How to Convert Simple Volume to Primary Partition without Data Loss?

• What’s the difference between simple volume and primary partition?
• Can we convert simple volume to primary partition?
• How to convert simple volume to primary partition without data loss?
• Summary

What’s the difference between simple volume and primary partition?

The simple volume can only be created on a dynamic disk while the primary partition can only be created on a basic MBR or GPT disk. Besides simple volume, the dynamic disk volumes can also be divided into spanned volume, striped volume, mirrored volume and RAID-5 volume. The simple volume can be created on a single dynamic disk as with partition of Basic Disk, but its space can be inconsecutive.

After you convert a  basic disk to dynamic disk, all partitions on basic disk will become simple volume and not primary partition though your windows is working correctly. And you cannot create a primary partition on the dynamic disk, so you could need a way to convert simple volume to primary partition.

Can we convert simple volume to primary partition?

Given that the simple volume is based on a dynamic disk while the primary partition is based on a basic disk, so turning a simple volume to a primary partition needs conversion from dynamic disk to basic disk. To do so, you can make use of the Windows built-in Disk Management or Command Prompt tool.

★Tip:

Those two tools cannot convert the dynamic disk back to basic disk directly unless you delete the volumes first.So you must create a disk backup before conversion if data is concerned.

1. Convert simple volume to primary partition via Disk Management

Step 1. Press  “Win+R” keys on your keyboard to open Run dialogue, input “diskmgmt.msc” to open Disk management.

Step 2. Right-click each dynamic volume on the dynamic disk and choose “Delete Volume” until all dynamic volumes are removed.

Step 3. Then right-click the dynamic disk, choose “Convert to Basic Disk” and follow the instructions to finish the conversion.

Once it is done, you can create a primary partition on the basic disk.

2. Change simple volume to primary partition using CMD

If you are an expert, you can also try the Command Prompt to convert the dynamic disk to basic one.

Step 1.Press Win+R keys on your keyboard to open Run dialogue, input “cmd” and hit on “Enter” to open Command Prompt.

Step 2. Type the commands given below and press Enter key after each command.

▶diskpart

▶list disk

▶select disk n, (“n” refers the disk number of the dynamic that you want to convert)

▶list volume

▶select volume m,(“m” is the number of the volume on the dynamic disk)

▶delete volume (repeat these two commands to delete all volumes)

▶select disk n

▶convert basic

How to convert simple volume to primary partition without data loss?

In the above methods, you have to delete the simple volumes on dynamic disk, convert it to basic disk and then create primary partitions on the disk. Absolutely, it isn’t a perfect method. Thus, here we highly recommend you using the third party software: AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. It provides the Dynamic Disk Converter, allowing you to convert dynamic disk to basic disk directly along with all volumes intact and Convert MBR to GPT for Windows 11. 

In other words, it can directly and safely convert/change dynamic disk to basic and simple volume to basic primary partition with all data protected, and also it can sector by sector clone spanned, striped, mirrored and RAID5 volume on dynamic disk to basic disk partition in Windows 10, 8, 7. At the same time, the simple volume can be cloned to primary partition through it. Next we will show how to convert/change simple volume to primary partition.

PS.: you can download its demo version for a free trial. To convert dynamic disk to basic one on Windows Server OS, please use the AOMEI Partition Assistant Server.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant Server. Click “Convert” in the top toolbar, and choose “Dynamic Disk Converter”.

Step 2. After skipping the welcome page, you will see its main interface below, and choose Method 1 (Convert a dynamic disk back to basic disk), and then click the Next button.

Step 3. Now, all dynamic disks will be shown in the following list box, please choose the dynamic disks which you want to convert. For a instance, here choose the Disk 2 (all simple volumes), and click the Next button to continue.

Step 4. And then, the program prompts you confirm the conversion from dynamic disk into basic disk. By ticking the option "I have decided to execute this operation..." and clicking "Proceed" button to start work. The process of the conversion will take 3 to 10 seconds only.

After the conversion process is completed and the computer is rebooted, the simple volumes have been changed to primary partitions without losing data!

Summary

So, now you can choose a proper way to convert simple volume to primary partition for your situation. To avoid data loss during the conversion, the AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is more recommended. Moreover, after conversion, you can manage your basic disk partition with AOMEI Partition Assistant as well. For example,you can resize, move, clone, merge, clone, split partitions, convert MBR and GPT without losing data, transfer OS to SSD, etc.