MBR To GPT

Contents

Disk Management
Manage disks
Initialize new disks
Move disks to another computer
Change a dynamic disk back to a basic disk
Convert an MBR disk into a GPT disk
Convert a GPT disk into an MBR disk
Manage Virtual Hard Disks
Manage basic volumes
Change a drive letter
Assign a mount point folder path to a drive
Extend a basic volume
Shrink a basic volume
Troubleshooting Disk Management
Overview of Disk Management
10/21/2022 • 2 minutes to read • Edit Online

Applies To: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016,
Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012

Disk Management is a system utility in Windows that enables you to perform advanced storage tasks. Here are
some of the things Disk Management is good for:
To setup a new drive, see Initializing a new drive.
To extend a volume into space that's not already part of a volume on the same drive, see Extend a basic
volume.
To shrink a partition, usually so that you can extend a neighboring partition, see Shrink a basic volume.
To change a drive letter or assign a new drive letter, see Change a drive letter.
TIP
If you get an error or something doesn't work when following these procedures, take a peek at the Troubleshooting Disk
Management topic. If that doesn't help - don't panic! There's a ton of info on the Microsoft community site - try searching
the Files, folders, and storage section, and if you still need help, post a question there and Microsoft or other members of
the community will try to help. If you have feedback on how to improve these topics, we'd love to hear from you! Just
answer the Is this page helpful? prompt, and leave any comments there or in the public comments thread at the bottom
of this topic.
Here are some common tasks you might want to do but that use other tools in Windows:
To free up disk space, see Free up drive space in Windows 10.
To defragment your drives, see Defragment your Windows 10 PC.
To take multiple hard drives and pool them together, similar to a RAID, see Storage Spaces.
About those extra recovery partitions

In case you're curious (we've read your comments!), Windows typically includes three partitions on your main
drive (usually the C:\ drive):
EFI system par tition - This is used by modern PCs to start (boot) your PC and your operating system.
Windows operating system drive (C:) - This is where Windows is installed, and usually where you put
the rest of your apps and files.
Recover y par tition - This is where special tools are stored to help you recover Windows in case it has
trouble starting or runs into other serious issues.
Although Disk Management might show the EFI system partition and the recovery partition as 100% free, it's
lying. These partitions are generally pretty full with really important files your PC needs to operate properly. It's
best to just leave them alone to do their jobs starting your PC and helping you recover from problems.
Additional References
Manage disks
Recovery options in Windows 10
Find lost files after the update to Windows 10
Back up and restore your files
Create a recovery drive
Create a system restore point
Find my BitLocker recovery key
Manage disks
Applies To: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server
2012 R2, Windows Server 2012
This topic and its subtopics discuss using Disk Management to manage the disks in a computer, and includes
information about initializing new disks, converting disks between different partition styles, and how Windows
handles the online status of new disks.
Online and offline status

Disk Management displays whether a disk is online (available), or offline.
In Windows, by default, all newly-discovered disks are brought online with read and write access. In Windows
Server, by default, newly-discovered disks are brought online with read and write access unless they are on a
shared bus (such as SCSI, iSCSI, Serial Attached SCSI, or Fibre Channel). Disks on a shared bus are offline the
first time they are detected.
If a disk is offline, you must bring it online before you can initialize it or create volumes on it.
To bring a disk online or take it offline, right-click the disk name and then choosing the appropriate action.
See Also
Move Disks to Another Computer
Change a Master Boot Record disk into a GUID Partition Table disk
Change a GUID Partition Table disk into a Master Boot Record disk
Manage Virtual Hard Disks
If you add a brand new disk to your PC and it doesn't show up in File Explorer, you might need to add a drive
letter, or initialize it before using it. You can only initialize a drive that's not yet formatted. Initializing a disk
erases everything on it and prepares it for use by Windows, after which you can format it and then store files on
it.
WARNING
If your disk already has files on it that you care about, don't initialize it - you'll lose all the files. Instead we recommend
troubleshooting the disk to see if you can read the files - see A disk's status is Not Initialized or the disk is missing entirely.
To initialize new disks

Here's how to initialize a new disk using Disk Management. If you prefer using PowerShell, use the initialize-disk
cmdlet instead.
1. Open Disk Management with administrator permissions.
To do so, in the search box on the taskbar, type Disk Management , select and hold (or right-click) Disk
Management , then select Run as administrator > Yes . If you can't open it as an administrator, type
Computer Management instead, and then go to Storage > Disk Management .
2. In Disk Management, right-click the disk you want to initialize, and then click Initialize Disk (shown
here). If the disk is listed as Offline, first right-click it and select Online .
Note that some USB drives don't have the option to be initialized, they just get formatted and a drive
letter.
3. In the Initialize Disk dialog box (shown here), check to make sure that the correct disk is selected and
then click OK to accept the default partition style. If you need to change the partition style (GPT or MBR)
see About partition styles - GPT and MBR.
The disk status briefly changes to Initializing and then to the Online status. If initializing fails for some
reason, see A disk's status is Not Initialized or the disk is missing entirely.
4. Select and hold (or right-click) the unallocated space on the drive and then select New Simple Volume .
5. Select Next , specify the size of the volume (you'll likely want to stick with the default, which uses the
whole drive), and then select Next .
6. Specify the drive letter you want to assign to the volume and then select Next .
7. Specify the file system you want to use (usually NTFS), select Next , and then Finish .
About partition styles - GPT and MBR

