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DiskPart Tutorial — Windows Disk & Volume Management


DiskPart is a low-level command-line tool used to manage disks, partitions, and volumes. It is commonly used in recovery environments, server troubleshooting, and OS deployment.

⚠ Warning: DiskPart can permanently destroy data. Always confirm disk numbers before making changes.

When to Use DiskPart

  • Windows won’t boot
  • Disk or volume not visible
  • Partition repair or cleanup
  • Formatting drives
  • Preparing disks for OS install
  • Checking RAID / NVMe detection

Launching DiskPart

diskpart

You’ll see:

DISKPART>

Basic Navigation Commands

List all disks

list disk

Shows all physical disks detected by the system.

Select a disk

select disk 0

Replace 0 with the correct disk number.

View disk details

detail disk

Working with Volumes

List volumes

list volume

Displays partitions and drive letters.

Select a volume

select volume 2

View volume details

detail volume

Assign or Change Drive Letter

assign letter=D

Useful when Windows Recovery doesn’t mount drives correctly.

Rescan Storage Devices

rescan

Forces DiskPart to re-detect disks. Useful after loading drivers.

Clear Read-Only Disk State

attributes disk clear readonly

Fixes disks stuck in read-only mode.

Create New Partition (Dangerous)

⚠ Erases existing partition layout.

clean
create partition primary
format fs=ntfs quick
assign

Only use when preparing a disk for fresh installation.

Repair Scenario — Disk Visible but No Volume

  1. Run list disk
  2. Select disk
  3. Run detail disk
  4. Run rescan
  5. Check volumes again

If volumes still missing, partition table may be corrupted. Stop and switch to recovery tools.

Exit DiskPart

exit

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Running clean on wrong disk
  • Formatting system disk accidentally
  • Assuming disk numbers are same as BIOS
  • Ignoring read-only attributes
  • Writing new partitions before recovery attempt

Recovery Best Practice

  • Always document disk numbers first
  • Never modify disk until data is backed up
  • Use read-only inspection before repair
  • If unsure — stop and escalate

Summary

  • DiskPart is powerful and dangerous
  • Use it for inspection first, repair second
  • Always confirm disk identity
  • Never rush destructive commands

DiskPart is a surgical tool — treat it like one.

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