How to Create a Partition Table

Creating a partition table for your Windows computer hard drive is what makes it capable of booting and loading the initial operating system files. Creating a partition table clears all data from the hard drive, so before running the Fdisk utility, ensure that any important files and documents are backed up. Once your files are stored, creating a boot disk and a partition table is accomplished from the DOS prompt using Fdisk.

Instructions

Create a Boot Disk

1

Insert a floppy disk into the computer. This can be on any Windows machine, but the disk is used on the computer where the partition table needs to be created.

2

Click the Windows "Start" button and select "Run." Type "cmd" in the textbox and press the "Enter" key.

3

Type "format a: /s" in the command prompt. This formats the floppy disk in the computer and stores the necessary system files.

4

Insert the floppy disk into the computer that needs to have a partition table created.

Create the Hard Drive Partition Table

5

Boot the computer with the floppy disk inserted into the drive. The computer will boot to a DOS prompt.

6

Type "fdisk" in the prompt window and press the "Enter" key. This starts the Fdisk utility that creates the partition table.

7

Select option 1 labeled "Create DOS partition or Logical DOS Drive" from the selection screen. This creates a brand-new logical drive and partition table.

8

Select "Create Primary DOS Partition" from the new selection window. Press the "Y" key to create a FAT32 partition. The partition is created. Depending on the size of your hard drive, this make take several minutes. The Fdisk utility shows the progress in the window during the creation.

9

Press the "Esc" key to exit the Fdisk utility. Type "format c: /s" in the DOS prompt. This formats the drive and makes it boot ready. Once this completes, remove the floppy disk and reboot the computer. The partition table is created, and the hard drive is now able to boot.