Disks can be divided up into multiple chunks called partitions. Each partition - even if you have only one - has to
have a partition style - GPT or MBR. Windows uses the partition style to understand how to access the data on
the disk.
As fascinating as this probably isn't, the bottom line is that these days, you don't usually have to worry about
partition style - Windows automatically uses the appropriate disk type.
Most PCs use the GUID Partition Table (GPT) disk type for hard drives and SSDs. GPT is more robust and allows
for volumes bigger than 2 TB. The older Master Boot Record (MBR) disk type is used by 32-bit PCs, older PCs,
and removable drives such as memory cards.
To convert a disk from MBR to GPT or vice versa, you first have to delete all volumes from the disk, erasing
everything on the disk. For more info, see Convert an MBR disk into a GPT disk, or Convert a GPT disk into an
MBR disk.
Move disks to another computer
Applies To: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server
2012
This section describes the steps to take, and the considerations associated with, moving disks to another
computer. You might want to print this procedure or write down the steps before attempting to move disks from
one computer to another.
NOTE
You must be a member of the Backup Operators or Administrators group, at minimum, to complete these steps.
Verify volume health

Use Disk Management to make sure the status of the volumes on the disks is Healthy . If the status is not
Healthy , repair the volumes before you move the disks.
To verify the volume status, from the View menu, check the Status column in the Volume List view, or under
the volume size and file system information in the Graphical View .
Uninstall the disks

Uninstall the disks you want to move using Device Manager.
To uninstall disks
1. Open Device Manager in Computer Management.
2. In the device list, double-click Disk drives .
3. Right-click the disks you want to uninstall, and then click Uninstall .
4. In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, click OK .
Remove dynamic disks

1. If the disks you want to move are dynamic disks, in Disk Management, right-click the disks you want to
move, and then click Remove Disk .
2. After having removed dynamic disks, or if you are moving basic disks, you can now physically disconnect
them. If the disks are external, you can now unplug them from the computer. If the disks are internal, turn
off the computer, and then physically remove them.
Install disks in the new computer

1. If the disks are external, plug them into the computer. If the disks are internal, make sure the computer is
turned off and then physically install the disks in that computer.
2. Start the computer that contains the disks you moved and follow the instructions in the Found New
Hardware dialog box.
Detect new disks
1. On the new computer, open Disk Management.
2. Click Action and then click Rescan Disks .
3. Right-click any disk marked Foreign .
4. Click Impor t Foreign Disks and then follow the on-screen instructions.
Additional considerations
When moved to another computer, basic volumes receive the next available drive letter on that computer.
Dynamic volumes retain the drive letter they had on the previous computer. If a dynamic volume did not
have a drive letter on the previous computer, it will not receive a drive letter when moved to another
computer. If the drive letter is already used on the computer where a volume is moved, the volume
receives the next available drive letter.
If an administrator has used either the mountvol /n or the diskpar t automount command to prevent
new volumes from being added to the system, volumes moved from another computer are prevented
from being mounted and from receiving a drive letter. To use the volume, you must manually mount the
volume and assign it a drive letter using Disk Management or the DiskPar t and mountvol commands.
If you are moving spanned, striped, mirrored, or RAID-5 volumes, it is highly recommended that you
move all disks containing the volume together. Otherwise, the volumes on the disks cannot be brought
online and will not be accessible except to delete them.
You can move multiple disks from different computers to a computer by installing the disks, opening Disk
Management, right-clicking any of the new disks, and then clicking Impor t Foreign Disks . When
importing multiple disks from different computers, always import all the disks from one computer at a
time. For example, if you want to move disks from two computers, import all disks from the first
computer and then import all disks from the second computer.
Disk Management describes the condition of the volumes on the disks before they are imported. Review
this information carefully. If there are any problems, this information will tell you what will happen to
each volume on these disks once the disks have been imported.
If you move a GUID Partition Table (GPT) disk containing the Windows operating system to an x86-based
or x64-based computer, you can access the data, but you cannot boot from that operating system.
This topic describes how to delete everything on a dynamic disk and then convert it back to a basic disk.
Dynamic disks have been deprecated from Windows and we don't recommend using them anymore. Instead,
we recommend using basic disks or using the newer Storage Spaces technology when you want to pool disks
together into larger volumes. If you want to mirror the volume from which Windows boots, you might want to
use a hardware RAID controller, such as the one included on many motherboards.
WARNING
To convert a dynamic disk back to a basic disk you must delete all volumes from the disk, permanently erasing all data on
the disk. Make sure you back up any data you want to keep before proceeding.
To change a dynamic disk back to a basic disk by using Disk

