DFSee logo
(Documentation for the EXPERT Mode=FDISK menu)
(to DFSee main pages)  |  File  |  Edit  |  Actions  |  Image  |  View  |  Scripts  |  Set  |  Help  |  (to BASIC menu)
Mode=FDISK  |  APFS  |  AUX  |  DUMPFS  |  EXTn  |  EFAT  |  FAT  |  HFS+  |  HPFS  |  ISO  |  JFS  |  NTFS  |  REISER  |  SWAP  |  XFS
(Mode=FDISK)


Mode=FDISK Menu: [FDISK style and LVM partition management]

Disk and media overview

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Disk and media overview

Display of attached partitionable media, disk geometry and partition maps

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will display an overview of the partitionable media in table
    form, plus extensive geometry and size information for each disk.

    For each disk a pseudo-graphical map will be shown, with each
    partition or freespace area sized and colored according to its
    real size and type of filesystem being used.

    Some key information for each area will be shown inside each
    partition or freespace area displayed.
    Note that a 'disk' can be any partionable media supported by
    DFSee, like physical disks, virtual-disks, images and others ...

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

   


Show/Set disk Geometry

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Show/Set disk Geometry

Display and optionaly set a new geometry to be used for the selected disk

Menu item screenshot(s)


    From menu: selects a disk, then starts a standard geometry dialog.

    The geometry dialog shows, and lets you set, the used geometry
    for the currently selected object, usually a disk. The geometry
    and size values for the current object are shown, and a custom
    or one of several pre-defined geometries can be selected and set:

    (*) Custom geometry, values:        Specify CHS values manually

    ( ) Reset to system geometry        Visible if L-Geo set differently
    ( ) Classic desktop/3.5" 255/63   OS/2 limit  502 GB \  for other OSes
    ( ) Classic laptops/2.5" 240/63   OS/2 limit  472 GB  > no real limit
    ( ) Std SSD/4Kb-sectors   64/32   OS/2 limit   64 GB /
    ( ) Big SSD/4Kb-sectors  255/240  OS/2 limit 1912 GB \  for other OSes
    ( ) Huge rotating disk   255/127  OS/2 limit 1012 GB  > no limits, but 
    ( ) Huge rotating disk   255/255  OS/2 limit 2032 GB /  not recommended

    The Big SSD has 240 sectors/track (120 KiB) to be a multiple of the most
    used read/write page sizes in SSD disks, for best alignment/performance.

    Note that setting a geometry for a disk is NOT modifying the disk!
    It just changes the way DFSee lays out partions, or shows warnings
    about the layout of existing partitions (cylinder alignment).

       ==> GEOMETRY is in the eye of the beholder <==

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

   


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used

Search partition + FS info

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info

Search partition-tables, LVM or FS-superblocks on cylinder boundaries (FAST)

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This submenu has several selections that will find partition related
    sectors on the current disk using the 'bsfind' command.

    You can search for partition-tables (MBR/EBR/bootsector) plus LVM,
    or filesystem-specific superblock sectors, or a combination.

    The search is quite fast because it searches on cylinder boundaries
    where 99.99% of those type of sectors will be located anyway.
    This method of searching can be more than 200 times faster than
    simply searching every sector on the disk ...

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

   


Partition tables + LVM only

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Partition tables + LVM only

Find all partitiong (MBR, EBR), LVM and bootsectors, on cylinder boundaries

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will search ALL partitioning and LVM related sectors on the
    current disk using the 'bsfind' command.

    This is the same search as used in the DFSDISK procedure for UNFDISK
    analysis purposes, and might be useful to allow operations on these
    sectors like exporting them, or even wiping them all clean.

    The search is very similar to other analysis and recovery tools like
    FINDPART and TESTDISK and is the basis for partition recovery.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    



Search FS superblocks only

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Search FS superblocks only

Find all superblocks for ANY or selected filesystem, on cylinder boundaries


    This will search the disk for superblocks related to one or ALL of
    the supported filesystems (selected from the next sub-menu list).

