HOW TO PARTITION LOGICAL DISK IN WINDOWS XP

SYSTEM?
INTRODUCTION
This step-by-step article describes how to use the Windows XP Disk
Management snap-in to confgure a basic disk and prepare it for use. This
article also describes how to create and delete partitions and how to format
!olumes with the "#T "#T$% or &T"' fle systems.
MORE INFORMATION
(asic disks and !olumes
(asic disk storage supports partition-oriented disks. # basic disk is a physical
disk that contains primary partitions e)tended partitions or logical dri!es.
Partitions and logical dri!es on basic disks are also known as basic !olumes.
*ou can create up to four primary partitions or three primary partitions and
one e)tended partition that contain logical dri!es.
+f you are running Windows XP Professional and one or more of the following
operating systems on the same computer you must use basic !olumes
because these operating systems cannot access data that is stored on
dynamic !olumes,
Windows XP -ome .dition
Microsoft Windows &T /.0 or earlier
Microsoft Windows Millennium .dition 1Me2
Microsoft Windows 34
Microsoft Windows 35
M'-D6'
How to use Disk M!"e#e!t
To start Disk Management,
7. 8og on as administrator or as a member of the #dministrators group.
%. 9lick St$t click Ru! type %o#&#"#t'#s% and then click OK.
$. +n the console tree click Disk M!"e#e!t. The Disk Management
window appears. *our disks and !olumes appear in a graphical !iew
and list !iew. To customi:e how you !iew your disks and !olumes in the
upper and lower panes of the window point to To& or (otto# on the
)iew menu and then click the !iew that you want to use.
;ead carefully all the procedures before you do< 7
NOTE, Microsoft recommends that you create a full back up of your disk
contents before you make any changes to your disks or !olumes.
How to %$ete !ew &$titio! o$ !ew *o"i%* +$i,e
To create a new partition or logical dri!e on a basic disk,
7. +n the Disk Management window complete one of the following
procedures and then continue to step %,
To create a new partition right-click unallocated space on the basic
disk where you want to create the partition and then click New
P$titio!.
To create a new logical dri!e in an e)tended partition right-click
free space on an e)tended partition where you want to create the
logical dri!e and then click New Lo"i%* D$i,e.
%. +n the &ew Partition Wi:ard click Ne-t.
$. 9lick the type of partition that you want to create 1either P$i#$.
&$titio! E-te!+e+ &$titio! or Lo"i%* +$i,e2 and then click
Ne-t.
/. 'pecify the si:e of the partition in the P$titio! si/e i! M( bo) and
then click Ne-t.
5. Decide whether to manually assign a dri!e letter let the system
automatically enumerate the dri!e or do not assign a dri!e letter to
the new partition or logical dri!e and then click Ne-t.
=. 'pecify the formatting options you want to use by using one of the
following procedures,
+f you do not want to format the partition click Do !ot 0o$#t t1is
&$titio! and then click Ne-t.
+f you want to format the partition click Fo$#t t1is &$titio!
wit1 t1e 0o**owi!" setti!"s and then complete the following
procedure in the Fo$#t dialog bo),
a. Type a name for the !olume in the )o*u#e *2e* bo). This
is an optional step.
b. 9lick the fle system that you want to use in the Fi*e
s.ste# bo).
*ou can change the disk allocation unit si:e and then
;ead carefully all the procedures before you do< %
specify whether to perform a >uick format or enable fle
and folder compression on &T"' !olumes.
9lick Ne-t.
?. 9onfrm that the options that selected are correct and then click
Fi!is1.
The new partition or logical dri!e is created and appears in the appropriate
basic disk in the Disk Management window. +f you chose to format the !olume
in step = the format process now starts.
How to 0o$#t 2si% ,o*u#e
To format a partition logical dri!e or basic !olume,
7. +n the Disk Management window right-click the partition or logical
dri!e that you want to format 1or reformat2 and then click Fo$#t.
%. +n the Fo$#t dialog bo) type a name for the !olume in the )o*u#e
*2e* bo). This is an optional step.
$. 9lick the fle system that you want to use in the Fi*e s.ste# bo). +f
you want you can also change the disk allocation unit si:e specify
whether you want to perform a >uick format or enable fle and folder
compression on &T"' !olumes.
/. 9lick OK.
5. 9lick OK when you are prompted to format the !olume. The format
process starts.
How to ,iew t1e &$o&e$ties o0 2si% ,o*u#e
To !iew the properties of a partition or logical dri!e,
7. +n the Disk Management window right-click the partition or logical
dri!e that you want and then click P$o&e$ties.
%. 9lick the appropriate tab to !iew the appropriate property.
-ow to delete a partition or a logical dri!e
To delete a partition or logical dri!e,
7. +n the Disk Management window right-click the partition or logical
dri!e that you want to delete and then click De*ete P$titio! or
De*ete Lo"i%* D$i,e.
;ead carefully all the procedures before you do< $
%. 9lick Yes when you are prompted to delete the partition or logical
dri!e. The partition or logical dri!e is deleted.
I#&o$t!t
When you delete a partition or a logical dri!e all the data on that
partition or logical dri!e and the partition or the logical dri!e are
deleted.
*ou cannot delete the system partition boot partition or a partition
that contains the acti!e paging 1swap2 fle.
*ou cannot delete an e)tended partition unless the e)tended partition
is empty. #ll logical dri!es in the e)tended partition must be deleted
before you can delete the e)tended partition.
T$ou2*es1ooti!"
Disk Management displays status descriptions in graphical !iew and under
the Sttus column of list !iew to inform you of the current status of the disk
or !olume. @se these status descriptions to help you detect and troubleshoot
disk and !olume failures. The following is a partial list of disk and !olume
status descriptions,
O!*i!e
This is the normal disk status when the disk is accessible and
functioning correctly.
He*t1.
This is the normal !olume status when the !olume is accessible and
functioning correctly.
U!$e+2*e
The disk is inaccessible because of possible hardware failure
corruption or +A6 errors.
To troubleshoot this issue restart the computer or rescan the disk to
try and return the disk to O!*i!e status. To rescan the disk open
9omputer Management and then click Disk M!"e#e!t. 6n the
A%tio! menu click Res%! Disks.
"or a complete list of disk and !olume status descriptions and
troubleshooting procedures see Disk Management -elp. +n the Disk
Management snap-in or 9omputer Management window click He*& on the
A%tio! menu.
(ack to the top
;ead carefully all the procedures before you do< /
;ead carefully all the procedures before you do< 5