Management
1. Back up all volumes on the disk you want to convert from dynamic to basic.
An easy way to do so is to type Computer Management in the search box on the taskbar, select and
hold (or right-click) Computer Management , and then select Run as administrator > Yes . After
Computer Management opens, go to Storage > Disk Management .
3. In Disk Management, select and hold (or right-click) each volume on the dynamic disk you want to
convert to a basic disk, and then click Delete Volume .
4. When all volumes on the disk have been deleted, right-click the disk, and then click Conver t to Basic
Disk .
To change a dynamic disk back to a basic disk by using a command

line
1. Back up all volumes on the disk you want to convert from dynamic to basic.
2. Open a command prompt and type diskpart .
3. At the DISKPART prompt, type list disk . Note the disk number you want to convert to basic.
4. At the DISKPART prompt, type select disk <disknumber> .
5. At the DISKPART prompt, type detail disk .
6. For each volume on the disk, at the DISKPART prompt, type select volume= <volumenumber> and then
type delete volume .
7. At the DISKPART prompt, type select disk <disknumber> , specifying the disk number of the disk that you
want to convert to a basic disk.
8. At the DISKPART prompt, type convert basic .
VA L UE DESC RIP T IO N
list disk Displays a list of disks and information about them, such as
their size, the amount of available free space, whether the
disk is a basic or dynamic disk, and whether the disk uses
the Master Boot Record (MBR) or GUID Partition Table (GPT)
partition style. The disk marked with an asterisk (*) has
focus.
select disk disknumber Selects the specified disk, where disknumber is the disk
number, and gives it focus.
detail disk disknumber Displays the properties of the selected disk and the volumes
on that disk.
select volume disknumber Selects the specified volume, where disknumber is the
volume number, and gives it focus. If no volume is specified,
the select command lists the current volume with focus. You
can specify the volume by number, drive letter, or mount
point path. On a basic disk, selecting a volume also gives the
corresponding partition focus.
delete volume Deletes the selected volume. You cannot delete the system
volume, boot volume, or any volume that contains the active
paging file or crash dump (memory dump).
conver t basic Converts an empty dynamic disk into a basic disk.
The disk must not contain any volumes or data before you can change it back to a basic disk. If you want to
keep your data, back it up or move it to another volume before you convert the disk to a basic disk.
Once you change a dynamic disk back to a basic disk, you can create only partitions and logical drives on
that disk.
Command-line syntax notation
Convert an MBR disk into a GPT disk
Master Boot Record (MBR) disks use the standard BIOS partition table. GUID Partition Table (GPT) disks use
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). One advantage of GPT disks is that you can have more than four
partitions on each disk. GPT is also required for disks larger than two terabytes (TB).
You can change a disk from MBR to GPT partition style as long as the disk contains no partitions or volumes.
NOTE
Before you convert a disk, backup any data on it and close any programs that are accessing the disk.
NOTE
Converting using the Windows interface

1. Back up or move the data on the basic MBR disk you want to convert into a GPT disk.
2. If the disk contains any partitions or volumes, right-click each and then click Delete Par tition or Delete
Volume .
3. Right-click the MBR disk that you want to change into a GPT disk, and then click Conver t to GPT Disk .
Converting using a command line

Use the following steps to convert an empty MBR disk to a GPT disk. There's also a MBR2GPT.EXE tool that you
can use, but it's a little complicated - see Convert MBR partition to GPT for more details.
1. Back up or move the data on the basic MBR disk you want to convert into a GPT disk.
2. Open an elevated command prompt by right-clicking Command Prompt and then choosing Run as
Administrator .
3. Type diskpart . If the disk does not contain any partitions or volumes, skip to step 6.
4. At the DISKPART prompt, type list disk . Note the disk number you want to convert.
6. At the DISKPART prompt, type clean .
NOTE
Running the clean command will delete all partitions or volumes on the disk.
7. At the DISKPART prompt, type convert gpt .
disk is a basic or dynamic disk, and whether the disk uses
focus.
select disk disknumber Selects the specified disk, where disknumber is the disk
clean Removes all partitions or volumes from the disk with focus.
conver t gpt Converts an empty basic disk with the Master Boot Record
(MBR) partition style into a basic disk with the GUID
Partition Table (GPT) partition style.
See Also
Convert a GPT disk into an MBR disk
Master Boot Record (MBR) disks use the standard BIOS partition table. GUID Partition Table (GPT) disks use
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). MBR disks do not support more than four partitions on each disk.
The MBR partition method is not recommended for disks larger than two terabytes (TB).
You can change a disk from a GPT to an MBR partition style as long as the disk is empty and contains no
volumes.
NOTE
Before you convert a disk, backup any data on it and close any programs that are accessing the disk.
NOTE
Converting using the Windows interface

1. Back up or move all volumes on the basic GPT disk you want to convert into an MBR disk.
2. If the disk contains any partitions or volumes, right-click each and then click Delete Volume .
3. Right-click the GPT disk that you want to change into an MBR disk, and then click Conver t to MBR disk .
Converting using a command line

1. Back up or move all volumes on the basic GPT disk you want to convert into an MBR disk.
2. Open an elevated command prompt by right-clicking Command Prompt and then choosing Run as
Administrator .
3. Type diskpart . If the disk contains no partitions or volumes, skip to step 6.
4. At the DISKPART prompt, type list disk . Note the disk number that you want to delete.
6. At the DISKPART prompt, type clean .
IMPORTANT
Running the clean command will delete all partitions or volumes on the disk.
7. At the DISKPART prompt, type convert mbr .

disk is a Basic or Dynamic disk, and whether the disk uses
focus.
select disk Selects the specified disk, where disknumber is the disk
conver t mbr Converts an empty basic disk with the GUID Partition Table
(GPT) partition style to a basic disk with the Master Boot
Record (MBR) partition style.
See Also
Manage Virtual Hard Disks (VHD)
2012
This topic describes how to create, attach, and detach virtual hard disks with Disk Management. Virtual hard
disks (VHDs) are virtualized hard disk files that, once mounted, appear and operate pretty much identically to a
physical hard drive. They're most commonly used with Hyper-V virtual machines.
Viewing VHDs in Disk Management

