Convert Basic Disk to Dynamic Disk in Windows

This post compares Basic Disk and Dynamic Disk and shows how to convert basic disk to dynamic disk and dynamic disk to basic disk, using Disk Management and CMD / diskpart, without losing the data in Windows 10/8/7.

Basic Disk and Dynamic Disk

There are two types 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 file system. Dynamic disks offer the ability to create fault-tolerant volumes that may even span multiple disks – which Basic disks cannot.
Most home personal computers are configured using Basic disks, however IT professionals usually prefer to use Dynamic disks, as they offer more functionality and increased reliability and performance. While Home editions of Windows support Basic Disks, Enterprise/Pro/Ultimate versions of Windows operating system support Dynamic Disks as well.

Microsoft has listed the operations that can be performed on each of these types.

Operations than can be performed on both, Basic and Dynamic disks:

1. Check Disk properties, Partition properties and  Volume properties
2. Establish drive-letter assignments for disk volumes or partitions
3. Support both MBR and GPT partition styles.
4. 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:

1. Create and delete simple, spanned, striped, mirrored, and RAID-5 volumes.
2. Extend a simple or spanned volume.
3. Remove a mirror from a mirrored volume
4. Break the mirrored volume into two volumes.
5. Repair mirrored or RAID-5 volumes.
6. Reactivate a missing or offline disk. 

Convert a Basic disk to Dynamic disk

Before you start this process, you should know that there could be data loss as a result of this operation, so it is imperative that you first take a backup of your data to an external hard disk. So proceed only if you know what you are doing and be careful.

If you are using a basic disk as a storage area for shadow copies and you intend to convert the disk into a dynamic disk, it is important to take the following precaution to avoid data loss. If the disk is a non-boot volume and is a different volume from where the original files reside, you must first dismount and take offline the volume containing the original files before you convert the disk containing shadow copies to a dynamic disk. You must bring the volume containing the original files back online within 20 minutes, otherwise, you will lose the data stored in the existing shadow copies. If the shadow copies are located on a boot volume, you can convert the disk to dynamic without losing shadow copies, states Microsoft.

Using UI


In Windows 8.1, open the WinX Menu and select Disk Management. Right-click on the Disk and select Convert to Dynamic Disk. You will asked to once again confirm the Disk and click on Convert later on. The process will start and the Disk will be converted to a Dynamic disk.
Using Command line

Open an elevated command prompt, type diskpart and hit Enter.
Next, type list disk. Make 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

Using Disk Management
To change a Dynamic disk to a Basic disk, using Disk Management, right-click each volume you want to convert to a basic disk, and select Delete Volume for each volume on the disk. When all volumes on the disk have been deleted, right-click the Disk, and select Convert to Basic Disk. The operation will start.
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:

1. Type select disk <disknumber>.
2. Type detail disk <disknumber>.
3. For each volume on the disk, type select volume= <volumenumber> and then type delete volume.
4. 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 carry out any of these operations. And also never convert a Basic disk that contains your operating system to a Dynamic disk, as it could make your system unbootable.

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How to Fix USB Device Not Recognized Error In Windows OS

Did you ever noticed this pop up when you plug your Flash-drive/Pen-drive and shows that “USB Device Not Recognized“? Why this pop up comes out? I’m going to show you the method and trick that how can it be possible to fix these types of error on your windows.

Only because of this error you are unable to use your portable drive on your computer, which means you have a driver malfunctioning on your computer, may be missing of drivers cause these errors, and main problem is there is you actually wouldn’t recognize that which driver is malfunctioned and which is not. So follow the below steps to make your things done right now!

You can get back your drive only after updating or troubleshooting your USB drivers but at first, just follow each step to get your pen-drive at working condition on your computer.

1. Things you can do manually to fix this issue of not detecting your Pendrive!

Unplug And Plug Your Power Cable

   

Unplug Your Computer’s Power Supply from the back of the CPU, whenever you totally remove the power supply to your computer and give the power back again which means you are refreshing your computer and at that time whichever software or programme is missing the system will take it automatically.

Pull out RAM From Motherboard and clean it.