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


ANY FS
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Search FS superblocks only -> ANY FS

Find superblocks for ANY supported FS on current disk on cylinder boundaries


    This will search ALL superblocks for any of the supported filesystems
    on the current disk using the 'bsfind' command, searching on cylinder
    boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     



HPFS
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Search FS superblocks only -> HPFS

Find HPFS superblocks only, on the current disk and on cylinder boundaries


    This will search ALL HPFS superblocks (sector 0x10 = 16 in a partition)
    on the current disk using the 'bsfind' command, searching on cylinder
    boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     


JFS
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Search FS superblocks only -> JFS

Find JFS superblocks only, on the current disk and on cylinder boundaries

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will search ALL JFS superblocks (sector 0x40 = 64 in a partition)
    on the current disk using the 'bsfind' command, searching on cylinder
    boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     


HFS+ MAC
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Search FS superblocks only -> HFS+ MAC

Find HFS+ superblocks only, on the current disk and on cylinder boundaries


    This will search ALL HFS superblocks (3rd sector in a partition)
    on the current disk using the 'bsfind' command, searching on cylinder
    boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     


EXTn
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Search FS superblocks only -> EXTn

Find EXTn superblocks only, on the current disk and on cylinder boundaries


    This will search ALL EXT2+3 superblocks (2nd sector in a partition)
    on the current disk using the 'bsfind' command, searching on cylinder
    boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     


XFS
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Search FS superblocks only -> XFS

Find XFS superblocks only, on the current disk and on cylinder boundaries


    This will search ALL XFS superblocks (1st sector in a partition)
    on the current disk using the 'bsfind' command, searching on cylinder
    boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     


ReiserFS
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Search FS superblocks only -> ReiserFS

Find Reiser superblocks only, on the current disk and on cylinder boundaries


    This will search ALL ReiserFS superblocks, sector 0x80 = 128 in a
    partition, on the current disk using the 'bsfind' command,
    searching on cylinder boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     


NTFS LDR
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Search FS superblocks only -> NTFS LDR

Find NTFS NTLDR sectors only, on the current disk and on cylinder boundaries


    This will search ALL NTFS first sectors of NTLDR (2nd in partition)
    on the current disk using the 'bsfind' command, searching on cylinder
    boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     


Superblocks + partitioning

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Superblocks + partitioning

Find all FS superblocks, partitioning+LVM+bootsectors on cylinder boundaries


    This will search ALL partitioning and LVM related sectors PLUS ALL
    superblocks related to one or ALL of the supported filesystems.
    (selected from the next sub-menu list)

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


ANY FS
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Superblocks + partitioning -> ANY FS

Find -any- superblocks, partitioning+LVM+bootsectors on cylinder boundaries

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will search ALL partitioning and LVM related sectors PLUS ALL
    superblocks for ANY supported filesystem on the current disk using
    the 'bsfind' command, searching on cylinder boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     



HPFS
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Superblocks + partitioning -> HPFS

Find HPFS superblocks, partitioning+LVM+bootsectors on cylinder boundaries


    This will search ALL partitioning and LVM related sectors PLUS any
    HPFS superblocks (sector 0x10 = 16) on the current disk using the
    'bsfind' command, searching on cylinder boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     


JFS
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Superblocks + partitioning -> JFS

Find JFS superblocks, partitioning+LVM+bootsectors on cylinder boundaries


    This will search ALL partitioning and LVM related sectors PLUS any
    JFS superblocks (sector 0x40 = 64) on the current disk using the
    'bsfind' command, searching on cylinder boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     


HFS+ MAC
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Superblocks + partitioning -> HFS+ MAC

Find HFS+ superblocks, partitioning+LVM+bootsectors on cylinder boundaries


    This will search ALL partitioning and LVM related sectors PLUS any
    HFS superblocks (3rd sector) on the current disk using the
    'bsfind' command, searching on cylinder boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     


EXT
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Superblocks + partitioning -> EXT

Find EXTn superblocks, partitioning+LVM+bootsectors on cylinder boundaries


    This will search ALL partitioning and LVM related sectors PLUS any
    EXT2+3 superblocks (2nd sector) on the current disk using the
    'bsfind' command, searching on cylinder boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     


