Re: Is there a rigorous definition for 'primary partition' ?

Thank you for the info.

Bill S.

"Joep" <available@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:133eb$4302e54c$3eddca68$13315@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> "Bill Schaible" <mr.correct@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:NdWdncxjguHfQ5_eRVn-ow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > For years I've been using boot manager programs with multiple primary
> > partitions on multiple drives. Or I skip the boot manager and use a
disk
> > editor to change the partition table in some cases. From that
perspective
> I
> > can't figure out what would be a proper definition for a 'primary'
> > partition. I just spent hours Googling the subject on the internet and
> > didn't find a real definition anywhere.
> >
> > Some facts about a primary partition (PP):
> >
> > (1) A PP is defined by one of the records in the partition table, as
> > opposed to a logical volume, which doesn't have a record in the
> > first physical sector (CHS001) of the drive. However, that's not a
> > distinguishing feature because an extended partition has a record in
> CHS001
> > also.
>
> This is why I consider the extended itself a primary partition as well. If
> you want you can say that a primary partition is a partition defined in
the
> partition table in the MBR while it is not an extended partition.
>
> >
> > (2) An extended partition begins with a partition table (in the EMBR), a
> PP
> > does not. A true fact, but not a definition.
> >
> > (3) A PP doesn't necessarily need to contain system files. You can
have
> > the system files on a diskette, and only non-system files on the hard
> drive,
> > and still have a workable system - i.e. a PP isn't necessarily bootable.
> >
> > (4) Maybe you could say it's a partition that's capable of being booted
> > from if it has the correct system files and data structures. But that
> seems
> > like an OS dependent definition.
>
> Indeed.
>
> Joep
>
>


.

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