SVBus

Diskpart - Commands (version 6.1.7600)

This page contains a list of commands supported in DiskPart version 6.1.7600 - included in Windows 7. As far as I am aware all of the commands below are still supported. Click on the commands to see more detailed help information.

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ACTIVE - Mark the selected partition as active.
ADD - Add a mirror to a simple volume.
ASSIGN - Assign a drive letter or mount point to the selected volume.
ATTRIBUTES - Manipulate volume or disk attributes.

ATTRIBUTES DISK
ATTRIBUTES VOLUME

ATTACH - Attaches a virtual disk file.

ATTACH VDISK

AUTOMOUNT - Enable and disable automatic mounting of basic volumes.
BREAK - Break a mirror set.
CLEAN - Clear the configuration information, or all information, off the disk.
COMPACT - Attempts to reduce the physical size of the file.
CONVERT - Convert between different disk formats.

CONVERT BASIC
CONVERT DYNAMIC
CONVERT GPT
CONVERT MBR

CREATE - Create a volume, partition or virtual disk.

CREATE PARTITION
CREATE VOLUME
CREATE VDISK

DELETE - Delete an object.

DELETE DISK
DELETE PARTITION
DELETE VOLUME

DETAIL - Provide details about an object.

DETAIL DISK
DETAIL PARTITION
DETAIL VOLUME
DETAIL VDISK

DETACH - Detaches a virtual disk file.
EXIT - Exit DiskPart.
EXTEND - Extend a volume.
EXPAND - Expands the maximum size available on a virtual disk.
FILESYSTEMS - Display current and supported file systems on the volume.
FORMAT - Format the volume or partition.
GPT - Assign attributes to the selected GPT partition.
HELP - Display a list of commands.
IMPORT - Import a disk group.
INACTIVE - Mark the selected partition as inactive.
LIST - Display a list of objects.

LIST DISK
LIST PARTITION
LIST VOLUME
LIST VDISK

MERGE - Merges a child disk with its parents.

MERGE VDISK

ONLINE - Online an object that is currently marked as offline.

ONLINE DISK
ONLINE VOLUME

OFFLINE - Offline an object that is currently marked as online.

OFFLINE DISK
OFFLINE VOLUME

RECOVER- Refreshes the state of all disks in the selected pack. Attempts recovery on disks in the invalid pack, and resynchronizes mirrored volumes and RAID5 volumes that have stale plex or parity data.
REM - Does nothing. This is used to comment scripts.
REMOVE - Remove a drive letter or mount point assignment.
REPAIR - Repair a RAID-5 volume with a failed member.
RESCAN - Rescan the computer looking for disks and volumes.
RETAIN - Place a retained partition under a simple volume.
SAN - Display or set the SAN policy for the currently booted OS.
SELECT - Shift the focus to an object.

SELECT DISK
SELECT PARTITION
SELECT VOLUME
SELECT VDISK

SETID - Change the partition type.
SHRINK - Reduce the size of the selected volume.
UNIQUEID - Displays or sets the GUID partition table (GPT) identifier or master boot record (MBR) signature of a disk.

UNIQUEID DISK

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Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart syntax: diskpart [/s <script>] [/?] /s <script> - Use a DiskPart script. /? - Show this help screen.

ACTIVE
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * On disks with master boot record (MBR) disk formatting, marks the partition with focus as active. Syntax: ACTIVE Writes a value to the disk which is read by the basic input/output system (BIOS) at boot. This value specifies that the partition is a valid system partition. A partition must be selected for this operation to succeed. Caution: DiskPart verifies only that the partition is capable of containing the operating system startup files. DiskPart does not check the contents of the partition. If you mistakenly mark a partition as active and it does not contain the operating system startup files, your computer might not start. Example: ACTIVE

ADD
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Mirrors the simple volume with focus to the specified disk. Syntax: ADD DISK=<N> [ALIGN=<N>] [WAIT] [NOERR] DISK=<N> Specifies a disk, other than the one containing the existing simple volume, to contain the mirror. You can mirror only simple volumes. The specified disk must have unallocated space at least as large as the size of the simple volume you want to mirror. ALIGN=<N> Typically used with hardware RAID Logical Unit Number (LUN) arrays to improve performance. Aligns all volume extents to the closest alignment boundary. The extent offsets will be a multiple of <N>. WAIT Waits for the volume to finish synchronizing with the added disk before returning. Without the WAIT parameter, DiskPart returns after the mirrored volume is created and does not wait for the synchronization to complete. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. A volume must be selected for this operation to succeed. Fault-tolerant volumes such as RAID-5 and mirrored volumes are not supported in any edition of Windows Vista. Example: ADD DISK=2

ASSIGN
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Assigns a drive letter or mounted folder pathname to the volume with focus. Syntax: ASSIGN [LETTER=<D> | MOUNT=<PATH>] [NOERR] LETTER=<D> The drive letter to assign to the volume. MOUNT=<PATH> The mounted folder pathname to assign to the volume. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. If no drive letter or mounted folder is specified, the next available drive letter is assigned. If the drive letter or mounted folder is already in use, an error is generated. By using the ASSIGN command, you can change the drive letter associated with a removable drive. You cannot assign drive letters to boot volumes or volumes that contain the paging file. In addition, you cannot assign a drive letter to an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partition unless booted to Windows PE, or any GUID Partition Table (GPT) partition other than a basic data partition, an ESP partition or a recovery partition. A volume must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: ASSIGN LETTER=D

ATTRIBUTES
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 VOLUME - Manipulate volume attributes. DISK - Manipulate disk attributes.