VHDs appear just like physical disks in Disk Management. When a VHD has been attached (that is, made
available to the system for use), it appears blue. If the disk is detached (that is, made unavailable), its icon reverts
to gray.
Creating a VHD
NOTE
To create a VHD
1. On the Action menu, select Create VHD .
2. In the Create and Attach Vir tual Hard Disk dialog box, specify both the location on the physical
computer where you want the VHD file to be stored, and the size of the VHD.
3. In Vir tual hard disk format , select Dynamically expanding or Fixed size , and then click OK .
Attaching and detaching a VHD

To make a VHD available for use (either one you have just created or another existing VHD):
1. On the Action menu, select Attach VHD .
2. Specify the location of the VHD, using a fully-qualified path.
To detach the VHD, making it unavailable: Right-click the disk, select Detach VHD , and then click OK . Detaching
a VHD does not delete the VHD or any data stored in it.
The path specifying the location for the VHD must be fully-qualified and cannot be in the \Windows
directory.
The minimum size for a VHD is 3 megabytes (MB).
A VHD can only be a basic disk.
Because a VHD is initialized when it is created, creating a large fixed-size VHD might take some time.
2012
A basic disk is a physical disk that contains primary partitions, extended partitions, or logical drives. Partitions
and logical drives on basic disks are known as basic volumes. You can only create basic volumes on basic disks.
You can add more space to existing primary partitions and logical drives by extending them into adjacent,
contiguous unallocated space on the same disk. To extend a basic volume, it must be formatted with the NTFS
file system. You can extend a logical drive within contiguous free space in the extended partition that contains it.
If you extend a logical drive beyond the free space available in the extended partition, the extended partition
grows to contain the logical drive as long as the extended partition is followed by contiguous unallocated space.
See Also
Assign a mount point folder path to a drive
Extend a Basic Volume
Shrink a Basic Volume
Change a drive letter
If you don't like the drive letter assigned to a drive, or if you've got a drive that doesn't yet have a drive letter,
you can use Disk Management to change it. To instead to mount the drive in an empty folder so that it appears
as just another folder, see Mount a drive in a folder.
IMPORTANT
If you change the drive letter of a drive where Windows or apps are installed, apps might have trouble running or finding
that drive. For this reason we suggest that you don't change the drive letter of a drive on which Windows or apps are
installed.
Here's how to change the drive letter:

1. Open Disk Management with administrator permissions. To do so, select and hold (or right-click) the Start
button, and then select Disk Management .
2. In Disk Management, select and hold (or right-click) the volume for which you want to change or add a
drive letter, and then select Change Drive Letter and Paths .
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If you don't see the Change Drive Letter and Paths option or it's grayed out, it's possible the volume isn't
ready to receive a drive letter, which can be the case if the drive is unallocated and needs to be initialized. Or,
maybe it's not meant to be accessed, which is the case of EFI system partitions and recovery partitions. If you've
confirmed that you have a formatted volume with a drive letter that you can access and you still can't change it,
unfortunately this topic probably can't help you, so we suggest contacting Microsoft or the manufacturer of your
PC for more help.
3. To change the drive letter, select Change . To add a drive letter if the drive doesn't already have one, select
Add .
4. Select the new drive letter, select OK , and then select Yes when prompted about how programs that rely
on the drive letter might not run correctly.
Mount a drive in a folder
You can use Disk Management to mount (make a drive accessible) in a folder rather than a drive letter if you
want. This makes the drive appear as just another folder. You can mount drives only in empty folders on basic or
dynamic NTFS volumes.
Mounting a drive in an empty folder

NOTE
To mount a drive in an empty folder by using the Windows interface

1. In Disk Manager, right-click the partition or volume that has the folder in which you want to mount the drive.
2. Click Change Drive Letter and Paths and then click Add .
3. Click Mount in the following empty NTFS folder .
4. Type the path to an empty folder on an NTFS volume, or click Browse to locate it.
To mount a drive in an empty folder using a command line
2. At the DISKPART prompt, type list volume , making note of the volume number you want to assign the
path to.
3. At the DISKPART prompt, type select volume <volumenumber> , specifying the volume number that you
want to assign the path to.
4. At the DISKPART prompt, type assign [mount=<path>] .
To remove a mount point
To remove the mount point so that the drive is no longer accessible via a folder:
1. Select and hold (or right-click) the drive mounted to a folder, and then select Change Drive Letters and
Paths .
2. Select the folder from the list, and then select Remove .
list volume Displays a list of basic and dynamic volumes on all disks.
select volume Selects the specified volume, where volumenumber is the

point folder path. On a basic disk, selecting a volume also
gives the corresponding partition focus.
assign Assigns a drive letter or mount point folder path to

