A Basic Data Partition is a partition on a data storage device that is used to hold disc volumes that are to be visible to Windows XP and later operating systems^[2]. The Globally Unique Identifier for the Basic Data Partition in the GUID Partition Table scheme is EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7. In computer engineering, hard disk drive partitioning is the creation of logical divisions upon a hard disk that allows one to apply operating system-specific logical formatting. ... In computing, a data storage device—as the name implies—is a device for storing data. ... Windows XP is a line of operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on general-purpose computer systems, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. ... A Globally Unique Identifier or GUID is a pseudo-random number used in software applications. ... GUID Partition Table (GPT) is a standard for the layout of the partition table on a physical hard disk. ...

According to Microsoft, the Basic Data Partition is the equivalent to partition types 0x06, 0x07, and 0x0B in the MBR Partition Table scheme^[2]. However, in practice it is equivalent to partition types 0x01, 0x04, 0x0C, and 0x0E as well. In the IBM PC architecture the Master Boot Record (MBR), or partition sector, is the 512-byte boot sector, i. ...

Basic Data partitions are the only partition types (in the GPT scheme) to which Windows XP will normally assign drive letters.^[3]

A Basic Data Partition can be formatted with any filesystem format, although most commonly BDPs are formatted with the FAT or NTFS filesystem formats. To determine which filesystem format a BDP contains, Microsoft specifies that one should inspect the BIOS Parameter Block that is contained in the BDPs Volume Boot Record. See Filing system for this term as it is used in libraries and offices In computing, a file system is a method for storing and organizing computer files and the data they contain to make it easy to find and access them. ... File Allocation Table (FAT) is a partially patented[1] file system developed by Microsoft for MS-DOS and is the primary file system for consumer versions of Microsoft Windows up to and including Windows Me. ... NTFS or New Technology File System is the standard file system of Windows NT and its descendants: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Vista. ... BIOS parameter block (BPB) is a description of the physical medium (hard disk or floppy) that might be stored in a filesystems Volume Boot Record. ... A Volume Boot Record (also known as a volume boot sector or a partition boot sector, although the latter is not strictly correct) is a type of boot sector, stored in a disc volume on a hard disc, floppy disc, or similar data storage device, that contains code for bootstrapping...

When a Microsoft operating system converts a (GPT partitioned) "Basic Disk" to a "Dynamic Disk", all BDPs are combined and converted to a single Logical Disk Manager data partition (GUID AF9B60A0-1431-4F62-BC68-3311714A69AD). This is analogous to the conversion from partition types 0x01, 0x04, 0x06, 0x07, 0x0B, 0x0C, and 0x0E to partition type 0x42 on MBR partitioned discs. The logical disk manager (LDM) is developed by Veritas Software and Microsoft to replace DOS-style partitioning. ...

References

1. ^ How Basic Disks work. Microsoft TechNet.
2. ^ ^a b Windows GPT Implementation. Windows and GPT FAQ.
3. ^ DiskPart documentation. Microsoft TechNet.

See also

• Microsoft Reserved Partition