Regarding Basic Disk convert to Dynamic Disk

Related Article: How to convert Dynamic Disks to Basic Disks

Dynamic Disk can maximize all your servers' performance. Even it has a lot of benefits, but you need to be aware of before you think regarding converting a basic disk to a dynamic disk. We are together to know this problems in this article.

The situation that can not be converted to dynamic disk

• Disk Space Issues while converting Basic Disk to Dynamic Disk. The disk space issues means is about the 1MB space at the disk end. Dynamic Disk uses the 1MB free space which is intended to track all information about dynamic volumes on the system. The basic disk must contain the 1MB space that is not partitioned at its end. This space is required to record the information for dynamic disk. If the 1MB space does not is found by Windows, the system generates errors related to insufficient disk space for this conversion. To solve the problem, we suggest you shrink the last partition by using like Partition Manager Software, in order to empty the 1MB free space for upgrading a basic disk to a dynamic disk.
• For the laptop, even if the disk can be converted to dynamic disk, we do not still recommend doing so. The main reason for the two, first, the laptop really should not be running on a server platform anyway; second, most laptops only have one hard disk, and dynamic disk can not gain any benefits on the single disk environment. Base on these reasons, you'd better not to upgrade your basic disk to the dynamic disk.
• For a clustered server platform, a basic disk can't be converted into a dynamic disk. For example, If Windows 2003 Enterprise Edition or Windows 2008 Datacenter Edition is configured as a cluster, and then the shared storage system can't be upgraded as a dynamic disk.
• For a removable external disk, can't be converted to dynamic disk. A simple reason is that set up a spanned volume or striped volume on the removable disk, if the disk was removed from the system, the spanned or striped volume would be broken.
• If only have one disk on your computer, you'd better not to convert it to dynamic disk. The reason is that the single disk can't get any benefits from dynamic disk. If you do, only let your disk is managed more difficult.
• If you want to use other dynamic disk to extend the capacity of original basic partition which will be converted to dynamic volume, please do not do this. If a volume was an original partition on dynamic disk, it still cannot be extended or spanned after upgrading it into dynamic volume. Only volumes which are created newly on dynamic disks can be extended for its capacity.

How to convert basic disk to dynamic disk

• Log on Windows as Administrator Privilege, and click Start Menu -> Run, and then type "diskmgmt.msc" to open Windows Disk Management.
• Right-click the basic disk which you want to convert to dynamic, and click "Convert to Dynamic Disk" menu item (You must right-click the gray area that contains the disk title on the left side of the Details pane. For example, right-click Disk 0). The graph is below:
  
  
• Select the check box that is next to the disk that you want to convert (if it is not already selected), and then click OK as follows:
  
  And then click OK button to open the following dialog, you can view about details:
  
  So, click Convert button to work this conversion.
• Click Yes when you are prompted to convert, and then start this conversion, in addition your computer could be restarted during the process.

If you want to convert back dynamic disk to basic disk, please see "Three ways to convert dynamic disk to basic disk" for more information.

The shortage of dynamic disk

Dynamic Disk has its inherent benefits, but still some shortcomings, please see "What is the disadvantage of dynamic disk?" for its shortage.