XFS
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Superblocks + partitioning -> XFS

Find XFS superblocks, partitioning+LVM+bootsectors on cylinder boundaries


    This will search ALL partitioning and LVM related sectors PLUS any
    XFS superblocks (1st sector) on the current disk using the
    'bsfind' command, searching on cylinder boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     


ReiserFS
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Superblocks + partitioning -> ReiserFS

Find Reiser superblocks, partitioning+LVM+bootsectors on cylinder boundaries


    This will search ALL partitioning and LVM related sectors PLUS any
    ReiserFS superblocks (sector 0x80 = 128) on the current disk using
    the 'bsfind' command, searching on cylinder boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     


NTFS LDR
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Superblocks + partitioning -> NTFS LDR

Find NTFS NTLDR sectors, partitioning+LVM+bootsectors on cylinder boundaries


    This will search ALL partitioning and LVM related sectors PLUS any
    NTFS 1st NTLDR sectors (sector 0x01) on the current disk using the
    'bsfind' command, searching on cylinder boundaries only.

    Searching on cylinder boundaries only can be over 200 times FASTER
    than simply searching each sector on the disk.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     



Display List of sectors

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Display List of sectors

Show list with sector numbers as 1-liners, using a recorded filesystem-mode

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will display the DFSee sector-list in a compact format,
    suited to the data contained in the list, when known

    This usually is a 'list -f' or a 'list -s' variant.

    The FS-mode, reflected by the 'Mode=xxxx' menu and the 'mode=xxxx'
    display in the DFSee status line, will be temporarily set to the
    mode it was during creation of the list, to make sure any additional
    intelligence or formatting of the list is preserved.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Display Sector Contents

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Search partition + FS info -> Display Sector Contents

Show contents of the sectors in the list, using a recorded filesystem-mode

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will display the DFSee sector-list in a more verbose format,
    suited to the data contained in the list. This could be in the form
    of one path+filename on a line for lists representing filenames, to
    detailed sector-dumps for lists related to partitioning information.

    This usually is a 'list -d' or a 'list -b' variant.

    The FS-mode, reflected by the 'Mode=xxxx' menu and the 'mode=xxxx'
    display in the DFSee status line, will be temporarily set to the
    mode it was during creation of the list, to make sure any additional
    intelligence or formatting of the list is preserved.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    



Create new partition

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Create new partition

Create a new partition defined by freespace selection and prompted values

Menu item screenshot(s)


    When any freespace area exists that could be used to create a new
    partition, this will present you with a list of freespace areas.

    When a specific freespace area is selected, the actual CREATE dialog
    will be presented that allows further specification of the partition
    to be created.

    In the selection list, freespace areas that are either too small, or
    located such that no partition could be created there, are listed
    but cannot be selected (they are disabled, black text).

    If all entries are disabled, no partitions can be created at all.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

   


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a freespace area to be used

Delete partition

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Delete partition

Delete a partition from the partition-tables and (primary) LVM-information

Menu item screenshot(s)


    A partition can be selected here that will be DELETED from the
    partition-tables. This will result in the space occupied by the
    partition becoming FREESPACE that can be used again to create
    new partitions.

    For primary partitions on LVM-systems, the related LVM-information
    is cleared as well, to avoid consistency problems later when a new
    partition is created at the same position.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

   


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used

Change partition Type

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Change partition Type

Change type for a partition from a list or custom value (NO FS CONVERSION!)

Menu item screenshot(s)


    A partition can be selected here for which the PARTITION-TYPE can
    be changed to a predefined value from a list, or to a custom value
    specified as a hexadecimal number.

    The type usually represents the type of filesystem that is used for
    the partition, although some types are used for more than one FS like
    0x07 = HPFS, JFS, NTFS or any other 'Installable File System' (IFS)
    and 0x83 for any native Linux filesystem like EXT2, EXT3 or EXT4

    The most used values are predefined and selectable from a list
    with a short description, and a full line of extra description
    in the statusline at the bottom of the screen.