ATTRIBUTES DISK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Displays, sets, or clears disk attributes for the selected disk. Syntax: ATTRIBUTES DISK [SET | CLEAR] [READONLY] [NOERR] SET Sets the specified attribute for the selected disk. CLEAR Clears the specified attribute for the selected disk. READONLY Specifies that the disk is read-only. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. This command allows the user to set, clear, or display the attributes for a disk. When called with no parameters, this command displays the current disk flags. READONLY is currently the only disk flag that may be changed. The BOOT DISK attribute denotes the disk used to boot. For a dynamic mirrored volume, the BOOT DISK attribute is displayed for the disk containing the boot plex of the mirrored boot volume. Examples: To display the attributes on the selected disk, type: ATTRIBUTES DISK To set the attribute for the selected disk as read-only, type: ATTRIBUTES DISK SET READONLY To clear the read-only attribute for the selected disk, type: ATTRIBUTES DISK CLEAR READONLY

ATTRIBUTES VOLUME
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Displays, sets, or clears volume attributes for the selected volume. Syntax: ATTRIBUTES VOLUME [SET | CLEAR] [HIDDEN | READONLY | NODEFAULTDRIVELETTER | SHADOWCOPY] [NOERR] SET Sets the specified attribute (HIDDEN, READONLY, and NODEFAULTDRIVELETTER or SHADOWCOPY) for the selected volume. CLEAR Clears the specified attribute (HIDDEN, READONLY, NODEFAULTDRIVELETTER or SHADOWCOPY) from the selected volume. HIDDEN Specifies that the volume is hidden. READONLY Specifies that the volume is read-only. NODEFAULTDRIVELETTER Specifies that the volume does not receive a drive letter by default. SHADOWCOPY Specifies that the volume is a shadow copy volume. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. On basic master boot record (MBR) disks, the HIDDEN, READONLY, and NODEFAULTDRIVELETTER attributes apply to all volumes on the disk. On basic GUID partition table (GPT) disks, and on dynamic MBR and GPT disks, the HIDDEN, READONLY, and NODEFAULTDRIVELETTER attributes apply only to the selected volume. Example: To display the attributes on the selected volume, type: ATTRIBUTES VOLUME To set the attribute on the selected volume as read-only, type: ATTRIBUTES VOLUME SET READONLY To clear the read-only attribute from the selected volume, type: ATTRIBUTES VOLUME CLEAR READONLY

ATTACH
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 VDISK - Attaches a virtual disk file.

ATTACH VDISK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Attaches the specified virtual disk. Syntax: ATTACH VDISK [NOERR] [READONLY] { [SD=<SDDL string>] | [USEFILESD] } NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. READONLY Attaches the virtual disk as read-only. Any write operation will return an input/output device error. SD=<SDDL string> Specifies a security descriptor in the security descriptor definition language (SDDL) format. By default the security descriptor allows access like any physical disk. For more information on the SDDL please see the CREATE VDISK command. USEFILESD Specifies that the security descriptor on the virtual file itself should be used on the virtual disk. If not specified, the disk will not have an explicit security descriptor unless specified with SD=(SDDL string). A virtual disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: ATTACH VDISK ATTACH VDISK READONLY ATTACH VDISK USEFILESD

AUTOMOUNT
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Enables or disables the automount feature. Syntax: AUTOMOUNT [ENABLE] [DISABLE] [SCRUB] [NOERR] ENABLE Enables Windows to automatically assign drive letters to volumes that are added to the system. DISABLE Prevents Windows from automatically assigning drive letters to volumes that are added to the system. SCRUB Removes mounted folder pathnames, drive letters, mounted folder directories, and registry settings, for volumes that are no longer in the system. This prevents volumes that were previously in the system from being automatically assigned their former drive letters and mounted folder pathnames when they are reintroduced to the system. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. When the AutoMount feature is enabled (the default on some versions of Windows Server), Windows automatically brings the volume online, and, assigns a drive letter and a volume GUID pathname to the volume, when the volume is added to the system. In storage area network (SAN) configurations, disabling AutoMount prevents Windows from automatically onlining the volume and assigning drive letters or volume GUID pathnames to any new volumes that are visible to the system. Note that the AutoMount feature could only be applied to basic disk volumes on Windows versions released prior to Windows Vista. Starting with Windows Vista, the AutoMount feature can be applied to both basic and dynamic disk volumes. Example: AUTOMOUNT AUTOMOUNT ENABLE AUTOMOUNT DISABLE

BREAK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Breaks the mirrored volume with focus into two simple volumes. Syntax: BREAK DISK=<N> [NOKEEP] [NOERR] DISK=<N> Specifies a disk that contains one copy of the mirror volume. When the command has completed, this disk is given focus, and the new volume created on this disk using the mirror volume extents does not retain any drive letters, volume GUID pathnames or mounted folder paths that had been associated with the mirror volume. If the mirror volume on the specified disk is used as a system or boot partition, the command fails. NOKEEP Specifies that only one copy of the mirror volume is retained; the mirror volume extents on disk <N> are converted to free space. Neither the remaining copy of the mirror volume, nor the free space on disk <N> receives the focus. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. Applies to dynamic disks only. Breaks the mirrored volume with focus into two simple volumes. One simple volume retains the drive letter, volume GUID pathnames or mounted folder paths that had been associated with the mirror volume. The other simple volume receives the focus so you can assign it a new drive letter (it will automatically be assigned a volume GUID pathname). By default, the contents of both copies of the mirror are retained. Each copy becomes a simple volume. By using the NOKEEP parameter, you retain only one copy of the mirror volume as a simple volume, and the other copy is converted to free space. Neither volume receives the focus. A mirror volume must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: BREAK DISK=2

CLEAN
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Removes any and all partition or volume formatting from the disk with focus. Syntax: CLEAN [ALL] ALL Specifies that each and every byte\sector on the disk is set to zero, which completely deletes all data contained on the disk. On master boot record (MBR) disks, only the MBR partitioning information and hidden sector information are overwritten. On GUID partition table (GPT) disks, the GPT partitioning information, including the Protective MBR, is overwritten. If the ALL parameter is not used, the first 1MB and the last 1MB of the disk are zeroed. This erases any disk formatting that had been previously applied to the disk. The disk's state after cleaning the disk is 'UNINITIALIZED'. Example: CLEAN

COMPACT
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 VDISK - Attempts to reduce the physical size of the file.

CONVERT
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 BASIC - Convert a disk from dynamic to basic. DYNAMIC - Convert a disk from basic to dynamic. GPT - Convert a disk from MBR to GPT. MBR - Convert a disk from GPT to MBR.

CONVERT BASIC
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Converts an empty dynamic disk to a basic disk. Syntax: CONVERT BASIC [NOERR] NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. A dynamic disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. Important: The disk must be empty to convert it to a dynamic disk. Back up your data, and then delete all partitions or volumes before converting the disk. Example: CONVERT BASIC

CONVERT DYNAMIC
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Converts a basic disk into a dynamic disk. Syntax: CONVERT DYNAMIC [NOERR] NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. Any existing partitions on the basic disk become simple volumes. A basic disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: CONVERT DYNAMIC

CONVERT GPT
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Converts an empty basic disk with the master boot record (MBR) partition style into a basic disk with the GUID partition table (GPT) partition style. Syntax: CONVERT GPT [NOERR] NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. A basic MBR disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. The required minimum disk size for conversion to GPT is 128MB. Important: The disk must be empty to convert it to a GPT disk. Back up your data, and then delete all partitions or volumes before converting the disk. Example: CONVERT GPT

CONVERT MBR
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Converts an empty basic disk with the GUID partition table (GPT) partition style to a basic disk with the master boot record (MBR) partition style. Syntax: CONVERT MBR [NOERR] NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. A basic GPT disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. Important: The disk must be empty to convert it to an MBR disk. Back up your data, and then delete all partitions or volumes before converting the disk. Example: CONVERT MBR

CREATE
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 PARTITION - Create a partition. VOLUME - Create a volume. VDISK - Creates a virtual disk file.

