How to Convert Primary Partition to Logical Drive or Logical Drive to Primary in Windows Server

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How do I convert a physical partition to a logical or primary partition on a server?

Why convert to logical: An MBR disk can contain one extended partition and up to three primary partitions, or a maximum of four primary partitions. To create additional partitions on the disk, you must convert a primary partition to a logical partition.

Why do you need to convert a logical partition to primary: If you want to set up a dual-boot system on your computer, you will need to convert a logical partition to primary. This is because two operating systems require at least one primary partition, so having just one is not sufficient.

We also have a detailed guide on how to convert a logical partition to primary or vice versa in Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7. You can check the related article on the difference between a Logical Partition and a Primary Partition.

You will find here two parts to accomplish the migration task on Server 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012 (R2), 2008, and 2003.

#1. Convert Primary Disk to Logical Disk in Windows Server

There are three ways to convert a primary partition on the server to a logical one, but not all of them have the desired effect. Both the Command Prompt and Disk Management require that you delete the volume, which deletes data from the primary partition. If you quickly browse through the contents and type in the commands, bad news – your data is lost!

So first of all, we will list a third-party software that can convert primary partition to logical without losing data.

Method 1: Convert primary partition to logical partition with Partition Master

When it comes to disk conversion, whether converting a main disk to a logical disk or vice versa, MBR to GPT or the other way around, or a simple disk to a dynamic disk or vice versa, Partition Assistant Enterprise can help you change the disk style without data loss.

Download now or chat with us (24/7 free technical support):

Step 1. Download and run Partition Master, then you will get to the partition management interface.

Step 2: Right-click the partition you want to convert, and select "Advanced." Choose the conversion option:

1. Main to Logic 2. Logic to Main

Step 3: Click the "Run 1 Task" button, then select "Apply" to begin the conversion process.

0:00 - 0:30 Translating the main into logic; 0:31 - 0:50 translating logic back into the main.

Enjoy more features of Partition Master Tool:

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Method 2: Convert Primary Partition to Logical Drive via CMD

You can easily convert a primary partition to a logical drive by running the Diskpart utility on your Windows Server. Make sure to input the correct command line we provide, as incorrect information might lead to unintended data loss. To prevent such errors, it's advisable to create a full backup beforehand.

Step 1. Press Windows + R to open the Run box, type Diskpart, and click “OK.”

Step 2. Type each command and press Enter:

List disks

Select disk *

Create an extended partition

Create Logical Partition

"Format quickly"

Allocation of letters=*

Exit

Method 3: Convert to a Logical Drive on the Server Using Disk Management

The following steps involve deleting partitions, which will result in data loss. If you have sensitive files on the primary partition, we recommend backing up all your files with backup software (like the Todo Backup tool).

Step 1: Right-click the Start menu and select Disk Management.

2. Right-click the primary partition and select “Delete Volume.”

Step 3: Click on the “Unallocated” space and then select “New Simple Volume”.

Step 4. In the New Simple Volume Wizard, when presented with the three volume types, select Logical Drive.

Delete the volume using Disk Management

#2. Convert a Logical Disk to a Primary Disk in Windows Server

Here, you have two options to convert the logical to primary. If you don't want to download any third-party disk converter to change logical to primary, then go to CMD, which is a built-in tool of Windows to make the conversion on the server computer.

Option 1: Convert a Logical Partition to Primary with Professional Partition Tool

Download Disk Converter on Server 2003, 2008, 2012, 2019, 2022 with UTF-8 encoding:

View the video tutorial

Option 2: Change to Primary Partition via CMD

Step 1: Type “cmd” in the search bar. Right-click on it and select “Run as administrator.”

Step 2. Type diskpart and press Enter.

Step 3: Type "cmd," then press Enter.

List Disks
Select Disk * (* denotes the disk number containing the logical partition to be converted to primary)
List Partitions
Select Partition * (* indicates the number of the logical partition to be converted to primary)
Delete Partition (This command will erase all data on the selected logical partition and convert it to unallocated space)
Create Primary Partition

Conclusions

In Windows Server, it is not a tough task to convert primary partition to logical partition or vice versa – you can try using Partition Master tool, or run built-in programs of Windows (Command Prompt and Disk Management). The latter two methods may put your data at risk during the deletion process. To protect your data, the best choice is to use Partition Master tool.