diskpart operations unallocated storage

[Luke alcatel]

I need to use diskpart to partition & format unallocated areas on new disks.
The only diskpart operations I can find for unallocated space applies to
expanding existing partitions. Diskpart is supposed to be a superset of the
disk management snapin but the snapin seems to have more functionality for
unallocated disk areas than diskpart. Can someone explain how I can use
diskpart to setup new partitions in unallocated storage?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I need to use diskpart to partition & format unallocated areas on
new disks. The only diskpart operations I can find for unallocated
space applies to expanding existing partitions. Diskpart is
supposed to be a superset of the disk management snapin but the
snapin seems to have more functionality for unallocated disk areas
than diskpart. Can someone explain how I can use diskpart to setup
new partitions in unallocated storage?

Have you reviewed everything about diskpart?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300415

Basically - you set the focus on the disk in question and create your
partition(s) with various commands (most are well described in the article
above.)

 

[Luke alcatel]

Shenan,
Does not work under the conditions of my OP. Example - I have a new,
uninitialized CF device mounted via USB reader/writer. The Disk Management
snapin shows it as "Disk 1, 243 MB Unallocated." I can proceed to format
the CF with the snapin by selecting the unallocated area graphically.
However using diskpart I can "select disk 0" which is my C: drive but
"select disk 1" results in the response "The disk you specified is not
valid." Similar result with "select volume 1" followed by "detail volume"
which shows the C: drive. "Select volume 2" does not fail but a subsequent
"detail volume" shows nothing selected.

In summary I can find no way in diskpart to give the focus to unallocated
storage but that can be done with the snapin. I need to do these operations
in light-weight XP systems (i.e. XP Embedded) that do not have the snapin
installed.

Luke

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I need to use diskpart to partition & format unallocated areas on
new disks. The only diskpart operations I can find for unallocated
space applies to expanding existing partitions. Diskpart is
supposed to be a superset of the disk management snapin but the
snapin seems to have more functionality for unallocated disk areas
than diskpart. Can someone explain how I can use diskpart to setup
new partitions in unallocated storage?

Have you reviewed everything about diskpart?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300415

Basically - you set the focus on the disk in question and create
your partition(s) with various commands (most are well described in
the article above.)

Does not work under the conditions of my OP. Example - I have a
new, uninitialized CF device mounted via USB reader/writer. The
Disk Management snapin shows it as "Disk 1, 243 MB Unallocated." I
can proceed to format the CF with the snapin by selecting the
unallocated area graphically. However using diskpart I can "select
disk 0" which is my C: drive but "select disk 1" results in the
response "The disk you specified is not valid." Similar result
with "select volume 1" followed by "detail volume" which shows the
C: drive. "Select volume 2" does not fail but a subsequent "detail
volume" shows nothing selected.
In summary I can find no way in diskpart to give the focus to
unallocated storage but that can be done with the snapin. I need
to do these operations in light-weight XP systems (i.e. XP
Embedded) that do not have the snapin installed.

Sounds like my advice *would* work then - given your original post did not
include the information given in your follow-up example.

I asked if you reviewed the material about diskpart, and by your follow-up,
you have not. Your original posting made no mention of removable media -
this is the first I saw mention of it in this conversation. You asked about
"unallocated areas on new disks", not the same as your new posting where you
specify removable media.

The example you gave specified an external device (an "uninitialized CF
device mounted via USB reader/writer") - and the material I gave you to
review specifies very clearly:

"You cannot use Diskpart to create a partition on removable media. Windows
supports at most one MBR partition on removable media. If the media is
manufactured with an MBR, that MBR cannot be altered, but the MBR is
followed even if multiple partitions or logical drives are configured. If
the media is manufactured without an MBR, the media is treated as a
"superfloppy" and no partition structure is written to the media."

Simply a case of knowing the tools you are trying to use and not explaining
what you were actually doing (leaving out some pertinent details.) ;-)

You are not just trying to get "diskpart to give the focus to unallocated
storage", but specifically trying to get "diskpart to give the focus to
unallocated storage on removable media"...

http://www.google.com/search?q=diskpart+and+removable+media

If you were using Windows Vista - you might not have this issue - but given
the restrictions of your original and follow-up posts (particularly that you
posted in an XP newsgroup), diskpart from Windows XP is not going to do what
you are looking to do.

 

[Luke alcatel]

Shenan,
I have reviewed all the information on diskpart. The reference you gave
says "Diskpart enables a superset of the actions that are supported by the
Disk Management snap-in." That statement is what I question. The Disk
Management snap-in can prepare a totally uninitialized flash device, e.g.
one that is written entirely with zeros, for use. If diskpart is a superset
of the snap-in, as your reference states, then it should be able to do at
least as much. That is the essence of the question. Your information about
partitions, MBRs, etc. is interesting and not in dispute -- it is just
irrelevant to what I consider a central claim of the diskpart documentation
which also states right off the top "Diskpart enhances the Disk
Administrator graphical user interface (GUI)."