CREATE PARTITION
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 EFI - Create an EFI system partition. EXTENDED - Create an extended partition. LOGICAL - Create a logical drive. MSR - Create a Microsoft Reserved partition. PRIMARY - Create a primary partition.

CREATE PARTITION EFI
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Creates an Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) system partition on a GUID partition table (GPT) disk. Syntax: CREATE PARTITION EFI [SIZE=<N>] [OFFSET=<N>] [NOERR] SIZE=<N> The size of the partition in megabytes (MB). If no size is given, the partition continues until there is no more free space in the current region. OFFSET=<N> The offset, in kilobytes (KB), at which the partition is created. If no offset is given, the partition is placed in the first disk extent that is large enough to hold it. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. After the partition has been created, the focus is given to the new partition. A basic GPT disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: CREATE PARTITION EFI SIZE=1000

CREATE PARTITION EXTENDED
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Creates an extended partition on the disk with focus. Applies to master boot record (MBR) disks only. Syntax: CREATE PARTITION EXTENDED [SIZE=<N>] [OFFSET=<N>] [ALIGN=<N>] [NOERR] SIZE=<N> The size of the partition in megabytes (MB). If no size is given, the partition continues until there is no more free space in the extended partition. OFFSET=<N> The offset, in kilobytes (KB), at which the partition is created. If no offset is given, the partition will start at the beginning of the first free space on the disk that is large enough to hold the new partition. ALIGN=<N> Typically used with hardware RAID Logical Unit Number (LUN) arrays to improve performance. The partition offset will be a multiple of <N>. If the OFFSET parameter is specified, it will be rounded to the closest multiple of <N>. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. After the partition has been created, the focus automatically shifts to the new partition. Only one extended partition can be created per disk. This command fails if you attempt to create an extended partition within another extended partition. You must create an extended partition before you can create logical partitions. A basic MBR disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: CREATE PARTITION EXTENDED SIZE=1000

CREATE PARTITION LOGICAL
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Creates a logical partition in an extended partition. Applies to master boot record (MBR) disks only. Syntax: CREATE PARTITION LOGICAL [SIZE=<N>] [OFFSET=<N>] [ALIGN=<N>] [NOERR] SIZE=<N> The size of the partition in megabytes (MB). The partition is at least as big in bytes as the number specified by N. If you specify a size for the logical partition, it must be smaller than the extended partition. If no size is given, the partition continues until there is no more free space in the extended partition. OFFSET=<N> The offset, in kilobytes (KB), at which the partition is created. If no offset is given, the partition is placed in the first disk extent that is large enough to hold it. ALIGN=<N> Typically used with hardware RAID Logical Unit Number (LUN) arrays to improve performance. The partition offset will be a multiple of <N>. If the OFFSET parameter is specified, it will be rounded to the closest multiple of <N>. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. After the partition has been created, the focus automatically shifts to the new logical partition. A basic MBR disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: CREATE PARTITION LOGICAL SIZE=1000

CREATE PARTITION MSR
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Creates a Microsoft Reserved (MSR) partition on a GUID partition table (GPT) disk. Syntax: CREATE PARTITION MSR [SIZE=<N>] [OFFSET=<N>] [NOERR] SIZE=<N> The size of the partition in megabytes (MB). The partition is at least as big in bytes as the number specified by N. If no size is given, the partition continues until there is no more free space in the current region. OFFSET=<N> The offset, in kilobytes (KB), at which the partition is created. If no offset is given, the partition is placed in the first disk extent that is large enough to hold it. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. A basic GPT disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. Caution: Be very careful when using this command. Because GPT disks require a specific partition layout, creating Microsoft Reserved partitions could cause the disk to become unreadable. On GPT disks that are used to boot Windows, the EFI System partition is the first partition on the disk, followed by the Microsoft Reserved partition. GPT disks used only for data storage do not have an EFI System partition, in which case the Microsoft Reserved partition is the first partition. Windows does not online Microsoft Reserved partitions. You cannot store data on them and you cannot delete them. Example: CREATE PARTITION MSR SIZE=1000

CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Creates a primary partition on the basic disk with focus. Syntax: CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY [SIZE=<N>] [OFFSET=<N>] [ID={<BYTE> | <GUID>}] [ALIGN=<N>] [NOERR] SIZE=<N> The size of the partition in megabytes (MB). If no size is given, the partition continues until there is no more unallocated space in the current region. OFFSET=<N> The offset, in kilobytes (KB), at which the partition is created. If no offset is given, the partition is placed in the first disk extent that is large enough to hold it. ID={<BYTE> | <GUID>} Specifies the partition type. Intended for Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) use only. For master boot record (MBR) disks, you can specify a partition type byte, in hexadecimal form, for the partition. If this parameter is not specified for an MBR disk, the command creates a partition of type 0x06 (specifies no file system is installed). LDM data partition: 0x42 Recovery partition: 0x27 Recognized OEM Ids: 0x12 0x84 0xDE 0xFE 0xA0 For GUID partition table (GPT) disks you can specify a partition type GUID for the partition you want to create. Recognized GUIDs include: EFI System partition: c12a7328-f81f-11d2-ba4b-00a0c93ec93b Microsoft Reserved partition: e3c9e316-0b5c-4db8-817d-f92df00215ae Basic data partition: ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7 LDM Metadata partition on a dynamic disk: 5808c8aa-7e8f-42e0-85d2-e1e90434cfb3 LDM Data partition on a dynamic disk: af9b60a0-1431-4f62-bc68-3311714a69ad Recovery partition: de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac If this parameter is not specified for a GPT disk, the command creates a basic data partition. Any partition type byte or GUID can be specified with this parameter. DiskPart does not check the partition type for validity except to ensure that it is a byte in hexadecimal form or a GUID. Caution: Creating partitions with this parameter might cause your computer to fail or be unable to start up. Unless you are an OEM or an IT professional experienced with GPT disks, do not create partitions on GPT disks using this parameter. Instead, always use the CREATE PARTITION EFI command to create EFI System partitions, the CREATE PARTITION MSR command to create Microsoft Reserved partitions, and the CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY command without this parameter to create primary partitions on GPT disks. ALIGN=<N> Typically used with hardware RAID Logical Unit Number (LUN) arrays to improve performance. The partition offset will be a multiple of <N>. If the OFFSET parameter is specified, it will be rounded to the closest multiple of <N>. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. After you create the partition, the focus automatically shifts to the new partition. The partition does not receive a drive letter. You must use the assign command to assign a drive letter to the partition. A basic disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY SIZE=1000 CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY SIZE=128 ID=c12a7328-f81f-11d2-ba4b-00a0c93ec93b CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY SIZE=10000 ID=12 CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY SIZE=10000 ID=DE

