Convert Basic Disk To Dynamic Disk In Windows 10
This post compares Basic Disk and Dynamic Disk and shows the way to convert basic disk to dynamic disk and dynamic disk to basic disk, using Disk Management and CMD/diskpart, without losing the info in Windows 10/8/7.
Basic Disk and Dynamic Disk
There are two sorts of computer hard disks: Basic Disks and Dynamic disks. Basic disks are the commonly used storage media with Windows. They contain partitions like Primary partitions and Logical drives which are typically formatted with a filing system. Dynamic disks offer the power to make fault-tolerant volumes that will even span multiple disks – which Basic disks cannot.
Most home personal computers are configured using Basic disks. However, IT professionals usually like better to use Dynamic disks, as they offered more functionality and increase reliability and performance. While Home editions of Windows support Basic Disks, Enterprise/Pro/Ultimate versions of Windows OS support Dynamic Disks also.
Microsoft has listed the operations which will be performed on each of those types.
Operations that can be performed on both, Basic and Dynamic disks:
- Check Disk properties, Partition properties, and Volume properties
- Establish drive-letter assignments for disk volumes or partitions
- Support both MBR and GPT partition styles.
- Convert a basic disk to a dynamic disk or a dynamic disk to a basic disk.
Operations that can be performed only on dynamic disks:
- Create and delete simple, spanned, striped, RAID-5, and mirrored volumes.
- Extend a simple or spanned volume.
- Remove a mirror from a mirrored volume
- Break the mirrored volume into two volumes.
- Repair mirrored or RAID-5 volumes.
- Reactivate a missing or offline disk.
Convert a Basic Disk to Dynamic Disk
Before you begin this process, you ought to know that there might be data loss as a result of this operation, so it’s imperative that you simply first take a backup of your data to an external hard disc. So proceed as long as you recognize what you’re doing and take care.
If you’re employing a basic disk as a cargo area for shadow copies and you plan to convert the disk into a dynamic disk, it’s important to require the subsequent precaution to avoid data loss. If the disk may be a non-boot volume and may be a different volume from where the first files reside, you want to first dismount and take offline the quantity containing the first files before you change the disk containing shadow copies to a dynamic disk.
You want to bring the quantity containing the first files back online within 20 minutes, otherwise, you’ll lose the info stored within the existing shadow copies. If the shadow copies are located on a boot volume, you’ll convert the disk to dynamic without losing shadow copies, states Microsoft.
1] Using UI
In Windows 8.1, open the WinX Menu and choose Disk Management. Right-click on the Disk and choose to Convert to Dynamic Disk. you’ll be asked to once more confirm the Disk and click on Convert afterward. the method will start, and therefore the Disk is going to be converted to a Dynamic disk.
2] Using Command line
Open an elevated command prompt, type diskpart and hit Enter.
Next, type list disk. Make a note of the disk number of the disk you want to convert to Dynamic.
Now type select diskn and press Enter.
Next type convert dynamic and hit Enter.
Convert Dynamic disk to Basic disk
1] Using Disk Management
To change a Dynamic Disk to a Basic disk, using Disk Management, right-click each volume you would like to convert to a basic disk, and choose Delete Volume for every volume on the disk. When all volumes on the disk are deleted, right-click the Disk, and choose Convert to Basic Disk. The operation will start.
2] Using CMD
Open an elevated command prompt and type diskpart and hit Enter.
Next type list disk and note the disk number, of the disk you want to convert to basic. Now type each of these and hit Enter, one after the other:
Type select disk <disknumber>.
Type detail disk <disknumber>.
For each volume on the disk, type select volume= <volumenumber> and then type delete volume.
Type select disk <disknumber>.
Specify the disk number of the disk that you want to convert to a basic disk.
Finally, type convert basic and hit Enter. The operation will start.
Remember to always backup first before you perform any of those operations. And also never convert a Basic disk that contains your OS to a Dynamic disk, because it could make your system unbootable.
Mustafa Al Mahmud is the Founder of Gizmo Concept and also a professional Blogger, SEO Professional as well as Entrepreneur. He loves to travel and enjoy his free moment with family members and friends.