What Is a Logical Partition in Windows [Detailed Explanation]

In this article, I have described logical, primary, and extended partitions, their features, history, definition, importance, etc. It also covers one method to convert to the logical partition as well. Read on to find out more!

What Is a Logical Partition

So, what is a logical partition? What are its features? Read on to find out more about logical partition.

When a hard disk is divided into different sections, it is divided into Primary and Extended partitions. The Extended partition can further be subdivided into multiple logical partitions. 

Definition: A logical partition divides a hard drive into separate, independent sections that can store files and sometimes can store applications as well. It is a type of partition created within an extended partition on a hard drive.

History: The concept of logical partitioning dates back to the early days of computing when computers used hard disks to store data and programs. In the early 1980s, IBM introduced the concept of extended partitions and logical drives to allow users to divide a single hard drive into multiple smaller sections or partitions.

Before this, hard drives could only have up to four primary partitions, limiting the number of operating systems or applications installed on a single machine. The introduction of extended partitions and logical drives allowed users to create additional partitions within the extended partition, which could be used to store data and non-bootable programs.

Hardware partitioning: Also known as physical partitioning, it is the process of dividing a computer's hardware resources, such as memory and processing power, into separate, independent sections that different applications or operating systems can use.

Hardware partitioning is often used in large, enterprise-level systems to allow multiple applications or operating systems to run simultaneously on the same physical hardware without interference or resource contention. It can also create virtual environments for testing and development or isolated environments for security or compliance purposes.

What's the Difference Among Logical, Primary, and Extended Partitions

In this section, let me briefly introduce to you what a Primary Partition and Extended Partition are:

What Is a Primary Partition

The primary partition on a hard drive is the only one that can be made active for the BIOS to find, and it is where Windows OS and other data can be kept. In other words, a primary partition is the only option for booting. A disk drive is often limited to having three primary and one extended partition or a maximum of 4 primary partitions.

What Is an Extended Partition

A partition further split into logical disks is an extended partition. You do not have to give it a drive letter and install a file system as you would with a primary partition. Instead, you can enlarge the partition by adding several new logical drives using the operating system.

You can only create one primary partition on your drive. Thus there isn't a better option between logical and primary partitions. You will not be able to start your PC otherwise. The capacity to store data does not differ between the two types of partitions. Creating logical partitions on your drive is preferable if you require more than four partitions in an MBR (Master Boot Record) disc.

A Professional Tool to Change Primary to Logical

While creating a partition on your PC via Disk Management, have you received a message, "You cannot create a new volume in this allocated space because the disk already contains the maximum number of partitions"?

The reason behind this error message may be that the hard disk on your PC might already consist of 3 primary partitions and a single extended partition. By converting one of the primary partitions into a logical partition, you can quickly rectify this problem.

EaseUS Partition Master Professional is a reliable tool to help you convert primary to logical. It is easy to use and can safely convert your partition from primary to logical. With its prompts, users can feel at ease while using it. Download it and follow the guide below to convert your partition.

Step 1. Download and run EaseUS Partition Master and go to Partition Manager.

Step 2. Right-click the partition you want to convert and click "Advanced", choose the convert option:

1. 1. Primary to Logical
2. 2. Logical to Primary

Step 3. Click the "Execute 1 Task" button and then choose "Apply" to begin the conversion. 

0:00 - 0:30 Convert Primary to Logical; 0:31 - 0:50 Convert Logical to Primary.

Features of EaseUS Partition Master:

You can easily solve disk partition issues on your PC with EaseUS Partition Master.

• Expand logical partition
• Create primary partition
• Convert logical drive to primary partition
• Convert NTFS to FAT32 or vice versa
• Transfer Windows 11 to a new SSD in a single click
• Convert MBR disk to GPT disk conversion for Windows 11

Conclusion

So, I hope you got a clear idea about what logical partition, primary partition, and extended partition are. With the information in this article, you can make a better decision the next time you need to partition a new disk. You can create logical partitions via EaseUS Partition Master or Diskpart in Windows. I hope this article helps!

What Is a Logical Partition FAQs 

If you have more questions about logical partition, check out these frequently asked questions and their answers given below:

1. What does logical partition mean?

A logical partition is a section of a PC's hardware resources that have been virtualized as a different PC. There is an unlimited number of logical partitions on a disk.

2. Why do we use logical partitions?

A logically partitioned server can reduce the number of servers required inside an organization. Multiple servers can be consolidated into a single logically partitioned system. This does away with the requirement for and cost of extra equipment. Each group of resources may be managed individually with its version of the operating system and applications.

3. Should I use primary or logical partition?

There isn't a superior option between logical and primary partitions. Primary partitions and logical partitions are similar. A disk can contain endless logical partitions, even though a single drive can support only four primary partitions.