If anyones interested, I have written a guide how to do it as Microsoft say it cant be done, and no partition software can repartition dynamic disks.

This will convert a dynamic disk back to basic without losing any data.

This will only work on dynamic disks that have NOT had any of the Windows software RAID options enabled.

Download Support Tools for XP.

Install this, find dskprobe.exe in Program Files\Support Tools.

Click on Drives > Physical Drives.

Double click on the drive you wish to convert to basic.

Click Set Active, then Ok.
Click Sectors > Read, accept the defaults ie, Start Sectors 0, Number Sectors 1.

Select Read, find the 01C0 entry, the 3rd hex entry in should say 42, change this to 07, if there are any sectors in 01D0 that read anything other than 00 change them to 00.

Click Sectors > Write, accept any defaults or messages.

Reboot and run a chkdsk /f

Load up Disk Management and your disk will be basic and repartitional again. :thumbs:

[Edited on 08-04-2006 by Steve]

sorted it, you have to manually edit some hex entries in the hard drives sectors

that doesnt work with dynamic disks

partition magic! :thumbs:

nope, cant convert back to basic if there is a volume created on the disk, i would have to remove the volume and cant do that as its my boot volume

XP? Can you not do it from the disk management tool?

anyone know of any software that will allow me to repartion or resize a dynamic disk? or anything that will allow me to convert back to basic disk?