the volume with focus. If no drive letter or mount
point folder path is specified, then the next available
drive letter is assigned. If the drive letter or mount
point folder path is already in use, an error is
generated.
Using the assign command, you can change the
drive letter associated with a removable drive.
You cannot assign drive letters to boot volumes, or
volumes that contain the paging file. In addition, you
cannot assign a drive letter to an Original Equipment
Manufacturer (OEM) partition, EFI system partition,
or any GPT partition other than a basic data
partition.
mount= path Specifies an empty, existing NTFS folder where the mounted
drive will reside.
If you are administering a local or remote computer, you can browse NTFS folders on that computer.
Mount point folder paths are available only on empty folders on basic or dynamic NTFS volumes.
To modify a mount point folder path, remove it, and then create a new folder path using the new location.
You cannot modify the mount point folder path directly.
When assigning a mount point folder path to a drive, use Event Viewer to check the system log for any
Cluster service errors or warnings indicating mount point folder path failures. These errors would be listed as
ClusSvc in the Source column and Physical Disk Resource in the Categor y column.
You can also create a mounted drive using the mountvol command.
Extend a basic volume
You can use Disk Management to add space to an existing volume, extending it into empty space on the drive,
but only if the empty space doesn't have a volume on it (it's unallocated) and comes immediately after the
volume you want to extend, with no other volumes in-between, as shown in the following image. The volume to
extend also must be formatted with the NTFS or ReFS file systems.
If you're using Windows Server 2012 R2 or later, you can also use Azure File Sync to extend your volume into
the cloud. For details, see Planning for an Azure File Sync deployment on Windows Server.
To extend a volume by using Disk Management

Here's how to extend a volume into empty space immediately after the volume on the drive:
An easy way to do so is to type Computer Management in the search box on the taskbar, select and
hold (or right-click) Computer Management , and then select Run as administrator > Yes . After
Computer Management opens, go to Storage > Disk Management .
2. Select and hold (or right-click) the volume that you want to extend, and then select Extend Volume .
If Extend Volume is grayed out, check the following:
Disk Management or Computer Management was opened with administrator permissions
There is unallocated space directly after (to the right) of the volume, as shown in the graphic above. If
there's another volume in-between the unallocated space and the volume you want to extend, you can
either delete the in-between volume and all files on it (make sure to back up or move any important
files first!), use a non-Microsoft disk partitioning app that can move volumes without destroying data,
or skip extending the volume and instead create a separate volume in the unallocated space.
The volume is formatted with the NTFS or ReFS file system. Other file systems can't be extended, so
you'd have to move or back up the files on the volume and then format the volume with the NTFS or
ReFS file system.
If the disk is larger than 2 TB, make sure that it's using the GPT partitioning scheme. To use more than
2 TB on a disk, it must be initialized using the GPT partitioning scheme. To convert to GPT, see Change
an MBR disk into a GPT disk.
If you still can't extend the volume, try searching the Microsoft community - Files, folders, and storage
site, and if you don't find an answer, post a question there and Microsoft or other members of the
community will try to help, or Contact Microsoft Support.
3. Select Next , and then on the Select Disks page of the wizard (shown here), specify how much to extend
the volume. Typically you'll want to use the default value, which uses all available free space, but you can
use a smaller value if you want to create additional volumes in the free space.
4. Select Next and then Finish to extend the volume.
To extend a volume by using PowerShell

1. Select and hold (or right-click) the Start button and then select Windows PowerShell (Admin).
2. Enter the following command to resize the volume to the maximum size, specifying the drive letter of the
volume you want to extend in the $drive_letter variable:
# Variable specifying the drive you want to extend

$drive_letter = "C"
# Script to get the partition sizes and then resize the volume
$size = (Get-PartitionSupportedSize -DriveLetter $drive_letter)
Resize-Partition -DriveLetter $drive_letter -Size $size.SizeMax
See also
Resize-Partition
Diskpart extend
Shrink a basic volume
You can decrease the space used by primary partitions and logical drives by shrinking them into adjacent,
contiguous space on the same disk. For example, if you discover that you need an additional partition but do not
have additional disks, you can shrink the existing partition from the end of the volume to create new unallocated
space that can then be used for a new partition. The shrink operation can be blocked by the presence of certain
file types. For more information, see Additional considerations
When you shrink a partition, any ordinary files are automatically relocated on the disk to create the new
unallocated space. There is no need to reformat the disk to shrink the partition.
Cau t i on
If the partition is a raw partition (that is, one without a file system) that contains data (such as a database file),
shrinking the partition might destroy the data.
Shrinking a basic volume

NOTE
To shrink a basic volume using the Windows interface

1. In Disk Manager, right-click the basic volume you want to shrink.
2. Click Shrink Volume .
3. Follow the on-screen instructions.
NOTE
You can only shrink basic volumes that have no file system or that use the NTFS file system.
To shrink a basic volume using a command line

2. At the DISKPART prompt, type list volume . Note the number of the simple volume you want to shrink.
3. At the DISKPART prompt, type select volume <volumenumber> . Selects the simple volume volumenumber
you want to shrink.
4. At the DISKPART prompt, type shrink [desired=<desiredsize>] [minimum=<minimumsize>] . Shrinks the
selected volume to desiredsize in megabytes (MB) if possible, or to minimumsize if desiredsize is too
large.
list volume Displays a list of basic and dynamic volumes on all disks.
select volume Selects the specified volume, where volumenumber is the

point path. On a basic disk, selecting a volume also gives the
corresponding partition focus.
shrink Shrinks the volume with focus to create unallocated space.

