[CS-FSLUG] Disk partitioning, difference between logical andprimary partitions?

[David M.]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tim Young" <Tim.Young at LightSys.org>
To: "A Christian virtual Free Software and Linux Users Group."
<Christiansource at ofb.biz>
Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2004 2:37 PM
Subject: Re: [CS-FSLUG] Disk partitioning, difference between logical
andprimary partitions?


> I don't have the really technical information right at my fingertips, but
> here is the quick difference.
>
> The initial partition information could hold information for 4 partitions
> (the primary partitions).  If you wish to extend the number of partitions,
> you create one large partition, which you can divide up into logical
> partitions.  (I believe you can have 18 or so logical partitions?  I am
not
> sure, but it is a lot.)

On standard ATA and ATA 2 disks, you can have up to 23 logical partitions
including the extended partition to make 24 partitions and the disk can only
contain 1 extended partiton.
>
> So:
>
> ------------------------------------------------------
> |part1 | part 2 | part 3| extended part              |
> ------------------------|-----------------------------
>                          | part 5  | part 6 | part7   |
>                          ------------------------------
>
> Partitions 1-4 are slots for primary partitions.  If you need to have more
> than 4 partitions, you MUST have an extended partition and logical
> partitions.  A number of operating systems hide the "extended" partition
> from you, making it automatically for you.  So you often just see the
> primary and logical partitions.

Only Windows 2000 and XP can support multiple primary partitions. All other
windows will only reconize the active primary partition Also you can only
desinate 1 partition as "active" and it must be on the first hard drive on
the system.