How to Change An Active Partition

A partition is a section of the hard drive that is separated into its own entity. Partitions allow users to keep the hard drive organized, without purchasing multiple physical drives. Multiple partitions also allow different operating systems to be installed on the same hard drive. When you run an operating system, the boot files need to be installed on an active partition for it to boot up properly. You can change which partition is active using Windows built-in tools.

Instructions

1. Click "Start" and select "Control Panel."

2. Click "System and Security" and select "Administrative Tools."

3. Double-click on "Computer Management" to open the management options. Click "disk management" located on the left side of the panel to show a listing of your hard drives and partitions.

4. Right-click on the partition that contains the boot files and select "Mark Partition as Active."

Tips & Warnings

• Only primary partitions can be changed to active -- logical and extended partitions do not have this ability. Only one partition on each physical hard drive can be marked as active. You must have administrative privileges to change system settings.

• Do not set a partition that does not have an operating system on it as active, or you may have problems accessing your system.

References

• Microsoft: Changing Active Partition Can Make Your System Unbootable
• Online Tech Tips: How to Set Active Partition in Vista and XP