Format Entire Hard Disk into Extended Partition

Hi.

I have a laptop with an SSD and a Hard disk (1 Tb) - Windows 10 Professional 64-bit Version 20H2 Build 19042.867

Both are GPT

I would like to convert the ENTIRE HARD DISK ONLY into an Extended Partition with 6 or more logical drives.

I was able to do this on my other systems (Windows XP and Windows 7)- but that was many years ago.

All the software I have reviewed (and posts in this forum) only refer to converting unallocated space (after the 4 primary drives) into an Extended partition. There is nothing about converting the entire hard disk.

I am not sure how it works, but understand that if I convert the Hard Disk from GPT to MBR (leaving the SSD at GPT) then the entire HARD DISK can be formatted as an Extended Partition (subsequently with 6 or more logical drives)

I could always setup 4 primary drives and do the other logical drives on an extended partition - as a last resort.

I am getting on a bit in years to work with GPart and CMD unless very simple instructions.

I don't mind paying for software that can do the job. If any software is recommended, I would prefer one that includes Image Backup and Restore features.

Many thanks

Mike

Why would you want to use an extended partition and logical drives? Why not just use partitions on the GPT drive instead? You can have up to 128 partitions on a GPT drive. And it would be a WHOLE lot easier than converting the drive to MBR, creating an extended partition and logical drives.

mikedee1500 said:

...Both are GPT
I would like to convert the ENTIRE HARD DISK ONLY into an Extended Partition with 6 or more logical drives.
I was able to do this on my other systems (Windows XP and Windows 7)- but that was many years ago....

Many years ago you would have had MBR disks and would have had to use an extended partition if you wanted more than 4 partitions. That's not the case with GPT, you can have almost as many as you like....

GPT doesn’t suffer from MBR’s limits. ... Windows allows up to 128 partitions on a GPT drive, and you don’t have to create an extended partition to make them work.

What’s the Difference Between GPT and MBR When Partitioning a Drive?

D.D.I

(Don't Do It)

Even back in good old IDE days and MBR Bioses "Logical and Extended" partitions were always a pain. Stick to as pretty well as all the other posters on this thread have said - create physical partitions. NTFS will allow a partition of many several TB's if you need it. FAT32 I think has a 2TB limit.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

D.D.I
(Don't Do It)

Even back in good old IDE days and MBR Bioses "Logical and Extended" partitions were always a pain. Stick to as pretty well as all the other posters on this thread have said - create physical partitions...

NTFS will allow a partition of many several TB's if you need it. FAT32 I think has a 2TB limit.

Fat32 does have a 2TB limit, but a 2TB limit is also a built-in limitation of MBR partitioning, regardless of the format used on those partitions.

Microsoft said:

...MBR (master boot record). This scheme sets a limit of 32 for the number of bits that are available to represent the number of logical sectors.

The 2-TB barrier is the result of this 32-bit limitation....

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/tro...exceeding-2-tb

Thanks to all those who replied to this thread with their feedback.

Many years ago, I had an I.T. "Expert" reinstall / upgrade my family and work XP and Windows 7 computers - and he made a real mess of it by reinstalling / upgrading the OS on different partitions.

Since then all my systems have just 1 Primary Partition with the rest of the disk and (other Hard disks) being Extended Partitions with Logical Drives - and I haven't had any further issues in reinstalling / upgrading the OS.

If this thread was for a desktop it would be a simple matter to follow my previous setup protocol. I have had no issues with Extended Partitions.

However, this thread being for a new laptop - where I am averse to removing the Hard Disk for partitioning, I will simply go for converting the Hard Disk into Logical Drives.

Thanks again.

Mike

mikedee1500 said:

I am averse to removing the Hard Disk for partitioning,

Not sure why you would need to remove a hard disk to partition it.

??

ignatzatsonic said:

Not sure why you would need to remove a hard disk to partition it.

??

I could use my still working XP system to format it as an external disk (very simple on XP) or even existing software on my W7 desktop