This article will tell you how to convert dynamic disk to basic disk in Windows 11 with two ways. Including Windows 11 built-in tool Disk Management and a powerful third-party software AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional.
Quick Guide:
Of course, you can convert a dynamic disk to a basic disk. You can use Windows disk management tools to accomplish this task. However, this process requires that you need to delete all volumes and data on the dynamic disk. And the conversion is not reversible. Some people also have the worry:
"How to convert dynamic disk to basic without losing data? So.. made the mistake of converting my C: drive to dynamic which ended up causing a few issues. Not worth looking for a free way to do this without using a backup drive" - from Reddit
Fortunately, AOMEI provides AOMEI Partition Assistant to help you change dynamic disks to basic disks without losing any data. This method performs the conversion directly, keeping all volumes intact without losing any data. Continue reading and see how to convert dynamic to basic free.
AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is a powerful dynamic disk management utility, suitable for Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP. Its built-in function dynamic disk converter allows you to convert dynamic disks into basic disks without deleting volumes. Most importantly, its operation is very simple, no complicated command line is required, and the whole process is controlled by the mouse only.
In addition, Dynamic Disk Manager in it allows you resize/shrink/delete/format dynamic volume. Please download the demo to see how to achieve Windows 11 convert dynamic disk to basic disk.
Step 1. First of all, install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional.
Step 2. In the top toolbar, click "Convert" > "Dynamic Disk Converter".
Step 3. In the next screen, select Method 1 and click “Next” to continue.
Step 4. Check the dynamic disk you want to convert to basic and click Next. Then check the confirmation option and click “Proceed” to execute.
Step 5. When the conversion is done, Click OK to restart your computer. Then you’ll see that the disk has been converted to basic disk.
Note: If you want to use it on Windows Server, please upgrade to AOMEI Partition Assistant Server. It is specially designed for Windows Server 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012, 2008, 2003 users and can solve many of your disk partitioning problems.
Disk Management is a built-in tool of Windows. It can help you convert dynamic to basic disk for free, but Disk Management can only convert an empty dynamic disk to a basic disk. So you must delete all data on the dynamic disk.
Note: Please note that if there are important data on the dynamic disk, please back it up before deleting it.
Step 1. Click the “Start” icon at the bottom of the Windows 11 desktop, select “Disk Management” and open it.
Step 2. In Computer Management interface, click Disk Management under Storage and right-click every volume on the dynamic disk to choose “Delete Volume”.
Step 3. Wait for the process to complete, and then right-click the dynamic disk and select “Convert to Basic Disk”.
If you have any important data saved on the disk, make sure that you back it up to an external location before proceeding. As a rule, it is not recommended to convert a dynamic disk to a basic disk in Windows' Disk Management for foolproof operation.
You can also use the Command Prompt to convert a dynamic disk to a basic disk, but for computer beginners, entering the command line makes things more complicated.
Remember that when you convert a Dynamic disk to a Basic disk, all data on the Dynamic disk is erased without notice. If you decide that now is the time to convert your Dynamic disk to a Basic disk, please make a backup of any data before proceeding. Never convert a Basic disk that contains your operating system or other software you may need for daily work. Here are the details.
Step 1. Enter diskpart into the search box.
Step 2. Type list disk and note the disk number of your volume you want to convert to basic. It goes like this:
list disk. select disk x (You can Replace x with your dynamic disk number). detail disk select volume x (Replace x with dynamic disk number you want to delete). delete volume x
You will need to delete all existing volumes on the disk to convert it from dynamic to basic.
Step 4. After deleting all the disk volumes, run the below commands and press Enter every time. select disk x convert basic select disk x convert basic
Repeat the procedures for any number of drives until all volumes on Windows 11 are changed from dynamic to basic.
Step 5. When you're finished converting the dynamic drive to a simple drive, type exit and press Enter.
It's easier to use third-party disk utilities than to use Command Prompt. If you want to change a dynamic disk to a basic disk, fortunately, you can use the third-party software AOMEI Partition Assistant to convert a dynamic disk to a basic disk without deleting any data.
Dynamic disks and basic disks are two different types of disk storage. Before knowing why converting dynamic disk to basic disk, we need to know the differences and compare dynamic disk vs basic disk:
Although compared with basic disks, dynamic disks have some advantages (Click here to know more about dynamic disk vs basic disk). But for compatibility, our personal PCs use basic disks most of the time. Generally, we need to convert dynamic disks to basic disks in Windows 11 in the following situations:
☞ Install dual systems. Windows cannot be installed directly on a dynamic volume unless it is converted from a basic disk. ☞ The user converts a basic disk to a dynamic disk by accident, hoping to convert the dynamic disk back to a basic disk without damaging data. ☞ Other aspects are not compatible, such as dynamic disk does not support FAT file system.
Did you see? If you are experiencing problems with the conversion between dynamic disks and basic disks, then AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional must be your first choice. With the help of this partition magic, it is easy to convert dynamic disk to basic disk in Windows 11 without damaging data. What’s more, move application from one partition to another, migrate OS from MBR disk to GPT is also a favorite feature of the majority of users.
What is the difference between a dynamic disk and a basic disk? A basic disk uses basic disk storage types and supports only four primary partitions or three primary partitions and one extended partition with multiple logical drives. A dynamic disk provides features like software-based RAID, spanning volumes, and striping.
Why would I want to convert a dynamic disk to a basic disk? Basic disks are more widely supported, and some operating systems and utilities may not recognize dynamic disks. Converting to a basic disk can make it easier to manage your disk space.
Can I convert a dynamic disk to a basic disk without losing data? The conversion process usually involves deleting all volumes on the dynamic disk. Backup your important data before attempting the conversion to avoid data loss.
Can I convert a system disk or a disk with the operating system installed? Converting a system disk may require additional steps and may not be supported directly through Disk Management. Always backup your data before attempting any conversion on a disk with the operating system.
What if the "Convert to Basic Disk" option is grayed out? You may encounter this issue if the dynamic disk contains volumes or system/boot files. In such cases, you might need to use third-party partitioning tools or consider backup, format, and restore options.