What Is the Maximum Number of Partitions Allowed in Windows 7

I'm trying to create a new partition in Win7 using disk management utility. Have shrunken existing drive to create unallocated space. Am not able to create a simple volume with this unallocated space due to the following error message.

"You cannot create a new volume in this unallocated space because the disk already contains maximum number of partitions"

How do I fix this issue or bypass it with some other method to create partitions?

Reason for Maximum Number of Partitions Error

Have you ever meet maximum number of partitions Windows 7 issue as mentioned above? Sometimes, you want to create more partitions to store different kinds of files and to distinguish them easily. Unfortunately, you received this error message. What is wrong with it?

When installing Windows 7 system, if you don’t manually set up primary partitions and extended partition, it will create all partitions as primary partition. Often, the disk format of computer is MBR, MBR disk only supports 4 primary partitions or 3 primary partitions and 1 extended partition at most.

Errors on creating partition with Disk Management

If you have 4 primary partitions, and you want to create a new partition, you will get the warning: The operation you selected will convert the selected basic disk(s) to dynamic disk(s). If you convert the disk(s) to dynamic, you will not be able to start installed operating systems from any volume on the disk(s) (except the current boot volume). Are you sure you want to continue?

Once 3 primary partitions and 1 extended partition are created, if you want to create a new volume, you will receive this error message: You cannot create a new volume in this unallocated space because the disk already contains the maximum number of partitions.

How many partitions can I create in Windows 7?

Generally speaking , if your disk is MBR, you can create 4 primary partitions or 3 primary partitions and 1 extended partition to hold logical drives at most. If you disk is GPT, you can have up to 128 partitions and do not need to distinguish between "primary" and "logical" partitions. All partitions on GPT disk are primary partitions by default. So, maximum number of partitions windows 7 problem often happens to MBR disk.

All versions of Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10 and Windows Server2003/2008/2012 can use GPT disk for data storage. However, booting is only supported for 64-bit editions on UEFI-based systems.

How to Fix Disk Contains Maximum Number of Partitions Issue

If you meet this problem, how to solve maximum number of partitions in Windows 7? Basically, there are two ways to fix this issue.

Method 1: Convert MBR Disk to GPT Disk with AOMEI Partition Assistant

In Windows, the number of partitions on GPT disk can reach up to 128. If you use GPT disk, you do not have to worry "cannot create a new simple in this unallocated space" error warning anymore. Also, all partitions on GPT disk are primary partitions by default. So if you want to create more than four primary partitions, GPT type is suggested. Let’s see how to convert MBR to GPT.

When it comes to conversion MBR to GPT, the first tool comes to your mind may be Disk Management. However, you must be sure to delete all volumes and then convert to GPT from MBR. Otherwise, you will not succeed converting MBR to GPT. If you delete all volumes, you will suffer a great data loss. it is not recommended to use Disk Management. You can turn to a third party software: AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional.

AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is a practical disk partition management which aims to make your PC disk partition management much easier and safer than ever. With its help, you do not have to worry about data loss.

Step 1: Download AOMEI Partition Assistant Pro, and launch the software.

Step 2: Right click the disk you want to convert.

Step 2. Choose Convert to GPT Disk. Then click OK.

Step 3. At last, click Apply to save the operation.

Notice:

1. Before converting MBR to GPT, you must make sure if your motherboard supports EFI/UEFI boot. If not, please don’t convert it to GPT disk, otherwise, your system will be unable to boot next time.

2. In Windows XP 32-bit, data disk doesn’t support GPT type. Moreover, in Windows XP including 32 bit and 64 bit, Windows Vista 32-bit and Windows 7 32-bit, the disk with operating system can’t be GPT type.

Method 2: Convert primary to logical with AOMEI Partition Assistant

If your motherboard does not support EFI/UEFI boot, you can try another easy way to solve maximum number of partitions allowed in windows 7 issue. That is converting primary to logical.

step1. Right-click the primary partition which you want to convert and go to “Advanced” and select “Convert to Logical Partition”. Click “OK” to confirm the operation in the following pop-up window. Commit the operation by clicking “Apply” on the tool bar.

The two method mentioned above can fix maximum number of partitions Windows 7 and allow you to create partition with Disk Management. However, It is kind of troublesome.

Why not create partition with AOMEI Partition Assistant? Actually, the error message mentioned above can not be found in AOMEI Partition Assistant. You can directly create new partitions with a few clicks without considering it is MBR or GPT. If it is MBR with four primary partitions, when you create new partitions, this software will automatically convert new partitions to logical partitions.

Conclusion

With the help of AOMEI Partition Assistant, just a few clicks, you can solve reached maximum number of partitions in windows 7 problem. In addition, you can resize partition or extend partition. Besides Windows 7, AOMEI Partition Assistant also supports all editions of Windows 8/8.1/10, Windows Vista and Windows XP.