How to create a partition using fdisk

Fdisk is DOS utility usually included in Windows boot disk, but to using it you should be familiar with some DOS console commands. Of course there is a more easiest way - using GUI utilities, you can read about and download them in the next posts.

Fdisk can create partitions only for DOS and Windows operating systems (or any others that work with FAT32 file table)

Now boot using you boot diskette or bootcd.
Then type fdisk and press enter


Just press enter one more time on this screen


You can press 4 to view current partitions. But as we just started there are no any.

So, how to create a partition - press 1.


First of all we should create Primary partition, than extanded partition which we can furhter divide on logicla drives for convinience.

So press 1.

Now if we want to have a few logical drives c: , d: and e: for example (usually in DOS and windows A: and B: - floppy drives c: active system partitions d: e: and etc logical drives than e: or f: the last one cd-rom drive) we should chose No - press N.
Because we want to have some space for another logical drives.


Now we should chose the amount of space for primary partition you can write percent or exact amount in megabytes (for this exapmles I'm using small 500mb virtual hard disk drive) for Windows OS enough 2Gb=2000Mb but usually it's better to have extra space for progarmms drivers and pagefile. 20Gb - will be enough for all of these matters. (I'll chose 100mb)


Press enter and you will have your Primary partition created, it will take some time - depends on HDD capacity.


Press Esc now.

To make Primary partition bootable you should make it Active. It's better to do it now (usually I forget this part and than trying to find out why my PC don't whant to boot from HDD)
So press 2 now.

Here you should chouse partition you want to make active, as we have only one partition we press 1.
Press enter and than Esc we will return in the main menu.

Press 1 - Create a DOS partition
Press 2 - Create Extended DOS partition

Now we should chouse space amount for extended partition, all avaible space by default. (only if you are going to make some NON-DOS (not FAT32) partition you should left space needed, any way it's imposible to make NON-DOS partitions using fdisk)

Press Enter than Esc.
Now we should make logical drive. We will make two of them (d: and e:).
So we should chouce space for the first of them. I'll chouse 50% of the space avaible.

Press Enter.

Now we should chose all the space avaible - just press Enter.

Press Esc.

That's it now we have three drives avaible.
You can press 4. to view information about them


Press Esc to leave the programm.

You should format all drives before using.

It's better to use NTFS file system instead of FAT32 for windows, but you can transform it while installing windows.