Feb 06, 2013

Dynamic Partition Problem During Windows 8 Installation

If you try to install windows 8 on dynamic partition, you will get message "Windows cannot be installed to this hard disk space. The Partition contains one or more dynamic volumes that are not supported for installation". If you have one disk(only one hard drive and all the partitions are dynamic) running Windows 7 and want to install Windows 8 on another partition, you need to convert the disk from DYNAMIC to BASIC. This article explains how to convert it without data loss (format).

Merge Partitions:

If you have more than 4 dynamic partitions, merge them (to make max 4 partitions).

Assuming F drive is just a data partition and doesn’t contain the page file, boot files or a second operating system. If so, Here are the steps to merge the partitions by removing F and extending E, as follows:

1. Back up to an external device any important data on F and, optionally, move the same important data from F to E.

2. Right-click Computer > Manage > Storage > Disk Management, then right-click the graphic of the F partition and select Delete. The partition returns to Unallocated for a Primary Partition or Free Space if it's a Logical Drive within an Extended Partition. Delete the partition if it is an Extended partition.

3. Now right-click the graphic of the E partition and select Extend.

Converting Dynamic Disk to Basic Disk:

1. Download pw422.zip ISO and extract it.

2. Download Universal USB installer.

3. Run "Universal USB installer", select Other linux version, select pw422.iso and select pen-drive to burn as bootable pen-drive.

4. Boot from pen-drive

5. Select HDD and change Dynamic drive into Basic.

6. Select Operation and click Apply.

[Warning]: Everything will be restored but extra partition (which is more than 4) will be deleted and data of that partition will be erased that's why we have already merged additional partitions. (I got my partitions deleted but ..Thank God ..."partition recovery wizard" option helped me to recover partition.)

Now you can install Windows 8 easily with normal steps.

Hope, It helps.