CREATE VOLUME
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 RAID - Create a software RAID-5 volume set. SIMPLE - Create a simple volume. STRIPE - Create a stripe volume set. MIRROR - Create a mirror volume set.

CREATE VOLUME RAID
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Creates a RAID-5 volume using three or more specified dynamic disks. Syntax: CREATE VOLUME RAID [SIZE=<N>] DISK=<N>,<N>,<N>[,<N>[,...]] [ALIGN=<N>] [NOERR] SIZE=<N> The amount of disk space, in megabytes (MB), that the volume will occupy on each disk. If no size is given, the largest possible RAID-5 volume will be created. The disk with the smallest available contiguous free space determines the size for the RAID-5 volume and the same amount of space is allocated from each disk. The actual amount of usable disk space in the RAID-5 volume is less than the combined amount of disk space because some of the disk space is required for parity. DISK=<N>,<N>,<N>[,<N>[,...]] The dynamic disks on which to create the RAID-5 volume. You need at least three dynamic disks in order to create a RAID-5 volume. An amount of space equal to the size specified in SIZE=<N> is allocated on each disk. ALIGN=<N> Typically used with hardware RAID Logical Unit Number (LUN) arrays to improve performance. Aligns all volume extents to the closest alignment boundary. The extent offsets will be a multiple of <N>. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. After you create the volume, the focus automatically shifts to the new volume. Fault-tolerant volumes such as RAID-5 and mirrored volumes are not supported in any edition of Windows Vista. Example: CREATE VOLUME RAID SIZE=1000 DISK=1,2,3

CREATE VOLUME SIMPLE
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Creates a simple volume. Syntax: CREATE VOLUME SIMPLE [SIZE=<N>] [DISK=<N>] [ALIGN=<N>] [NOERR] SIZE=<N> The size of the volume in megabytes (MB). If no size is given, the new volume takes up the remaining free space on the disk. DISK=<N> The dynamic disk on which the volume is created. If no disk is given, the current disk is used. ALIGN=<N> Typically used with hardware RAID Logical Unit Number (LUN) arrays to improve performance. Aligns all volume extents to the closest alignment boundary. The extent offsets will be a multiple of <N>. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. After you create the volume, the focus automatically shifts to the new volume. Example: CREATE VOLUME SIMPLE SIZE=1000 DISK=1

CREATE VOLUME STRIPE
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Creates a striped volume using two or more specified dynamic disks. Syntax: CREATE VOLUME STRIPE [SIZE=<N>] DISK=<N>,<N>[,<N>[,...]] [ALIGN=<N>] [NOERR] SIZE=<N> The amount of disk space, in megabytes (MB), that the volume will occupy on each disk. If no size is given, the new volume takes up the remaining free space on the smallest disk and an equal amount of space on each subsequent disk. DISK=<N>,<N>[,<N>[,...]] The dynamic disks on which the striped volume is created. You need at least two dynamic disks to create a striped volume. An amount of space equal to the size specified in SIZE=<N> is allocated on each disk. ALIGN=<N> Typically used with hardware RAID Logical Unit Number (LUN) arrays to improve performance. Aligns all volume extents to the closest alignment boundary. The extent offsets will be a multiple of <N>. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. After you create the volume, the focus automatically shifts to the new volume. Example: CREATE VOLUME STRIPE SIZE=1000 DISK=1,2

CREATE VOLUME MIRROR
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Creates a mirror volume using two specified dynamic disks. Syntax: CREATE VOLUME MIRROR [SIZE=<N>] DISK=<N>,<N> [ALIGN=<N>] [NOERR] SIZE=<N> The amount of disk space, in megabytes (MB), that the volume will occupy on each disk. If no size is given, the new volume takes up the remaining free space on the smaller disk and an equal amount of space on other disk. DISK=<N>,<N> The dynamic disks on which the mirror volume is created. You need two dynamic disks to create a mirror volume. An amount of space equal to the size specified in SIZE=<N> is allocated on each disk. ALIGN=<N> Typically used with hardware RAID Logical Unit Number (LUN) arrays to improve performance. Aligns all volume extents to the closest alignment boundary. The extent offsets will be a multiple of N. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. After you create the volume, the focus automatically shifts to the new volume. Example: CREATE VOLUME MIRROR SIZE=1000 DISK=1,2

