How to Make a Partition Active in Windows 7

Configure a partition as active to allow Windows to load from the partition on startup.

Marking a hard disk partition active in Windows 7 configures your system to use the partition to start, or boot, your operating system. Before configuring a partition as active, ensure that it contains the necessary loader files for Windows, otherwise your computer may not boot successfully.

Instructions

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

2. Click the "System and Security" icon, then click "Administrative Tools."

3. Double-click on "Computer Management."

4. Click on "Disk Management" in the left-hand pane.

5. Locate the partition you wish to make active in the partition diagram in the center pane. Right-click on the partition, then click on "Mark Partition as Active."

6. Click "Yes" when asked to confirm. Restart your computer to test your amended configuration.

Tips & Warnings

• You can only configure primary hard disk partitions as active, and only one active partition is allowed on each physical hard drive. In situations where configuring a specific partition isn't possible, Windows grays out the "Mark Partition as Active" option.

• If you have multiple physical drives in your PC, it is possible for more than one to have an active partition. In this scenario, your computer's BIOS determines the drive used to boot your computer.

References

• Microsoft Windows: Mark a Partition as Active