Why Windows 7 Cannot Create Primary Partition and How to Fix it?

Scenario:

Some users are confused that Windows 7 cannot create primary partition with disk management now and then.

A win 7 user tells me that he wants to install dual boot system, and uses another primary partition to store the new OS. So, he shrinks C drive with disk management but the new one is a logical drive.

An MBR disk allows for 4 primary partitions at most or 3 primary partitions and 1 extended partition. If you already have 4 primary partitions, you are not allowed to create another one. If you have 3 primary partitions and one extend partition, you can try to create a logical on the extend partition, and then convert logical to primary.

Why Windows 7 can’t create primary partitions?

The dual boot system is a really useful way to meet our needs which can provide better performance or better compatibility etc. However, when we try to install dual boot system, we are usually confused that Windows 7 cannot create primary. What is the reason for it? Let's see it.

1. It's related to the partition style on your computer.

An MBR disk is allowed to create 4 primary partitions or 3 primary partitions and 1 extend partition. So if you already have 4 primary partitions, you can't create more primary partitions. If you have 3 primary partitions and 1 extend partition, you can convert it to primary. In addition, you can convert MBR to GPT. GPT disk has no limits on the number of primary partition and you can create primary up to 128.

2. The disk has insufficient free space to create primary partition. 

In this case, you have to back up your files and data, format it and create partition again. Or you can replace your disk with a larger hard disk, such as HDD, SSD etc.

Currently, you may get the reason why windows 7 cannot create primary partition. Next, I will explainhow to solve the problem that Windows 7 cannot create primary partition.

Currently, you may get the reason why windows 7 cannot create primary partition. Next, we will say how to solve the problem windows 7 cannot create primary partition.

How to fix it if Windows 7 cannot create primary partition?

Create primary partition in Disk Management

Disk Management is a Windows built-in utility that enables you to manage your disk in different ways. Operations including disk format, disk creation, and disk deletion are all supported. Next ,let’s check how to use this program to create a new primary partition.

Step 1: Right click the unallocated space where you want to create a new partition and select New Simple Volume.

Step 2: Subsequently click Next and Finish. Then you will see a new primary partition(G).

That's all the steps you need to do. In the second window, you can see three primary partitions. If you try to create another partition, it will be a logical partition by default. It is annoying in reality. There is no way to create more than 3 primary partitions. If you want to create more than 3 primary partitions on MBR disk, you can create primary partition using Diskpart or directly turn to a professional partition manager like AOMEI Partition Assistant.

Create primary partition using partition manager

After talking about above Windows built-in tool, another freeware that can create more than 3 primary partitions easily will be introduced.

Step 1: Download AOMEI Partition Assistant, install and launch it. Then enter the main page, click one unallocated space and select Create Partition.

Step 2: Enter a new window, you will see following page. Please click Advanced and select Primary Partition in the drop-down box, then tick OK to continue the operation.

Step 3: After all sets, then preview and click Apply.

Step 4: In the next window, you can see all the detailed information of creating partition. Click Proceed to ensure you want to execute this operation.

Step 5: Now, you just need to wait. After all the operations finish, you will receive a message like ”Congratulation! All operations have been completed successfully ” then click OK.

If you do not have unallocated space on the disk, you can choose to change simple volume to primary partition on an MBR disk. In addition, if you want more than four primary partitions you can convert MBR to GPT.

Low disk space is the problem which upset many users. We know the simplest way is to increase the capacity of partition. That is all because of the improper distribution of disk during installation. To solve the problem completely, you can choose to create a reasonable primary partition size during installation.

Create primary partition in Windows 7 during installation

We all know, the primary partition is the only partition that can be set active and used to boot computer. If your computer does not have active partition, the computer will fail to boot. The GPT disk has no limitation on the number of primary partitions, so, I will take creating primary partition in Windows 7 during installation on MBR disk as an example below.

Step 1: After the first initial screen, you will see another window. In this window, you have to select one type of installation. You have to select the Custom(Advanced), as this is new copy of your windows.

Step 2: In the Install Windows pop-up, input“Shift+F10” and subsequently input”diskpart”>”list disk”>”select disk (number)”>”create partition primary”>”active” in the new window. After that, you will receive a message like “DiskPart marked the current partition as active” and click Next to finish all the later operation.

Summary

Windows 7 cannot create primary partitions?

In this post, I’ve given 2 ways to create primary partitions on Windows 7, namely, using Windows built-in Disk Management or using a third-party software utility. They’re both good programs but as for me, I chose the latter one because it was more functional and feature-rich, also very friendly to novices like me.

If you want to use AOMEI Partition Assistant on Servers, please try the Server edition.