CREATE VDISK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Creates a virtual disk file. Currently only VHD format files are supported. Syntax: CREATE VDISK FILE=<"filename"> MAXIMUM=<N> [TYPE={FIXED|EXPANDABLE}] [SD=<SDDL string>] [PARENT=<"filename">] [SOURCE=<"filename">] [NOERR] FILE=<"filename"> Specifies the complete path and filename of the virtual disk file. The file may be on a network share. MAXIMUM=<N> The maximum amount of space exposed by the virtual disk, in megabytes (MB). TYPE={FIXED|EXPANDABLE} FIXED specifies a fixed size virtual disk file. EXPANDABLE specifies a virtual disk file that resizes to accommodate the allocated data. The default is FIXED. [SD=<SDDL string>] Specifies a security descriptor in the security descriptor definition language (SDDL) format. By default the security descriptor is taken from the parent directory. SDDL strings can be complex but flexible. In its simplest form, a security descriptor that protects access, is known as a discretionary access control list (DACL). It is of the form: D:<DACL_FLAGS>(<STRING_ACE>)(<STRING_ACE>)...(<STRING_ACE>) Common DACL_FLAGS are: "P" - The DACL should not be overiden (protected) by any ACLs from parent containers. The container for a VHD file is its directory. "AI"- The DACL should auto-inherit from the parent container. STRING_ACEs are of the form <ACE_TYPE>;;<RIGHTS>;;;<ACCOUNT_ID> Common ACE_TYPEs are: "A" - Allow access. "D" - Deny access. Common RIGHTS are: "GA" - All access. "GR" - Read access. "GW' - Write access. Common ACCOUNT_IDs are: "BA" - Built in administrators "AU" - Authenticated users. "CO" - Creator owner. "WD" - Everyone. Putting all this together, for example, D:P:(A;;GR;;;AU) gives read-access to all authenticated users. Similarly, D:P:(A;;GA;;;WD) Gives everyone full access. Further information on the SDDL can be found on Microsoft's MSDN website. [PARENT=<"filename">] Path to an existing parent virtual disk file to create a differencing disk. With the PARENT parameter, MAXIMUM should not be specified because the differencing disk gets the size from its parent. Also, TYPE should not be specified since only EXPANDABLE differencing disks can be created. [SOURCE=<"filename">] Path to an existing virtual disk file to be used to pre-populate the new virtual disk file. When SOURCE is specified, data from the input virtual disk file is copied block for block from the input virtual disk file to the created virtual disk file. There is no parent-child relationship established however. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. Example: CREATE VDISK FILE="c:\test\test.vhd" MAXIMUM=1000 CREATE VDISK FILE="c:\test\child.vhd" PARENT="c:\test\test.vhd" CREATE VDISK FILE="c:\test\test.vhd" MAXIMUM=1000 SD="D:P(A;;GA;;;WD)" CREATE VDISK FILE="c:\test\new.vhd" SOURCE="c:\test\test.vhd"

DELETE
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 DISK - Delete a missing disk from the disk list. PARTITION - Delete the selected partition. VOLUME - Delete the selected volume.

DELETE DISK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Deletes a missing dynamic disk from the disk list. Syntax: DELETE DISK [NOERR] [OVERRIDE] NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. OVERRIDE Enables DiskPart to delete all simple volumes on the disk. If the disk contains half of a mirrored volume, the half of the mirror on the disk is deleted. The delete disk override command fails if the disk is a member of a RAID-5 volume. A missing dynamic disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: DELETE DISK

DELETE PARTITION
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Deletes the partition with focus. Syntax: DELETE PARTITION [NOERR] [OVERRIDE] NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. OVERRIDE Enables DiskPart to delete any partition regardless of type. Typically, DiskPart only permits you to delete known data partitions. You cannot delete the system partition, boot partition, or any partition that contains the active paging file or crash dump (memory dump) filed. A partition must be selected for this operation to succeed. Partitions cannot be deleted from dynamic disks or created on dynamic disks. Example: DELETE PARTITION

DELETE VOLUME
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Deletes the selected volume. Syntax: DELETE VOLUME [NOERR] NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. You cannot delete the current system volume, boot volume, or any volume that contains the active paging file or crash dump (memory dump) file. A volume must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: DELETE VOLUME

DETAIL
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 DISK - Display the properties of the selected disk. PARTITION - Display the properties of the selected partition. VOLUME - Display the properties of the selected volume. VDISK - Displays the properties of the selected virtual disk.

DETAIL DISK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Displays the properties of the selected disk and the list of volumes on the disk. Syntax: DETAIL DISK A disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: DETAIL DISK

DETAIL PARTITION
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Displays the properties for the selected partition. Syntax: DETAIL PARTITION A partition must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: DETAIL PARTITION

DETAIL VOLUME
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Displays the properties for the selected volume and the list of disks on which the volume resides. Syntax: DETAIL VOLUME A volume must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: DETAIL VOLUME

DETAIL VDISK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Displays the properties of the selected virtual disk. Syntax: DETAIL VDISK A virtual disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: DETAIL VDISK

DETACH
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 VDISK - Detaches a virtual disk file.

EXIT
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Exits the DiskPart command interpreter. Syntax: EXIT Example: EXIT

EXTEND
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Extends the volume or partition with focus, and its file system, into free (unallocated) space on a disk. Syntax: EXTEND [SIZE=<N>] [DISK=<N>] [NOERR] EXTEND FILESYSTEM [NOERR] SIZE=<N> Specifies the amount of space in megabytes (MB) to add to the current volume or partition. If no size is given, all of the contiguous free space that is available on the disk is used. DISK=<N> Specifies the disk on which the volume or partition is extended. If no disk is specified, the volume or partition is extended on the current disk. FILESYSTEM Extends the file system of the volume with focus to cover the entire volume. For use only on volumes where the file system was not extended with the volume. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. On basic disks, the free space must be on the same disk as the volume or partition with focus. The free space must also immediately follow the volume or partition with focus (start at the next sector offset). On dynamic disks with simple or spanned volumes, a volume can be extended to any free space on any dynamic disk. Using this command, you can convert a simple dynamic volume into a spanned dynamic volume. Mirrored, RAID-5 and striped volumes cannot be extended. If the partition was previously formatted with the NTFS file system, the file system is automatically extended to fill the larger partition. No data loss occurs. If the partition was previously formatted with a different file system than NTFS, the command fails with no change to the partition. If the partition was not previously formatted with a file system, the partition will still be extended. A volume or partition must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: EXTEND SIZE=500 DISK=3 EXTEND FILESYSTEM

EXPAND
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 VDISK - Expands the maximum size available on a virtual disk.

FILESYSTEMS
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Displays information about the current file system for the selected volume, and the supported file systems for formatting the volume. Syntax: FILESYSTEMS A volume must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: FILESYSTEMS

FORMAT
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Formats the specified volume for use with Windows. Syntax: FORMAT [[FS=<FS>] [REVISION=<X.XX>] | RECOMMENDED] [LABEL=<"label">] [UNIT=<N>] [QUICK] [COMPRESS] [OVERRIDE] [DUPLICATE] [NOWAIT] [NOERR] FS=<FS> Specifies the type of file system. If no file system is given, the default file system displayed by the FILESYSTEMS command is used. REVISION=<X.XX> Specifies the file system revision (if applicable). RECOMMENDED If specified, use the recommended file system and revision instead of the default if a recommendation exists. The recommended file system (if one exists) is displayed by the FILESYSTEMS command. LABEL=<"label"> Specifies the volume label. UNIT=<N> Overrides the default allocation unit size. Default settings are strongly recommended for general use. The default allocation unit size for a particular file system is displayed by the FILESYSTEMS command. NTFS compression is not supported for allocation unit sizes above 4096. QUICK Performs a quick format. COMPRESS NTFS only: Files created on the new volume will be compressed by default. OVERRIDE Forces the file system to dismount first if necessary. All opened handles to the volume would no longer be valid. DUPLICATE UDF Only: This flag applies to UDF format, version 2.5 or higher. This flag instructs the format operation to duplicate the file system meta-data to a second set of sectors on the disk. The duplicate meta-data is used by applications, for example repair or recovery applications. If the primary meta-data sectors are found to be corrupted, the file system meta-data will be read from the duplicate sectors. NOWAIT Forces the command to return immediately while the format process is still in progress. If NOWAIT is not specified, DiskPart will display format progress in percentage. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. A volume must be selected for this operation to succeed. Examples: FORMAT FS=NTFS LABEL="New Volume" QUICK COMPRESS FORMAT RECOMMENDED OVERRIDE