No data loss occurs. If the partition includes unmovable files
(such as the page file or the shadow copy storage area), the
volume will shrink to the point where the unmovable files
are located.
desired= desiredsize The amount of space, in megabytes, to recover to the

current partition.
minimum= minimumsize The minimum amount of space, in megabytes, to recover to

the current partition. If you do not specify a desired or
minimum size, the command will reclaim the maximum
amount of space possible.
When you shrink a partition, certain files (for example, the paging file or the shadow copy storage area)
cannot be automatically relocated, and you cannot decrease the allocated space beyond the point where
the unmovable files are located. If the shrink operation fails, check the Application Log for Event 259,
which will identify the unmovable file. If you know the cluster(s) associated with the file that is preventing
the shrink operation, you can also use the fsutil command at a command prompt (type fsutil volume
quer ycluster /? for usage). When you provide the quer ycluster parameter, the command output will
identify the unmovable file that is preventing the shrink operation from succeeding. In some cases, you
can relocate the file temporarily. For example, if you need to shrink the partition further, you can use
Control Panel to move the paging file or stored shadow copies to another disk, delete the stored shadow
copies, shrink the volume, and then move the paging file back to the disk. If the number of bad clusters
detected by dynamic bad-cluster remapping is too high, you cannot shrink the partition. If this occurs,
you should consider moving the data and replacing the disk.
Do not use a block-level copy to transfer the data. This will also copy the bad sector table and the new
disk will treat the same sectors as bad even though they are normal.
You can shrink primary partitions and logical drives on raw partitions (those without a file system) or
partitions using the NTFS file system.
See Also
This topic lists a few common issues you may encounter when using Disk Management and troubleshooting
steps to try.
TIP
If you get an error or something doesn't work when following these procedures - don't panic! This topic is just the first
thing to try; there's also a ton of info on the Microsoft community site in the Files, folders, and storage section about the
wide variety of hardware and software configurations you might be dealing with. If you still need help, post a question
there, or Contact Microsoft Support or the manufacturer of your hardware.
How to open Disk Management

Before we launch into the tricky stuff, here's an easy way to get to Disk Management in case you're not there
already:
1. Type Computer Management in the search box on the taskbar, select and hold (or right-click) Computer
Management , and then select Run as administrator > Yes .
2. After Computer Management opens, go to Storage > Disk Management .
Disks that are missing or not initialized, plus general troubleshooting

steps
Cause: If you have a disk that doesn't appear in File Explorer and is listed in Disk Management as Not Initialized,
it could be because the disk doesn't have a valid disk signature. Basically this means that the disk has never been
initialized and formatted, or the drive formatting has become corrupted somehow.
It's also possible that the disk is having hardware problems or issues plugging in, but we'll get to that in a few
paragraphs.
Solution: If the drive is brand new and just needs to be initialized, erasing any data on it, the solution is easy -
see Initialize New Disks. However, there's a good chance you've already tried this, and it didn't work. Or maybe
you have a disk full of important files, and you don't want to erase the disk by initializing it.
There are a bunch of reasons a disk or memory card might be missing or fail to initialize, with a common reason
being because the disk is failing. There's only so much you can do to fix a failing disk, but here are some steps to
try to see if we can get it working again. If the disk works after one of these steps, don't bother with the next
steps, just kick back, celebrate, and maybe update your backups.
1. Look at the disk in Disk Management. If it appears Offline as shown here, try right-clicking it and selecting
Online .
2. If the disk appears in Disk Management as Online, and has a primary partition that's listed as Healthy, as
shown here, that's a good sign.
If a partition has a file system, but no drive letter (for example, E:), see Change a drive letter to add a
drive letter manually.
If a partition doesn't have a file system (it's listed as RAW instead of NTFS, ReFS, FAT32, or exFAT) and
you know that the disk is empty, select and hold (or right-click) the partition and select Format .
Formatting a disk erases all data on it, so don't do this if you're trying to recover files from the disk -
instead, skip ahead to the next step.
If the partition is listed as Unallocated and you know that the partition is empty, select and hold (or
right-click) the unallocated partition and then select New Simple Volume and follow the instructions
to create a volume in the free space. Don't do this if you're trying to recover files from this partition -
instead, skip ahead to the next step.
NOTE
Ignore any partitions that are listed as EFI System Par tition or Recover y Par tition . These partitions are full of
really important files your PC needs to operate properly. It's best to just leave them alone to do their jobs starting
your PC and helping you recover from problems.
3. If you have an external disk that's not showing up, unplug the disk, plug it back in, and then select Action
> Rescan Disks .
4. Shut down your PC, turn off your external hard disk (if it's an external disk with a power cord), and then
turn your PC and the disk back on. To turn off your PC in Windows 10, select the Start button, select the
Power button, and then select Shut down .
5. Plug the disk into a different USB port that's directly on your PC (not on a hub). Sometimes USB disks
don't get enough power from some ports, or have other issues with particular ports. This is especially
common with USB hubs, but sometimes there are differences between ports on a PC, so try a few
different ports if you have them.
6. Try a different cable. It might sound crazy, but cables fail a lot, so try using a different cable to plug the
disk in. If you have an internal disk in a desktop PC, you'll probably need to shut your PC down before
switching cables - see your PC's manual for details.
7. Check Device Manager for issues. Select and hold (or right-click) the Start button, then select Device
Manager from the context menu. Look for any devices with an exclamation point next to it or other issues,
double-click the device and then read its status.
Here's a list of Error codes in Device Manager, but one approach that sometimes works is to select and
hold (or right-click) the problematic device, select Uninstall device , and then Action > Scan for
hardware changes .
8. Plug the disk into a different PC.