Luke

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I need to use diskpart to partition & format unallocated areas on
new disks. The only diskpart operations I can find for unallocated
space applies to expanding existing partitions. Diskpart is
supposed to be a superset of the disk management snapin but the
snapin seems to have more functionality for unallocated disk areas
than diskpart. Can someone explain how I can use diskpart to setup
new partitions in unallocated storage?

Have you reviewed everything about diskpart?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300415

Basically - you set the focus on the disk in question and create
your partition(s) with various commands (most are well described in
the article above.)

Does not work under the conditions of my OP. Example - I have a
new, uninitialized CF device mounted via USB reader/writer. The
Disk Management snapin shows it as "Disk 1, 243 MB Unallocated." I
can proceed to format the CF with the snapin by selecting the
unallocated area graphically. However using diskpart I can "select
disk 0" which is my C: drive but "select disk 1" results in the
response "The disk you specified is not valid." Similar result
with "select volume 1" followed by "detail volume" which shows the
C: drive. "Select volume 2" does not fail but a subsequent "detail
volume" shows nothing selected.
In summary I can find no way in diskpart to give the focus to
unallocated storage but that can be done with the snapin. I need
to do these operations in light-weight XP systems (i.e. XP
Embedded) that do not have the snapin installed.

Sounds like my advice *would* work then - given your original post
did not include the information given in your follow-up example.

I asked if you reviewed the material about diskpart, and by your
follow-up, you have not. Your original posting made no mention of
removable media - this is the first I saw mention of it in this
conversation. You asked about "unallocated areas on new disks",
not the same as your new posting where you specify removable media.

The example you gave specified an external device (an
"uninitialized CF device mounted via USB reader/writer") - and the
material I gave you to review specifies very clearly:

"You cannot use Diskpart to create a partition on removable media.
Windows supports at most one MBR partition on removable media. If
the media is manufactured with an MBR, that MBR cannot be altered,
but the MBR is followed even if multiple partitions or logical
drives are configured. If the media is manufactured without an MBR,
the media is treated as a "superfloppy" and no partition structure
is written to the media."
Simply a case of knowing the tools you are trying to use and not
explaining what you were actually doing (leaving out some pertinent
details.) ;-)
You are not just trying to get "diskpart to give the focus to
unallocated storage", but specifically trying to get "diskpart to
give the focus to unallocated storage on removable media"...

http://www.google.com/search?q=diskpart+and+removable+media

If you were using Windows Vista - you might not have this issue -
but given the restrictions of your original and follow-up posts
(particularly that you posted in an XP newsgroup), diskpart from
Windows XP is not going to do what you are looking to do.

I have reviewed all the information on diskpart. The reference you
gave says "Diskpart enables a superset of the actions that are
supported by the Disk Management snap-in." That statement is what
I question. The Disk Management snap-in can prepare a totally
uninitialized flash device, e.g. one that is written entirely with
zeros, for use. If diskpart is a superset of the snap-in, as your
reference states, then it should be able to do at least as much. That is
the essence of the question. Your information about
partitions, MBRs, etc. is interesting and not in dispute -- it is
just irrelevant to what I consider a central claim of the diskpart
documentation which also states right off the top "Diskpart
enhances the Disk Administrator graphical user interface (GUI)."

I cannot disagree, the statement, "Diskpart enables a superset of the
actions that are supported by the Disk Management snap-in." is incorrect.
Since a superset is 'all inclusive and more', diskpart fails the test for
being a superset of the disk management snap-in *if* you can do what you
want in Disk Management and cannot do it in DiskPart (which it sounds like
you cannot do in DiskPart given the previous quote from the web page.)

In other words - you still cannot do what you want to do with DiskPart in
Windows XP and removable media and you have proven the documentation is in
error with at least its claims given in the statement, "Diskpart enables a
superset of the actions that are supported by the Disk Management snap-in."
Given your original question, "Can someone explain how I can use diskpart to
setup new partitions in unallocated storage?" and the additional information
concerning 'removable media', the answer I would give you now is, "No,
because you cannot perform these actions with diskpart in Windows XP on
removable media."

( Although - not knowing the latter parts of the discussion with the example
given then (removable media) and just taking the original post at face
value - the answer could have been as I gave, "Yes - read the link given to
see how tro partition said space."; as one could assume you meant internal
storage, not removable - since it was not specified. )