GPT
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * On basic GUID partition table (GPT) disks, assigns the GPT attribute(s) to the partition with focus. Syntax: GPT ATTRIBUTES=<N> ATTRIBUTES=<N> The hexadecimal value indicating the attributes to apply to the partition with focus. The GPT attribute field is a 64-bit field that contains two subfields. The higher field is interpreted only in the context of a particular partition type GUID, while the lower field is common to all partition types. The following attribute can be set on any partition: 0x0000000000000001 marks the partition as required. This indicates to all disk management utilities that the partition should not be deleted. The EFI System partition contains only those binaries necessary to start the operating system. This makes it easy for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or operating system-specific binaries to be placed in other partitions. For basic data partitions, the following attributes are defined: 0x8000000000000000 GPT_BASIC_DATA_ATTRIBUTE_NO_DRIVE_LETTER Prevents the partition from having a drive letter automatically assigned. By default, each partition is assigned a new drive letter and a volume GUID pathname. Both the drive letter and the volume GUID pathname can be used to open the volume using Win32 APIs. Setting this attribute ensures that when a disk is moved to a new computer, a new drive letter will not be automatically generated. Instead, the user can manually assign drive letters. 0x4000000000000000 GPT_BASIC_DATA_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN Defines the partition's volume as hidden. Setting this attribute specifies that the volume will not be assigned a drive letter or a volume GUID pathname. Both the drive letter and the volume GUID pathname can be used to open the volume using Win32 APIs. A hidden partition's volume is not reported by Win32 APIs such as FindFirstVolume and FindNextVolume. 0x2000000000000000 GPT_BASIC_DATA_ATTRIBUTE_SHADOW_COPY Defines the partition as being a Volume Snapshot Service shadow copy volume. Fle system filters use this flag to prevent the filter from attaching to the volume. 0x1000000000000000 GPT_BASIC_DATA_ATTRIBUTE_READ_ONLY Prevents the volume from being written to. Other attributes may be added by Microsoft at any time. GPT partition attributes give additional information about the use of the partition. A basic GPT partition must be selected for this operation to succeed. Caution: Changing the GPT attributes might cause your basic data volumes to fail to be assigned drive letters, or prevent the file system from mounting. Unless you are an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or an IT professional experienced with GPT disks, do not change GPT attributes. Example: GPT ATTRIBUTES=0x8000000000000000 GPT ATTRIBUTES=0xF000000000000001

HELP
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Displays a list of the available commands or detailed help information for a specified command. Syntax: HELP [<COMMAND>] <COMMAND> The command for which to display detail help. If no command is specified, HELP will display all possible commands. Example: HELP HELP CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY

IMPORT
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Imports a foreign disk group into the local computer's online disk group. Syntax: IMPORT [NOERR] NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. The command imports every disk that is in the same group as the disk with focus. A dynamic disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: IMPORT

INACTIVE
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * On disks with master boot record (MBR) disk formatting, marks the partition with focus as inactive. Syntax: INACTIVE The computer may start from the next option specified in the BIOS such as a CD-ROM drive or a Pre-Boot eXecution Environment (PXE)-based boot environment (such as Remote Installation Services (RIS)) when you restart the computer. A partition must be selected for this operation to succeed. Caution: Your computer might not start without an active partition. Do not mark a system or boot partition as inactive unless you are an experienced user with a thorough understanding of Windows storage management. Example: INACTIVE

LIST
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 DISK - Display a list of disks. For example, LIST DISK. PARTITION - Display a list of partitions on the selected disk. For example, LIST PARTITION. VOLUME - Display a list of volumes. For example, LIST VOLUME. VDISK - Displays a list of virtual disks.

LIST DISK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Displays a list of disks. Syntax: LIST DISK Displays a list of disks and information about them, such as their size, amount of available free space, whether the disk is a basic or dynamic disk, and whether the disk uses the master boot record (MBR) or GUID partition table (GPT) partition style. The disk marked with an asterisk (*) has focus. Note that the FREE column does not display the total amount of free space on the disk, but rather the amount of usable free space left on the disk. For example, if you have a 10GB disk with 4 primary partitions covering 5GB, there is no usable free space left (no more partitions may be created). Another example would be you have a 10GB disk with 3 primary partitions and an extended partition covering 8GB. The exended partition is of size 3GB with one logical drive of size 2GB. The disk will show only 1GB as free - the 1GB of free space in the extended partition. Example: LIST DISK

LIST PARTITION
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Displays a list of partitions in the partition table for the selected disk. Syntax: LIST PARTITION On dynamic disks, the partitions do not neccessarily correspond to the dynamic volumes on the disk. Partitions may not be created or deleted on dynamic disks. A disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: LIST PARTITION

LIST VOLUME
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Displays a list of basic and dynamic volumes which are installed on the local machine. Syntax: LIST VOLUME Example: LIST VOLUME

LIST VDISK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Displays a list of virtual disks. Syntax: LIST VDISK Displays a list of virtual disks and information about them. The disk type is shown as Unknown until the disk is attached. The disk marked with an asterisk (*) has focus. Example: LIST VDISK

MERGE
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 VDISK - Merges a child disk with its parents.

MERGE VDISK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Merges a child disk with its parents. Syntax: MERGE VDISK DEPTH=<N> DEPTH=<N> Indicates the number of parents to merge together. For example, MERGE=1 indicates one level of the differencing chain should be merged. A virtual disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: MERGE VDISK DEPTH=1 In this example a child virtual disk is merged with its parent: CREATE VDISK FILE="c:\vhd2.vhd" parent="c:\vhd1.vhd" MERGE VDISK DEPTH=1

ONLINE
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 DISK - Online a disk that is currently marked as offline. VOLUME - Online a volume that is currently marked as offline.

