What is the Difference Between Primary Partition and Logical Partition?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between primary and logical partitions lies in their bootability and the number of partitions allowed on a disk. Here are the key differences between primary and logical partitions:
- Bootability: Primary partitions are bootable, meaning they can contain the operating system(s) of the computer and can be marked as active for BIOS to locate. Logical partitions, on the other hand, are not bootable.
- Number of Partitions: A disk can have a maximum of four primary partitions or three primary partitions and a single extended partition. Logical partitions, however, can be created inside an extended partition, and there is no limit to the number of logical partitions that can exist on a disk.
- Data Storage: Both primary and logical partitions can be used to store data files. However, primary partitions can also store the operating system(s) of the computer, while logical partitions cannot.
- Hierarchy: Primary partitions and logical partitions are on different hierarchical levels. Primary partitions can be directly created on a disk, while logical partitions must be created inside an extended partition.
- Operating System Installation: Some operating systems, such as Windows, must be installed on either a primary or a logical partition.
In summary, primary partitions are bootable and can contain the operating system(s) of the computer, while logical partitions are non-bootable and can only be used for data storage. Primary partitions are limited in number (up to four), whereas there is no limit to the number of logical partitions that can be created on a disk.
Comparative Table: Primary Partition vs Logical Partition
Here is a table comparing the differences between primary and logical partitions:
| Feature | Primary Partition | Logical Partition |
|---|---|---|
| Bootable | Yes | No |
| Maximum Number | 4 | Numerous (depending on available disk space) |
| Operating System Storage | Can store operating systems | Cannot store operating systems |
| Data Storage | Can store both operating systems and data | Used exclusively for data storage |
Primary partitions are bootable and can contain operating systems, while logical partitions are not bootable and are used strictly for data storage. A disk drive can have a maximum of four primary partitions, and if more partitions are needed, an extended partition can be created to contain multiple logical partitions. In summary, primary partitions are used for booting and running operating systems, while logical partitions are used for storing data.
- Primary Partition vs Extended Partition
- Partition vs Volume
- Logical vs Physical Data Model
- Conceptual vs Logical Model
- Logical vs Rational
- Logical Address vs Physical Address
- Primary key vs Unique key
- Primary vs Secondary Memory
- Primary vs Secondary Data
- Hierarchical vs Partitional Clustering
- Foreign key vs Primary key
- Competitive Exclusion vs Resource Partitioning
- Physical vs Virtual Memory
- Primary Key vs Candidate Key
- Physical DFD vs Logical DFD
- Partition Coefficient vs Distribution Coefficient
- SSD vs HDD
- Hard Disk vs Hard Drive
- Primary vs General Election