What is Simple Volume and How to create it

Simple volume is part of the physical disk. It works as an independent unit. Simple volume is a dynamic storage which functions like primary partition in the Windows NT 4.0 or its earlier versions. When there is only one dynamic disk, you can only create simple volume. 

Detailed Instructions

Simple volume can only be created on a dynamic disk.

Note: Operation systems like MS-DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP Home Edition cannot support dynamic disk. 

Extending the volume to unallocated space on the same disk can increase the size of the simple volume. In order to reach the goal, one should do formatting with NTFS file system in Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003. After extending, the simple volume in the same disk is also a simple volume as before. People can do “Mirror” for it. 

Simple volume will also be extended to other dynamic disk on the same computer area. When we extend it to one or more disks, the volume will become a spanned volume. After the extension, people cannot delete any part of the spanned volume (unless deleting the whole volume). 

Ways to Create a Simple Volume

Step 1: Open “Computer Management”. In the console tree, click “Disk Management”. 

Step 2: Right-click the unallocated space on one of the dynamic disks and click on “New Volume” button. Then the “New Volume Wizard” will emerge, and please click “Next” to choose a volume type. 

Step 3: Select “Simple Volume” button and click “Next” to go to the next interface. 

Step 4: select or add the disk where simple volume will be created and appoint needed capacity. Then click “Next>” to go to the “Assign Drive Letter Or Path” page. 

Step 5: Here you can choose a drive letter for the target volume. With a click on “Next”, users are given chance to set partition properties, including file system, allocate unit size, and volume label. Then, check the option “Perform a quick format”. 

Step 6: Click “Finish” to create a new simple volume. 

Note: Dynamic disk can only support NTFS formatting.