    To change the type of an extended container (05 / 0f), use the
    'fixext' command, or menu 'Fix EXT container type' instead.

    NOTE: Changing the PARTITION TYPE does NOT change the CONTENTS
          of the partition in ANY way, it merely changes the type
          byte in the partition table, nothing else.

          To change the contents, from one filesystem to another one,
          you need specific filesystem-conversion programs, like the
          CONVERT.EXE tool on Windows-XP that converts FAT32 to NTFS,
          or you need to BACKUP the contents, re-FORMAT the partition
          with the new filesystem, and then RESTORE the contents.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

   


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used

Set partition Status to

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Set partition Status to

Set partition properties: ACTIVE, HIDDEN, VISIBLE, MULTIPLE-VISIBLE-PRIMARY


    Set one of a few related properties for a partition:

     - ACTIVE
       This will set the selected partition the ACTIVE (startable)
       one, so it will be the one booted by the BIOS for this disk.
       There should only be ONE active partition on each disk,
       and this should be a PRIMARY partition

     - HIDDEN
       A partition can be selected here that will be HIDDEN for the
       operating system by manipulating the partition-type.

     - VISIBLE
       A partition can be selected here that will be made VISIBLE for
       the operating system by manipulating the partition-type.
       Other visible primaries on the same disk will be hidden.

     - MULTI-VIS
       A partition can be selected here that will be made VISIBLE for
       the operating system by manipulating the partition-type.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

   


Active, BIOS-startable

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Set partition Status to -> Active, BIOS-startable

Make partition the ACTIVE (startable) one, started by default by the BIOS

Menu item screenshot(s)


    A PRIMARY partition can be selected here that will be made
    the ACTIVE one for the disk, meaning the BIOS would start
    the operating system in this partition at boot time.
    Selecting a LOGICAL will result in an error message.

    There should only be a single active partition on every disk.
    When the system starts, the BIOS will usually boot from
    the ACTIVE partition on the first disk.

    In IBM BMGR/LVM terms the active partition is called STARTABLE.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used

Not active, clear flag

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Set partition Status to -> Not active, clear flag

Make partition NOT ACTIVE, clearing the status flag, NOT booted by the BIOS


    A PRIMARY partition can be selected here that will be made
    NOT ACTIVE, meaning it will NOT be started by the BIOS.
    Selecting a LOGICAL will result in an error message.

    There should be at most ONE active partition on every disk.
    When the system starts, the BIOS will usually boot from
    the ACTIVE partition on the first disk.

    In IBM BMGR/LVM terms the active partition is called STARTABLE.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used


Hidden, using part-type

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Set partition Status to -> Hidden, using part-type

Make partition HIDDEN by manipulating the partition-type (non-LVM method)

Menu item screenshot(s)


    A partition can be selected here that will be HIDDEN for the
    operating system by manipulating the partition-type.

    The type is changed by adding 0x10 to the value (0x06 ==> 0x16)
    and will result in the partition not being seen anymore by most
    operating systems.

    This method will work for partition-types 0x01 through 0x0e only,
    with the 'hidden' values being in the range 0x11 through 0x1e

    Operating systems like Windows-XP and LVM-aware OS/2 and eCS will
    still see those partitions however, since they use a different
    mechanism to hide and show partitions.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used

Visible, allow just one

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Set partition Status to -> Visible, allow just one

Make partition VISIBLE by manipulating the partition-type (non-LVM method)


    A partition can be selected here that will be made VISIBLE for the
    operating system by manipulating the partition-type.

    The type is changed by subtracting 0x10 from the value (0x16 ==> 0x06)
    and will result in the partition being seen again.

    This method will work for partition-types 0x01 through 0x0e only,
    with the 'hidden' values being in the range 0x11 through 0x1e

    If the partitions is a PRIMARY one, other primary partitions on the
    same disk will be hidden by default.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used

Visible, allow Multiple

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Set partition Status to -> Visible, allow Multiple

Make partition VISIBLE, allow multiple visible primaries (non-LVM method)


    A partition can be selected here that will be made VISIBLE for the
    operating system by manipulating the partition-type.