ONLINE DISK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Brings the selected offline disk to the online state. Syntax: ONLINE DISK [NOERR] NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. This command operates on a single disk. A disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. This command operates on a disk that is in SAN offline mode. If the disk is dynamic, it is both read only and offline, and, the desired state is read\write and online, the suggested order of operations is to first make the disk read\write, and then bring the disk online. If a dynamic read only disk is brought online, it's status will be 'Errors'. The reason for this is that when a dynamic disk is brought online, the volume manager must write to the Dynamic Disk Database on the disk to update it's state. These writes will fail if the dynamic disk is read only. Examples: ONLINE DISK

ONLINE VOLUME
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Brings selected offline volume to the online state. Syntax: ONLINE VOLUME [NOERR] NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. This command operates on a single volume. A volume must be selected for this operation to succeed. This command does not operate on OEM, ESP or recovery partitions. Examples: ONLINE VOLUME

OFFLINE
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 DISK - Offline a disk that is currently marked as online. VOLUME - Offline a volume that is currently marked as online.

OFFLINE DISK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Brings selected online disk to the offline state. Syntax: OFFLINE DISK [NOERR] NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. This command operates on a single disk. A disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. This command operates on a disk that is in SAN online mode. This command does not operate on OEM, ESP or recovery partitions. Examples: OFFLINE DISK

OFFLINE VOLUME
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Brings selected online volume to the offline state. Syntax: OFFLINE VOLUME [NOERR] NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. This command operates on a single volume. A volume must be selected for this operation to succeed. Examples: OFFLINE VOLUME

RECOVER
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Refreshes the state of all disks in the selected pack, attempts recovery on disks in the invalid pack, and, resynchronizes mirrored volumes and RAID-5 volumes that have stale plex or parity data. Syntax: RECOVER [NOERR] NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. This command operates on a pack. A disk that is part of a pack must be selected for this operation to succeed. This command is only applicable to dynamic disks. If called on a basic disk, it will succeed but no action is taken. Example: RECOVER

REM
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Provides a way to add comments to a script. Syntax: REM Example: In this example script, REM is used to provide a comment about what the script does. REM These commands set up 3 drives. CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY SIZE=2048 ASSIGN d: CREATE PARTITION EXTEND CREATE PARTITION LOGICAL SIZE=2048 ASSIGN e: CREATE PARTITION LOGICAL ASSIGN f:

REMOVE
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Removes a drive letter or mounted folder pathname from the volume with focus. Syntax: REMOVE [LETTER=<D> | MOUNT=<PATH> | ALL] [DISMOUNT] [NOERR] LETTER=<D> The drive letter to be removed. MOUNT=<PATH> The mounted folder path to be removed. ALL Removes all current drive letters and mounted folder paths. DISMOUNT This parameter may be used if 1) all drive letters and mounted folder paths have been removed from the volume, or 2) the ALL parameter is specified. This parameter specifies that the file system is to be dismounted and the volume taken offline. If other processes are using the volume, DiskPart closes any open handles before dismounting the file system and taking the volume offline. You can bring the volume online by assigning it a driver letter, by creating a mounted folder path to the volume, or by using the ONLINE command. DISMOUNT will fail if used on a volume that has any remaining drive letters or mounted folder paths. For scripting, using REMOVE ALL DISMOUNT is recommended. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. If no drive letter or mounted folder path is specified, DiskPart removes the first drive letter or mounted folder path it encounters. If the ALL parameter is used, all current drive letters and mounted folder paths are removed. If the DISMOUNT parameter is used, DiskPart closes all open handles to the volume and then dismounts the volume and takes it offline. The REMOVE command can be used to change the drive letter associated with a removable drive. You cannot remove the drive letters on boot or paging volumes. A volume must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: REMOVE LETTER=K REMOVE MOUNT=G:\MountH REMOVE ALL DISMOUNT

REPAIR
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Repairs the RAID-5 volume with focus by replacing the failed RAID-5 member with the specified dynamic disk. Syntax: REPAIR DISK=<N> [ALIGN=<N>] [NOERR] DISK=<N> Specifies the dynamic disk that will replace the failed RAID-5 member. The specified disk must have free space equal to or larger than the total size of the failed RAID-5 member. ALIGN=<N> Typically used with hardware RAID Logical Unit Number (LUN) arrays to improve performance. Aligns all volume extents to the closest alignment boundary. The extent offsets will be a multiple of <N>. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. The specified dynamic disk must have free space greater than or equal to the size of the failed RAID-5 member. A RAID-5 volume must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: REPAIR DISK=1

RESCAN
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Locates new disks that may have been added to the computer. Syntax: RESCAN Example: RESCAN

RETAIN
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Prepares an existing dynamic simple volume to be used as a boot or system volume. Syntax: RETAIN This command creates a partition entry for the dynamic simple volume with focus. A dynamic simple volume must be selected for this operation to succeed. Example: RETAIN

SAN
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Displays or sets the SAN policy for the operating system. Syntax: SAN [POLICY={OnlineAll | OfflineAll | OfflineShared}] [NOERR] SAN If the command is given with no parameters, the current SAN policy is displayed. POLICY=<value> Sets the SAN policy for the currently booted operating system. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. This command allows the user to display or change the SAN policy for the currently booted OS. The default policy for Windows Advanced Server and Windows Data Center is OfflineShared. In this case the boot disk will be brought online, as will all disks that are not located on a shared bus such as SCSI, iSCSI, SAS, etc. The offlined disks will be read-only by default. On all other versions of Windows, the default will be to bring all disks online. In this case, the disks will be online and read/write. The third policy value is OfflineAll. For this case, all disks except the boot disk will be offline and read-only by default. Examples: SAN SAN POLICY=OfflineAll

SELECT
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 DISK - Shift the focus to a disk. For example, SELECT DISK. PARTITION - Shift the focus to a partition. For example, SELECT PARTITION. VOLUME - Shift the focus to a volume. For example, SELECT VOLUME. VDISK - Shift the focus to a virtual disk. For example, SELECT VDISK.

