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Delete a dynamic volume

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To delete a dynamic volume

  • Using the Windows interface

  • Using a command line

Using the Windows interface

  1. Open Computer Management (Local).

  2. In the console tree, click Computer Management (Local), click Storage, and then click Disk Management.

  3. Right-click the dynamic volume you want to delete, and then click Delete Volume.

    If the menu item reads Delete Partition instead of Delete Volume, the volume is a partition or logical drive. For instructions on how to delete a partition or logical drive, see Related Topics.

Caution

  • Use caution when deleting a volume. Deleting a simple volume, spanned volume, striped volume, mirrored volume, or RAID-5 volume deletes all the data on the volume as well the volume itself.

  • You cannot recover deleted volumes.

Notes

  • To perform this procedure on a local computer, you must be a member of the Backup Operators group or Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. To perform this procedure remotely, you must be a member of the Backup Operators group or Administrators group on the remote computer. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.

  • To open Computer Management, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management.

  • You cannot delete the system volume, boot volume, or any volume that contains the active paging file or crash dump (memory dump).

  • Dynamic simple, spanned, striped, mirrored, and RAID-5 volumes are not available on Windows XP Home Edition. Dynamic mirrored and RAID-5 volumes are not available on Windows XP Professional or Windows XP 64-bit Edition (Itanium).

Using a command line

  1. Open Command prompt.

  2. Type:

    diskpart

  3. At the DISKPART prompt, type:

    list volume

    Make note of the number of the dynamic volume you want to delete.

  4. At the DISKPART prompt, type:

    select volumen

    Select the dynamic volume, where n is the volume's number, that you want to delete.

  5. At the DISKPART prompt, type:

    delete volume

    Deletes the selected dynamic volume.

Caution

  • Use caution when deleting a volume. Deleting a simple volume, spanned volume, striped volume, mirrored volume, or RAID-5 volume deletes all the data on the volume as well the volume itself.

  • You cannot recover deleted volumes.

Value Description

list volume

Displays a list of basic and dynamic volumes on all disks.

select volume

Selects the specified volume, where n is the volume number, and gives it 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 mount point path. On a basic disk, selecting a volume also gives the corresponding partition focus.

delete volume

Deletes the selected volume. You cannot delete the system volume, boot volume, or any volume that contains the active paging file or crash dump (memory dump).

Notes

  • To perform this procedure on a local computer, you must be a member of the Backup Operators group, Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.

  • To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command prompt.

  • You cannot delete the system volume, boot volume, or any volume that contains the active paging file or crash dump (memory dump).

  • Dynamic simple, spanned, striped, mirrored, and RAID-5 volumes are not available on Windows XP Home Edition. Dynamic mirrored and RAID-5 volumes are not available on Windows XP Professional or Windows XP 64-bit Edition (Itanium).

  • For more information about DiskPart, see Related Topics.

Information about functional differences

  • Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Dynamic disks and volumes
Working with MMC console files
DiskPart
Delete a partition or logical drive