 

If you are facing your USB or any sort of Blue screen on your computer then you can reinsert your RAM after cleaning it, doing this reclaiming your computer that it should again take all the software regenerated by itself and refresh the computer system.

Disconnect And Connect Your USB Devices.

 

Try to insert your device and if you see the error again then take out the drive and again after few seconds reinsert it. This is a very simple process and very suitable for a computer to refresh all the data and software.

 

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3 Ways to Hack Wifi using Android without Rooting

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A-Z Kali Linux Commands-Part 1

Hello Welcome back to Allroundtricks.Blogspot.com
All commands [A-Z] for Kali Linux here:

A

apropos Search Help manual pages (man -k)
apt-get Search for and install software packages (Debian/Ubuntu)
aptitude Search for and install software packages (Debian/Ubuntu)
aspell Spell Checker
awk Find and Replace text, database sort/validate/index

B

basename Strip directory and suffix from filenames
bash GNU Bourne-Again SHell
bc Arbitrary precision calculator language
bg Send to background
break Exit from a loop •
builtin Run a shell builtin
bzip2 Compress or decompress named file(s)

C

cal Display a calendar
case Conditionally perform a command
cat Concatenate and print (display) the content of files
cd Change Directory
cfdisk Partition table manipulator for Linux
chgrp Change group ownership
chmod Change access permissions
chown Change file owner and group
chroot Run a command with a different root directory
chkconfig System services (runlevel)
cksum Print CRC checksum and byte counts
clear Clear terminal screen
cmp Compare two files
comm Compare two sorted files line by line
command Run a command - ignoring shell functions •
continue Resume the next iteration of a loop •
cp Copy one or more files to another location
cron Daemon to execute scheduled commands
crontab Schedule a command to run at a later time
csplit Split a file into context-determined pieces
cut Divide a file into several parts

D

date Display or change the date & time
dc Desk Calculator
dd Convert and copy a file, write disk headers, boot records
ddrescue Data recovery tool
declare Declare variables and give them attributes •
df Display free disk space
diff Display the differences between two files
diff3 Show differences among three files
dig DNS lookup
dir Briefly list directory contents
dircolors Colour setup for `ls'
dirname Convert a full pathname to just a path
dirs Display list of remembered directories
dmesg Print kernel & driver messages
du Estimate file space usage

E

echo Display message on screen •
egrep Search file(s) for lines that match an extended expression
eject Eject removable media
enable Enable and disable builtin shell commands •
env Environment variables
ethtool Ethernet card settings
eval Evaluate several commands/arguments
exec Execute a command
exit Exit the shell
expect Automate arbitrary applications accessed over a terminal
expand Convert tabs to spaces
export Set an environment variable
expr Evaluate expressions

F

false Do nothing, unsuccessfully
fdformat Low-level format a floppy disk
fdisk Partition table manipulator for Linux
fg Send job to foreground
fgrep Search file(s) for lines that match a fixed string
file Determine file type
find Search for files that meet a desired criteria
fmt Reformat paragraph text
fold Wrap text to fit a specified width.
for Expand words, and execute commands
format Format disks or tapes
free Display memory usage
fsck File system consistency check and repair
ftp File Transfer Protocol
function Define Function Macros
fuser Identify/kill the process that is accessing a file

G

gawk Find and Replace text within file(s)
getopts Parse positional parameters
grep Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern
groupadd Add a user security group
groupdel Delete a group
groupmod Modify a group
groups Print group names a user is in
gzip Compress or decompress named file(s)

H

hash Remember the full pathname of a name argument
head Output the first part of file(s)
help Display help for a built-in command •
history Command History
hostname Print or set system name

I

iconv Convert the character set of a file
id Print user and group id's
if Conditionally perform a command
ifconfig Configure a network interface
ifdown Stop a network interface
ifup Start a network interface up
import Capture an X server screen and save the image to file
install Copy files and set attributes

J

jobs List active jobs •
join Join lines on a common field

K

kill Stop a process from running
killall Kill processes by name

L

less Display output one screen at a time
let Perform arithmetic on shell variables •
ln Create a symbolic link to a file
local Create variables •
locate Find files
logname Print current login name
logout Exit a login shell •
look Display lines beginning with a given string
lpc Line printer control program
lpr Off line print
lprint Print a file
lprintd Abort a print job
lprintq List the print queue
lprm Remove jobs from the print queue
ls List information about file(s)
lsof List open files

