What Is an Active Partition in 2024, Everything You Need to Know

Are you aware of the system and boot partition? Both these partitions play a crucial role in carrying out the booting of Windows. Moreover, if you mistakenly made a specific partition active and want to change it, you must be thorough with the basic knowledge of your Windows Partition.

Here we will enlighten you on a more straightforward approach to making a partition active using efficient third-party software. So, let's get an idea about an active partition and how it works.

What Is an Active Partition in Windows 11/10/8/7 

An active partition is a partition that holds the Operating system's boot files that assists in starting the PC. You can set precisely a single partition as an active/bootable partition on each hard drive. As an example, a Microsoft Windows user must know that the active partition is the one that contains Windows. If you have a multi-boot system, switching from the OS to the second one requires rebooting the PC. Once the OS is selected for booting, that specific Partition of the OS is marked as active.

In case you are running only a single OS, the C drive or C partition is turned active and remains permanently this way. So, in a single boot, this partition gets active and primary. 

Importance:

The active partition is a crucial element of the OS because it helps organize data on a hard drive. On a single hard drive, you can set many primary partitions; however, only one can be an active partition at a given time. 

Which Partition Should Be Active 

As a common practice, the active Partition in Windows is the system partition of the OS. Moreover, the partition termed "active" must be the boot. It must have BCD and BOOTMGR on it. If you have recently or freshly done installation of Windows 10, then you will notice the partition as "System Reserved." As a default option, partition C is marked as an "active" partition.

You will also notice that this condition applies specifically to MBR (Master Boot Record) disks booted in compatibility mode in CSM or BIOS. Moreover, GPT disks should use the EFI system partition instead of the "active" flag. It is so because Windows can boot GPT Disks utilizing the mode of UEFI.

However, you can change it based on your requirements or situation. Now, let us know how to make a partition active on Windows.

By the way, if you set the wrong partition active, you can click the link below to learn more.

How to Make a Partition Active - A Professional Tool

You can make a partition active in Windows. However, if you find the practice or steps technical and are afraid to do it instantly, we have a suggestion for you. EaseUS Partition Master is the perfect software to carry out this functionality seamlessly. 

EaseUS provides you with facilities for the creation and modification of partitions. The software is well equipped with a "Set Active" feature that assists with making a partition active. 

Step 1. Run EaseUS partition manager software. On the disk map, right-click the target partition and choose "Advanced".

Step 2. Then, select "Set Active" from the drop-down menu. Click "Yes".  And choose "Execute 1 Task(s)" and click "Apply".

Features

Let us introduce the main features of EaseUS Partition Master as follows;

• It helps convert MBR to GPT for upgrading to Windows 11.
• It can set a partition active and move active flag from partition.
• You get indications of low disk space while using this software.
• You get the option of "Manual adjustment" for resizing the partition size on the disk.
• It helps extend or shrink the partition size on the disk, irrespective of the partition layout.
• It assists with efficiently formatting drives to full size with file systems like FAT32 or NTFS for supporting different systems and devices.
• It helps convert NTFS to FAT32 without formatting so that it can be used on non-PC systems or Smart TVs, digital cameras, etc.

You can download EaseUS Partition Master and choose among its various versions that are apt for users, Home or Business users. You also get Free, Professional, and Enterprise versions, so choose wisely per your requirement. Download it and start using it right away! 

Conclusion

We hope to enlighten you on what is an active partition and how it operates on your Windows PC. We also suggested an easy way of dealing with the active partition by introducing you to fabulous software.

We hope after checking out the prominent features of EaseUS Partition Master, you will be glad to know that there are various variants of the software to choose from as per your purpose. 

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What Is an Active Partition FAQs

If case you have any further queries regarding your Windows PC partition, catch a glimpse of some popular FAQs. This part will give you a deeper insight into the topic.

1. Do I need an active partition?

Yes, you need an active partition to make your PC boot normally. However, ensuring your system disk runs actively for this would be best.

2. Can I delete an active partition?

Usually, you are unable to delete the active partition. The reason is that you use this active partition for booting your PC. If you go for its deletion, your data stored on the PC and the OS gets removed.

3. What happens when you make a partition active?

As a default feature, the partition having Windows is marked as active. If you observe any other partition active, you will notice all other partitions are marked as not functional. Moreover, if you try a PC reboot in this situation where the Windows partition is not kept active, the system will show the message "OS not found."