If the disk doesn't work on another PC, it's a good sign that there's something bad going on with the disk,
and not your PC. No fun, we know. Search for and ask for help at the Microsoft community site, or contact
your disk manufacturer or Microsoft Support.
If you just can't get it working, there are also apps that can try to recover data from a failing disk, or if the
files are really important, you can pay a data recovery lab to try to recover them. If you find something
that works for you, let us know in the comments section below.
IMPORTANT
Disks fail pretty often, so it's important to regularly backup any files you care about. If you have a disk that sometimes
doesn't appear or gives errors, consider this a reminder to double-check your backup methods. It's OK if you're a little
behind - we've all been there. The best backup solution is one you use, so we encourage you to find one that works for
you and stick with it.
TIP
For info on how to use apps built into Windows to backup files to an external drive such as a USB drive, see Back up and
restore your files. You can also save files in Microsoft OneDrive, which syncs files from your PC to the cloud. If your hard
disk fails, you'll still be able to get any files you store in OneDrive from OneDrive.com. For more info, see OneDrive on
your PC.
A basic or dynamic disk's status is Unreadable

Cause: The basic or dynamic disk is not accessible and might have experienced hardware failure, corruption, or
I/O errors. The disk's copy of the system's disk configuration database might be corrupted. An error icon
appears on disks that display the Unreadable status.
Disks might also display the Unreadable status while they are spinning up or when Disk Management is
rescanning all of the disks on the system. In some cases, an unreadable disk has failed and is not recoverable.
For dynamic disks, the Unreadable status usually results from corruption or I/O errors on part of the disk,
rather than failure of the entire disk.
Solution: Rescan the disks or restart the computer to see if the disk status changes. Also try the
troubleshooting steps described in A disk's status is Not Initialized or the disk is missing entirely.
A dynamic disk's status is Foreign

Cause: The Foreign status occurs when you move a dynamic disk to the local computer from another
computer PC. A warning icon appears on disks that display the Foreign status.
In some cases, a disk that was previously connected to the system can display the Foreign status. Configuration
data for dynamic disks is stored on all dynamic disks, so the information about which disks are owned by the
system is lost when all dynamic disks fail.
Solution: Add the disk to your computer's system configuration so that you can access data on the disk. To add
a disk to your computer's system configuration, import the foreign disk (select and hold (or right-click) the disk
and then click Impor t Foreign Disks ). Any existing volumes on the foreign disk become visible and accessible
when you import the disk.
A dynamic disk's status is Online (Errors)

Cause: The dynamic disk has I/O errors on a region of the disk. A warning icon appears on the dynamic disk
with errors.
Solution: If the I/O errors are temporary, reactivate the disk to return it to Online status.
A dynamic disk's status is Offline or Missing

Cause: An Offline dynamic disk might be corrupted or intermittently unavailable. An error icon appears on the
offline dynamic disk.
If the disk status is Offline and the disk's name changes to Missing , the disk was recently available on the
system but can no longer be located or identified. The missing disk may be corrupted, powered down, or
disconnected.
Solution: To bring a disk that is Offline and Missing back online:
1. Repair any disk, controller, or cable problems.
2. Make sure that the physical disk is turned on, plugged in, and attached to the computer.
3. Next, use the Reactivate Disk command to bring the disk back online.
4. Try the troubleshooting steps described in A disk's status is Not Initialized or the disk is missing entirely.
5. If the disk status remains Offline and the disk name remains Missing , and you determine that the disk has a
problem that cannot be repaired, you can remove the disk from the system by selecting and holding (or
right-clicking) the disk and then clicking Remove Disk ). However, before you can remove the disk, you must
delete all volumes (or mirrors) on the disk. You can save any mirrored volumes on the disk by removing the
mirror instead of the entire volume. Deleting a volume destroys the data in the volume, so you should
remove a disk only if you are absolutely certain that the disk is permanently damaged and unusable.
To bring a disk that is Offline and is still named Disk # (not Missing) back online, tr y one or more
of the following procedures:
1. In Disk Management, select and hold (or right-click) the disk and then click Reactivate Disk to bring the
disk back online. If the disk status remains Offline , check the cables and disk controller, and make sure
that the physical disk is healthy. Correct any problems and try to reactivate the disk again. If the disk
reactivation succeeds, any volumes on the disk should automatically return to the Healthy status.
2. In Event Viewer, check the event logs for any disk-related errors such as "No good config copies". If the
event logs contain this error, contact Microsoft Product Support Services.
3. Try moving the disk to another computer. If you can get the disk to go Online on another computer, the
problem is most likely due to the configuration of the computer on which the disk does not go Online .
4. Try moving the disk to another computer that has dynamic disks. Import the disk on that computer and
then move the disk back to the computer on which it would not go Online .
A basic or dynamic volume's status is Failed

Cause: The basic or dynamic volume cannot be started automatically, the disk is damaged, or the file system is
corrupt. Unless the disk or file system can be repaired, the Failed status indicates data loss.
Solution:
If the volume is a basic volume with Failed status:
Make sure that the underlying physical disk is turned on, plugged in, and attached to the computer.
Try the troubleshooting steps described in A disk's status is Not Initialized or the disk is missing entirely.
If the volume is a dynamic volume with Failed status:
Make sure the underlying disks are online. If not, return the disks to the Online status. If this succeeds, the
volume automatically restarts and returns to the Healthy status. If the dynamic disk returns to the Online
status, but the dynamic volume does not return to the Healthy status, you can reactivate the volume
manually.
If the dynamic volume is a mirrored or RAID-5 volume with old data, bringing the underlying disk online will
not automatically restart the volume. If the disks that contain current data are disconnected, bring those disks
online first (to allow the data to become synchronized). Otherwise, restart the mirrored or RAID-5 volume
manually, and then run the Error-checking tool or Chkdsk.exe.
Try the troubleshooting steps described in A disk's status is Not Initialized or the disk is missing entirely.
A basic or dynamic volume's status is Unknown

