, why HP (and other marks) have before created 4 primary hard drive, if then we have convert one into logical? They could create pc with 3 primary and 1 logical yet. Since they create C: as primary... for this reason I'm "afraid" to convert it. Is there a reason they create exactly C: as primary?
- And then, if I convert C: into logical... I will not be able to install another operating system. Are you agree? Or I will be able to?

Sorry for my terrible language

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.

 

[sonovaio]

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!

 

[whs]

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.

 

[sonovaio]

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

 

[Brink]

Sonovaio,

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

 

[sonovaio]

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 W7 default? For example another program as "Easus Partiton Master" or "Partition Wizard Professional Edition"? W7 don't let me shrink over a certain quantity.

Thanks a lot

 

[whs]

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.

 

[mithubdn]

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 Win7 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!

 

[ignatzatsonic]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71363-system-reserved-partition-delete.html

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.

 

[mithubdn]

Thanks a lot!

It seems that Method-2 is the most suitable rather than getting rid of "System"

 

[whs]

What is the reason you want to get rid of one partition. If it is because of the 4 primaries, there is an easier way to solve the problem.

 

[mithubdn]

Yes, this is because of 4 primaries. I wish to add more partitions.

I would like to have a look at the easier way if it is different from Method-2 mentioned by Bare Foot Kid.

Thanks anyway!

 

[whs]

The easiest is to make the C partition a logical partition. You can do that with the bootable CD of Partition Wizard - that is probably what you refer to in the tutorial of Ted (Bare Foot Kid). Just highlight C in PW, go to the Partition Tab > Modify and you will see,

 

[mithubdn]

I have installed PW home edition. And as you said, in the Partition tab I find the option and can make C: logical!
But I didn't APPLY yet! coz...just wondering if I can do it from here, why should I use PW bootable CD??!!

If you show green signal, I will press APPLY button in PW

 

[whs]

Right, You need the bootable CD of PW (last entry on the webpage) because you cannot run it off your system whilst this is active. Burn the .iso to a CD and boot the CD.

 

[mithubdn]

Probably I could not make you understand!

I mean, I am getting the same options to make C: Logical, at the PW that I installed in my Laptop. And it seems that I can make C: logical from within Win 7, rather than using the PW bootable CD.

But question is that if I use in the installed version, is it OK / same with that with the bootable CD?
OR I must have to use bootable CD, although I have the same options available in the installed version of PW??

Thanks for support!

 

[whs]

I would use the bootable CD - I think from within the running OS it will not work. But I have never tried that. You can try and then tell us whether it worked - I doubt it though.

 

[mithubdn]

Yes!! It worked..though I took a risk!

However, it actually didn't work from within Windows as Windows was preventing to perform action, I guess; was showing an message that it will be done once restarted. And finally change was done by PW during booting windows..

I am now making drives!!

Thanks a lottttttttt!!!

 

[whs]

You are welcome. So my hunch was correct - you cannot change the OS partition from within windows whilst this is running, right?