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venkateswara

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hard disk partition

hello friends,

In essence, a basic disk contains basic volumes, such as primary partitions, extended partitions, and logical drives. When you use basic disks, you're limited to creating four primary partitions per disk or three primary partitions and one extended partition with unlimited logical drives.

what are the advantages by having four primary partitions on the hard disk?

thanks in advance

venkat
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dimitry

Do you need to solve specific problem or it is "theoretical" question ?
>  essence, a basic disk contains basic volumes, such as primary partitions

Incorrect. There are special meanings to that word "volume"

> what are the advantages by having four primary partitions on the hard disk?

This goes back to early DOS, and while it has changed a little, it has not evolved much, to maintain measure of compatibility.

One partition) MS-DOS - MS (and IBM) made the system, so they get to use the HD, defining themselves for their rightful place in the footprint.

Three other partitions) These are for other operating systems, MS being friendly, and not cofiguring the whole disk for only their use in a monopolistic fashion. While at the time, MS also had vested interest in Xenix (PC_Unix), and their partner IBM had interest in making their own OS, We really believed they were being open and friendly to other companies and products, such as CPM/MPM, for the PC was still newbie, in markets where businesses were more serious with mainframes and minis, and the few home users were still getting into the more economical units from Commodore, Radio Shack, Apple, etc. Even AT&T and Xerox was trying to get into the market.

Over time, the basic four partitions (defined in simple table in single sector on each and every disk) were enabled to other uses, to enable a Windoze to "map drive" to only part of disk, or for a linux to pretend there are several partitions, divisions for isolating its functions.

> what are the advantages by having four primary partitions on the hard disk?

The basic and foremost advantage is to allow multiple disk OS, multiple formattings, to coexist on a single device. In more common usage, the terms is "multi-boot", where one chooses OS at boot time. But many also will run a single OS, such as NT, and have separate partitions for Fat16, Fat32, and NTFS, to enable access to advantages of each.

So its about choice, and giving user some control of their devices.
OOPS, I didn't realize this one was unattended...

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Al Jee
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thanks and regards for your comment.

venkat
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