Convert a Dynamic Disk to a Basic Disk

I tried doing this using the 4th option in the first post. I deleted the partition on the 2d dynamic disk successfully. Windows Disk Management shows the disk as unallocated. When I tried running the Wizard in the Partition Recovery Wizard in Partition Wizard Home Edition, the 2d drive shows up as Dynamic, not Unallocated. I am guessing that's why I cannot run the wizard on this disk. When I try, the option to click "next" is grayed out to initiate the wizard.

Am I right that the reason the Wizard won't run is because PW Home Edition doesn't think this 2d disk is unallocated? Anyway to force this through?

If not, how could it get this done manually. Thoughts?

You need the PW Pro version , or similar from Paragon , or get the earlier free PW4.2 from somewhere.

Otherwise, you can use a hex editor - not a concern if you have no data on there.

That's a demo version - dunno if it will do the job.

Burn this to cd as an image , boot it - that should do the job

glad to hear it.

Hello to all and thanks for this helpfull article that gave me the info needed to convert my disk back to basic.

My opinion to this article is, that the proposed methodes are quite complex, I found an easier way to get this done.

First, get yourself a linux live CD (like Ubuntu, now version 11.0.4). The 32 bit will do. Burn the ISO on a CD.
Start the CD and open a terminal (menu accessoires) and change it to root access by typing:
>>"sudo passwd root" (and type a new root passwd),
>>"su" (in the same window to activate it in root "superuser" mode)

Next, do a
# sfdisk -l
command, and see witch device (most likely /dev/sda) is holding the dynamic disk. You will get a list like this:

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 80 642568+ 42 SFS
/dev/sda2 81 160 642600 42 SFS
/dev/sda3 161 243 666697+ 42 SFS
/dev/sda4 161 200 321268+ 42 SFS

You should not have more than 4 primary partitions (this is the limit on a basic disk). You will need to backup and remove them if nescessary.

sda is the first disk, sdb would be the second and so on.
The ID Parameter shows the formatting type of each partitions.

You can get a list of ID types with the command

# sfdisk -T

Change each Partition type with command:
# sfdisk --change-id /dev/sda 1 7 (partition = 1, type = 07 for NTFS)
# sfdisk --change-id /dev/sda 2 7
# sfdisk --change-id /dev/sda 3 7
# sfdisk --change-id /dev/sda 4 b (partition = 4, type = 0b for FAT32)

Last line because I had a FAT32 partition on my disk.

again, type
# sfdisk -l

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 80 642568+ 07 HTFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 81 160 642600 07 HTFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 161 243 666697+ 07 HTFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 161 200 321268+ 0b W95/FAT32


Well. that's all.
Reboot the PC, start windows and check the Disk Configuration to see it really changed to basic without deleting and restoring partitions and data.

In the terminal window, you can get some help with the command
# man sfdisk

Hope this is simple enough

thank you to the maker of the guide!!

@19cool53
This is really doing what a hex editor is doing just via the linux OS.
But a useful alternative for linux fans.