Safely Way to Change Dynamic Drive to Basic Disk
Windows Installation and builtin disk management tool ensure that disks initialized by can be converted to dynamic disk without any loss of data. On dynamic disks, there are some features which basic drive does not, such as the ability to set up multiple-disk volumes including simple, mirrored, striped, spanned and raid-5 volume. Before converting disk to dynamic, Windows OS will suggest you close other application programs that are running on the disk.
Any existing partition on basic drive will become dynamic simple volume after you change a basic disk to dynamic, also you cannot directly change the simple volume back to basic partition. Any dynamic volume cannot be supported by Windows 9X/ME/NT/DOS and Windows 7 Home, Vista Home and XP Home Edition, so based on the inconvenience you have to convert back it.
Steps to convert dynamic partition to basic
There are two right method to assist you change dynamic to basic partition; Refer to the first way:
- Press WIN+R and enter “diskmgmt.msc” to open Windows in-built disk manager.
- Backup all data on any dynamic volume to a removable disk or USB external disk.
- Delete all volumes on the dynamic disk.
- Right click the disk that you want to convert basic and choose “Convert to Basic Disk” option.
- Re-create the partition on the basic disk after completing the conversion.
- Restore the previous data back to basic partition.
Please note that before you could convert it back, the dynamic disk must be empty. If you want to keep your files, back it up or move it to another partition or external disk before you change dynamic partition to basic. This way is relatively cumbersome, and need you backup, delete and restore.
Another method is that using third-party tool to change dynamic partition back. If you do not intend to do manually this conversion, it is a good method that using Dynamic Disk Converter. It is able to safely and directly convert dynamic disk to basic disk without any loss of data and also it just take 3 to 10 seconds for the process. Please refer to below steps.
- Run the Dynamic Disk Converter and skip the welcome screen by clicking Next button.
- Select the dynamic disk that you wish to convert back to basic.
- Confirm the selected disk that you want to convert.
- The disk is converting…
- Wait for a few seconds. A report will show to you and restart your computer to take effect.
You could google “Dynamic Disk Converter” to find it and test. For more information of dynamic drive, please refer to Dynamic Disk Partition Management and Resize Dynamic Volume.