How to Convert Basic Disk to Dynamic Disk in Windows Server 2012/2016/2008 (UTF-8 Encoding)

Should I convert disks to Dynamic Disk in Windows Server?

What does "Convert to Dynamic Disk" mean? Learn the difference between basic and dynamic disks here.

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Basic disks are supported by all Windows operating systems from MS-DOS through Windows Server 2019. It is the most common disk type in Windows, which contains primary partitions and logical drives. It supports both MBR and GPT partition styles.

Dynamic Disk is supported by Windows Server operating systems, Windows 10/8.1/8/7, XP, Vista, and Windows 2000. Different from Basic Disk, it uses a hidden Logical Disk Manager or Virtual Disk Service to track information. It allows you to share data across two or more disks.

After you convert a basic disk to a dynamic disk, you can create different types of volumes on the dynamic disk, such as simple volume, spanned volume, striped volume, mirrored volume, and RAID-5 volume. By creating other dynamic volumes, users can protect data, make full use of disk space, and speed up data storage.

So, how to convert basic disk to dynamic disk on Windows Server computer? You have three useful options – the first two are built-in Windows tools, and the other is a professional third-party utility.

Three Ways to Convert Basic Disks to Dynamic Disks in Windows Server

To convert to dynamic disks, you can choose one of the solutions that makes you most comfortable.

• You cannot install the Windows OS, such as Windows 10, on a dynamic disk.
• The OEM partition may fail to work properly after conversion - since most vendors' OEM parts match with the disk type, attributes, and partition layout. Any operations like copying, moving partitions, or converting the disk may affect its functionality.

Method 1: Convert to GIF Using Third-Party Software

Using Disk Management or Command Prompt might lead to data loss. So, you need to ensure the safety of your data first. Why not skip these two tools and turn to other software? It's best to choose a third-party tool that can convert basic disk to dynamic without losing data.

With the partition manager tool, you can easily convert a disk to dynamic or convert dynamic disk to basic. It performs disk management tasks, including resizing, deleting, merging partitions, and moving the OS to another drive.

Download Partition Master and finish the conversion in 4 steps:

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How to Convert to Dynamic Disk in Windows Server 2012/2016/2008:

Step 1. Install and launch the Partition Master, then go to Disk Converter.

Step 2. Choose the disk conversion mode that suits your needs:

• Convert to Dynamic Disk: Convert a basic disk to a dynamic disk. • Convert to Basic Disk: Convert a dynamic disk to a basic disk.

Step 3. Choose the destination disk - Basic or Dynamic. Check the correct disk and click "Convert" to start the conversion.

0:00 - 0:18 Convert basic disks to dynamic disks; 0:19 - 0:36 convert dynamic disks back to basic disks.

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Method 2: Convert to Dynamic Disk using Disk Management

Backup your data first to prevent any loss.

Open Disk Management either of the following ways.

Right-click the Windows Start icon and select Disk Management.

Alternatively, press Windows Key + R to open the “Run” dialog > Type diskmgmt.msc > Click OK.

Step 2: You will now see the existing hard disks. Right-click on the Basic disk that you want to convert and select "Convert to Dynamic Disk..." from the list.

Step 3: A new window will appear where you should select the disk, and then click OK.

Step 4. Click “Convert” to proceed after verifying that you have selected the correct disk.

Step 5: Read the warning, then click Yes.

Note: Make sure you do not want to install the Windows operating system on this hard drive.

Method 3: Convert Basic Disk to Dynamic Disk via CMD

This operation might result in data loss. Back up your important files first.

Step 1: Search for “Command Prompt” and click Run.

Step 2. Type diskpart and press Enter.

Third step: Enter the command.

"Lisk disk" can be translated to "莱斯克磁盘" in Chinese. But keep in mind, "Lisk" refers to a blockchain platform and a cryptocurrency. So, this could mean a storage device or something connected to the Lisk platform, depending on the context in which it's used.

Select disk n

"Transform Dynamics"

Step 4: Type exit, and press Enter.

Additional Tip: The Convert to Dynamic Disk option is grayed out in Windows Server

"Disk Management" cannot convert an MBR disk larger than 2TB to dynamic. If you encounter the "Convert to Dynamic Disk" grayed out issue, you need to convert MBR to GPT. But we don't recommend using Disk Management to do this task because it will require deleting all partitions on the disk. To protect your data, you can use Partition Master (also called Partition Converter) on a server PC to convert MBR to GPT.

Windows Server - Convert to Dynamic Disk with Ease!

This article collects 3 valuable methods to convert basic disk to dynamic disk. Run Partition Master and the disk will become dynamic quickly. You can also choose other two ways. Make sure you have backed up all data in case of unexpected data loss.