M

make Recompile a group of programs
man Help manual
mkdir Create new folder(s)
mkfifo Make FIFOs (named pipes)
mkisofs Create an hybrid ISO9660/JOLIET/HFS filesystem
mknod Make block or character special files
more Display output one screen at a time
mount Mount a file system
mtools Manipulate MS-DOS files
mtr Network diagnostics (traceroute/ping)
mv Move or rename files or directories
mmv Mass Move and rename (files)

N

netstat Networking information
nice Set the priority of a command or job
nl Number lines and write files
nohup Run a command immune to hangups
notify-send Send desktop notifications
nslookup Query Internet name servers interactively

O

open Open a file in its default application
op Operator access

P

passwd Modify a user password
paste Merge lines of files
pathchk Check file name portability
ping Test a network connection
pkill Stop processes from running
popd Restore the previous value of the current directory
pr Prepare files for printing
printcap Printer capability database
printenv Print environment variables
printf Format and print data •
ps Process status
pushd Save and then change the current directory
pwd Print Working Directory

Q

quota Display disk usage and limits
quotacheck Scan a file system for disk usage
quotactl Set disk quotas

R

ram ram disk device
rcp Copy files between two machines
read Read a line from standard input •
readarray Read from stdin into an array variable •
readonly Mark variables/functions as readonly
reboot Reboot the system
rename Rename files
renice Alter priority of running processes
remsync Synchronize remote files via email
return Exit a shell function
rev Reverse lines of a file
rm Remove files
rmdir Remove folder(s)
rsync Remote file copy (Synchronize file trees)

S

screen Multiplex terminal, run remote shells via ssh
scp Secure copy (remote file copy)
sdiff Merge two files interactively
sed Stream Editor
select Accept keyboard input
seq Print numeric sequences
set Manipulate shell variables and functions
sftp Secure File Transfer Program
shift Shift positional parameters
shopt Shell Options
shutdown Shutdown or restart linux
sleep Delay for a specified time
slocate Find files
sort Sort text files
source Run commands from a file `.'
split Split a file into fixed-size pieces
ssh Secure Shell client (remote login program)
strace Trace system calls and signals
su Substitute user identity
sudo Execute a command as another user
sum Print a checksum for a file
suspend Suspend execution of this shell •
symlink Make a new name for a file
sync Synchronize data on disk with memory

T

tail Output the last part of file
tar Tape ARchiver
tee Redirect output to multiple files
test Evaluate a conditional expression
time Measure Program running time
times User and system times
touch Change file timestamps
top List processes running on the system
traceroute Trace Route to Host
trap Run a command when a signal is set(bourne)
tr Translate, squeeze, and/or delete characters
true Do nothing, successfully
tsort Topological sort
tty Print filename of terminal on stdin
type Describe a command •

U

ulimit Limit user resources •
umask Users file creation mask
umount Unmount a device
unalias Remove an alias •
uname Print system information
unexpand Convert spaces to tabs
uniq Uniquify files
units Convert units from one scale to another
unset Remove variable or function names
unshar Unpack shell archive scripts
until Execute commands (until error)
uptime Show uptime
useradd Create new user account
userdel Delete a user account
usermod Modify user account
users List users currently logged in
uuencode Encode a binary file
uudecode Decode a file created by uuencode

V

v Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b')
vdir Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b')
vi Text Editor
vmstat Report virtual memory statistics

W

wait Wait for a process to complete •
watch Execute/display a program periodically
wc Print byte, word, and line counts
whereis Search the user's $path, man pages and source files for a program
which Search the user's $path for a program file
while Execute commands
who Print all usernames currently logged in
whoami Print the current user id and name (`id -un')
wget Retrieve web pages or files via HTTP, HTTPS or FTP
write Send a message to another user

X

xargs Execute utility, passing constructed argument list(s)
xdg-open Open a file or URL in the user's preferred application.
yes Print a string until interrupted
. Run a command script in the current shell
!! Run the last command again

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