SELECT DISK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Selects the specified disk and shifts the focus to it. Syntax: SELECT DISK=<N> SELECT DISK=SYSTEM SELECT DISK=NEXT SELECT DISK=<Path> DISK=<N> The DiskPart disk index number of the disk to receive focus. DISK=<Path> The location path of the disk to receive focus. DISK=SYSTEM On BIOS machines, BIOS disk 0 will receive focus. On EFI machines, the disk containing the ESP partition used for the current boot will receive focus. On EFI machines, if there is no ESP, or there is more than one ESP present, or the machine is booted from Windows PE, the command will fail. DISK=NEXT Once a disk is selected, this command is used to iterate over all disks in the disk list. The next disk in the list will receive focus. If the next disk is the start of the enumeration, the command will fail and no disk will have focus. If no options are specified, the select command lists the disk that currently has the focus. You can view the DiskPart index numbers for all disks on the computer by using the LIST DISK command. Example: SELECT DISK=1 SELECT DISK=SYSTEM SELECT DISK=NEXT SELECT DISK=PCIROOT(0)#PCI(0100)#ATA(C00T00L01)

SELECT PARTITION
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Selects the specified partition and shifts the focus to it. Syntax: SELECT PARTITION=<N> PARTITION=<N> The number of the partition to receive the focus. If no partition is specified, the select command lists the current partition with focus. You can specify the partition by its number. You can view the numbers of all partitions on the current disk by using the list partition command. You must first select a disk using the DiskPart select disk command before you can select a partition. Example: SELECT PARTITION=1

SELECT VOLUME
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Selects the specified volume and shifts the focus to it. Syntax: SELECT VOLUME={<N> | <D>} VOLUME=<N> The number of the volume to receive the focus. VOLUME=<D> The drive letter or mounted folder path of the volume to receive the focus. If no volume is specified, the select command lists the current volume with focus. You can specify the volume by number, drive letter, or mounted folder path. On a basic disk, selecting a volume also gives the corresponding partition focus. You can view the numbers of all volumes on the computer by using the list volume command. Example: SELECT VOLUME=1 SELECT VOLUME=C SELECT VOLUME=C:\MountH

SELECT VDISK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Selects the specified virtual disk by filename and shifts the focus to it. Syntax: SELECT VDISK FILE=<"filename"> [NOERR] FILE=<"filename"> Specifies the complete path and filename of an existing virtual disk file. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. Example: SELECT VDISK FILE="c:\test\test.vhd"

SETID
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Changes the partition type field for the partition with focus. Syntax: SET ID={<BYTE> | <GUID>} [OVERRIDE] [NOERR] ID={<BYTE> | <GUID>} Specifies the new partition type. For master boot record (MBR) disks, you can specify a partition type byte, in hexadecimal form, for the partition. Any partition type byte can be specified with this parameter except for type 0x42 (LDM partition). Note that the leading '0x' is omitted when specifying the hexadecimal partition type. For GUID partition table (GPT) disks you can specify a partition type GUID for the partition. Recognized GUIDs include: EFI System partition: c12a7328-f81f-11d2-ba4b-00a0c93ec93b Basic data partition: ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7 Any partition type GUID can be specified with this parameter except for the following: Microsoft Reserved partition: e3c9e316-0b5c-4db8-817d-f92df00215ae LDM Metadata partition on a dynamic disk: 5808c8aa-7e8f-42e0-85d2-e1e90434cfb3 LDM Data partition on a dynamic disk: af9b60a0-1431-4f62-bc68-3311714a69ad Cluster Metadata partition: db97dba9-0840-4bae-97f0-ffb9a327c7e1 Other than the limitations mentioned, DiskPart otherwise does not check the partition type for validity except to ensure that it is a byte in hexadecimal form or a GUID. OVERRIDE Enables DiskPart to force the file system on the volume to dismount before changing the partition type. When changing the partition type, DiskPart will attempt to lock and dismount the file system on the volume. If this parameter is not specified, and the call to lock the file system fails, (because some other application has an open handle to the volume), the entire operation will fail. When this parameter is specified, the dismount is forced even if the call to lock the file system fails. When a file system is dismounted, all opened handles to the volume will become invalid. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. Intended for Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) use only. A partition must be selected for this operation to succeed. Caution: Changing partition type fields with this parameter might cause your computer to fail or be unable to start up. Unless you are an OEM or an IT professional experienced with GPT disks, do not change partition type fields on GPT disks using this parameter. Instead, always use the CREATE PARTITION EFI command to create EFI System partitions, the CREATE PARTITION MSR command to create Microsoft Reserved partitions, and the CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY command without the ID parameter to create primary partitions on GPT disks. This command does not work on dynamic disks nor on Microsoft Reserved partitions. Example: SET ID=07 OVERRIDE SET ID=ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7

SHRINK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Reduces the size of the volume with focus by the specified amount. Makes free disk space available from unused space at the end of the volume. Syntax: SHRINK [DESIRED=<N>] [MINIMUM=<N>] [NOWAIT] [NOERR] SHRINK QUERYMAX [NOERR] DESIRED=<N> Specifies the desired amount of space in megabytes (MB) to reduce the size of the volume by. If a desired amount is not specified, the volume will be reduced by the maximum amount of free space available on the volume. MINIMUM=<N> Specifies the minimum amount of space in MB to reduce the size of the volume by. QUERYMAX Returns the maximum number of bytes that the volume can be reduced by (the free space available on the volume). This value may change if applications are currently accessing the volume. NOWAIT Forces the command to return immediately while the shrink process is still in progress. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. If a MINIMUM amount is not specified, the volume will be reduced by either the DESIRED amount (if specified), or by the maximum amount of free space available on the volume. If a MINIMUM amount is specified but not enough free space is available, the command will fail. This command works on basic volumes, and on simple or spanned dynamic volumes. You can reduce the size of a volume only if it is formatted using the NTFS file system or if it does not have a file system. A volume must be selected for this operation to succeed. This command does not operate on OEM, ESP or recovery partitions. Examples: SHRINK DESIRED=500 MINIMUM=250 SHRINK QUERYMAX

UNIQUEID
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 DISK - Displays or sets the GUID partition table (GPT) identifier or master boot record (MBR) signature of a disk.

UNIQUEID DISK
Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation. On computer: * Displays or sets the GUID partition table (GPT) identifier or master boot record (MBR) signature for the disk with focus. Syntax: UNIQUEID DISK [ID={<DWORD> | <GUID>}] [NOERR] ID={<DWORD> | <GUID>} For MBR disks, you can specify a four-byte (DWORD) value in hexadecimal form for the signature. For GPT disks, specify a GUID for the identifier. NOERR For scripting only. When an error is encountered, DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the NOERR parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code. A disk must be selected for this operation to succeed. This command works on basic and dynamic disks. Example: UNIQUEID DISK UNIQUEID DISK ID=5f1b2c36 UNIQUEID DISK ID=baf784e7-6bbd-4cfb-aaac-e86c96e166ee

Document date - 29^th June 2019