A basic disk is a type of hard drive configuration, available with the Windows operating system. A basic disk makes use of primary partitions and optionally, an extended partition. The consist of up to four primary partitions or three primary partitions and one extended. If an extended partition is configured, it can have up to 128 logical drives within it.

Data on a basic disk cannot be shared between partitions; each acts as its own entity. A dynamic disk is required to enable sharing across volumes. Personal computers, including desktops and laptops, are usually configured with basic disks.

Hard drive, Hard drive terms

  • Hard drive help and support.