Cause: The Unknown status occurs when the boot sector for the volume is corrupted (possibly due to a virus)
and you can no longer access data on the volume. The Unknown status also occurs when you install a new disk
but do not successfully complete the wizard to create a disk signature.
Solution Initialize the disk. For instructions, see Initialize New Disks.
A dynamic volume's status is Data Incomplete

Cause: You moved some, but not all of the disks in a multi-disk volume. Data on this volume will be destroyed
unless you move and import the remaining disks that contain this volume.
Solution:
1. Move all the disks that comprise the multi-disk volume to the computer.
2. Import the disks. For instructions describing how to move and import disks, see Move Disks to Another
Computer.
If you no longer require the multi-disk volume, you can import the disk and create new volumes on it. To do so:
1. Select and hold (or right-click) the volume with Failed or Failed Redundancy status and then click Delete
Volume .
2. Select and hold (or right-click) the disk and then click New Volume .
A dynamic volume's status is Healthy (At Risk)

Cause: Indicates that the dynamic volume is currently accessible, but I/O errors have been detected on the
underlying dynamic disk. If an I/O error is detected on any part of a dynamic disk, all volumes on the disk
display the Healthy (At Risk) status and a warning icon appears on the volume.
When the volume status is Healthy (At Risk) , an underlying disk's status is usually Online (Errors) .
Solution:
1. Return the underlying disk to the Online status. Once the disk is returned to Online status, the volume
should return to the Healthy status. If the Healthy (At Risk) status persists, the disk might be failing.
2. Back up the data and replace the disk as soon as possible.
Cannot manage striped volumes using Disk Management or DiskPart

Cause: Some non-Microsoft disk management products replace Microsoft Logical Disk Manager (LDM) for
advanced disk management, which can disable the LDM.
Solution: If you are using non-Microsoft disk management software that has disabled LDM, you must contact
the vendor on the non-Microsoft disk management software for support or assistance in troubleshooting
problems with the disk configuration.
Disk Management cannot start the Virtual Disk Service

Cause: If a remote computer does not support the Virtual Disk Service (VDS) or if you cannot establish a
connection to the remote computer because it is blocked by Windows Firewall, you may receive this error.
Solution:
1. If the remote computer supports VDS, you can configure Windows Defender Firewall to allow VDS
connections. If the remote computer does not support VDS, you can use Remote Desktop Connection to
connect to it and then run Disk Management directly on the remote computer.
2. To manage disks on remote computers that do support VDS, you must configure the Windows Defender
Firewall on both the local computer (on which you are running Disk Management) and the remote computer.
3. On the local computer, configure Windows Defender Firewall to enable the Remote Volume Management
Exception.
NOTE
The Remote Volume Management Exception includes exceptions for Vds.exe, Vdsldr.exe, and TCP port 135.
NOTE
Remote connections in workgroups are not supported. Both the local computer and the remote computer must be
members of a domain.
See also
Free up drive space in Windows 10

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Contents

About those extra recovery partitions

Online and offline status

To initialize new disks

About partition styles - GPT and MBR

Verify volume health

Uninstall the disks

Remove dynamic disks

Install disks in the new computer

To change a dynamic disk back to a basic disk by using Disk

To change a dynamic disk back to a basic disk by using a command

conver t basic Converts an empty dynamic disk into a basic disk.

Converting using the Windows interface

Converting using a command line

Converting using the Windows interface

Converting using a command line

7. At the DISKPART prompt, type convert mbr .

Viewing VHDs in Disk Management

Attaching and detaching a VHD

Here's how to change the drive letter:

Mounting a drive in an empty folder

To mount a drive in an empty folder by using the Windows interface

select volume Selects the specified volume, where volumenumber is the

assign Assigns a drive letter or mount point folder path to

To extend a volume by using Disk Management

4. Select Next and then Finish to extend the volume.

To extend a volume by using PowerShell

# Variable specifying the drive you want to extend

Shrinking a basic volume

To shrink a basic volume using the Windows interface

To shrink a basic volume using a command line

select volume Selects the specified volume, where volumenumber is the

shrink Shrinks the volume with focus to create unallocated space.

desired= desiredsize The amount of space, in megabytes, to recover to the

minimum= minimumsize The minimum amount of space, in megabytes, to recover to

How to open Disk Management

Disks that are missing or not initialized, plus general troubleshooting

8. Plug the disk into a different PC.

A basic or dynamic disk's status is Unreadable

A dynamic disk's status is Foreign

A dynamic disk's status is Online (Errors)

A dynamic disk's status is Offline or Missing

A basic or dynamic volume's status is Failed

A basic or dynamic volume's status is Unknown

A dynamic volume's status is Data Incomplete

A dynamic volume's status is Healthy (At Risk)

Cannot manage striped volumes using Disk Management or DiskPart

Disk Management cannot start the Virtual Disk Service

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