    The type is changed by subtracting 0x10 from the value (0x16 ==> 0x06)
    and will result in the partition being seen again.

    This method will work for partition-types 0x01 through 0x0e only,
    with the 'hidden' values being in the range 0x11 through 0x1e

    When the partition is a PRIMARY, the other primaries on the same
    disk will NOT be affected. This may result in multiple-primary
    partitions being visible, which could be a problem for some older
    operating systems.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used

Open single partition F6

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Open single partition F6

Open partition selected by submenu, to work on the filesystem in a partition

Menu item screenshot(s)


    On selection this will open a submenu containing all partitions
    on all the disks known to DFSee.

    The partitions are grouped per physical/virtual disk

    Selecting one of these will open it for further use and set
    the 'base' values to the start and end of the partition.
    Logical sector number 0 (LSN 0) will represent the first
    sector in the real partition (bootsector)

    After opening the partition, its bootsector will be displayed.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

   


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used

Open whole Disk to work on

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Open whole Disk to work on

Open disk selected by submenu, to work on part-tables, LVMinfo or whole disk

Menu item screenshot(s)


    On selection this will open a submenu containing all physical
    and virtual disks known to DFSee.

    Selecting one of these will open it for further use and display
    the first sector of the disk, the MBR with a partition-table

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

   


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used


BACKUP partition info

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> BACKUP partition info

Save all partitioning information, including LVM to binary .PDx backup file

Menu item screenshot(s)


    After selecting ALL or one specific disk, this will present a save-as
    dialog allowing you to specify a (base) filename for the binary .PDx
    file(s) that will be a BACKUP of all partition-table, bootsector,
    and LVM-information sectors for the specified disk(s).

    This is a very compact backup for your partitioning scheme, that can
    be used to recover from virii, FDISK errors or other disasters that
    have damaged your partition tables or bootsectors.

    You can restore ALL information using the corresponding 'Restore ...'
    menu item, or you can selectively restore individual sectors by using
    the command 'PRESTORE' from the DFSee commandline.

    Note that these 'BACKUP' .PDx files do NOT contain any USER-DATA!

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

   


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'

RESTORE partition info

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> RESTORE partition info

Restore all partitioning info, including LVM from a binary .PDx backup file

Menu item screenshot(s)


    When started from the menu, the disk to restore TO can be pre-selected
    and will be filled in in the Prestore-dialog, OR when item 'SAME disk x'
    is selected from the menu, it will restore to the SAME disk-number as
    where the .PDx file to be selected originated from, with the disk-number
    taken from the filename extension 'x'

    After selecting one .PDx file that contains a binary BACKUP of all
    partitioning information for a disk, the sectors contained in this
    file will be restored to the SAME disk-number as is was created for
    when the disknumber field contains the text 'SAME' or to the number
    specified in that field as a specific disk-number to restore to.

    You can specify which type of sectors are to be restored:

                    r = MBR sectors      e = EBR sectors 
                    G = GPT headers      g = GPT entries 
                    l = LVM info, DLAT   s = LVM sig, BBR
                    b = Partition boot sectors           

    If you specify just a BASE name for the file (without an extension),
    ALL files with that basename will be restored to the matching disks.
    (You can manually erase the extension in the Dialog filename field).

    This is a very quick restore of your partitioning scheme after damage
    from virii, FDISK errors or other disasters.

    The .PDx files can be created by running the DFSDISK or DFSTART
    procedures too, since these use the same 'PSAVE' command'.

    Be aware that the partition-scheme will be restored EXACTLY to the
    state it was when the backup .PDx file was created, so any changes
    to the partitioning, or even a FORMAT of a disk after creation of
    the .PDx file, will be lost

    You can also selectively restore individual sectors by using
    the command 'PRESTORE' from the DFSee commandline.

    Note that these 'BACKUP' .PDx files do NOT contain any USER-DATA!

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

   


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'

Make partition scripts

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Make partition scripts

Generate DFSee partitioning script(s) to recreate partitions as they are now

Menu item screenshot(s)


    Generate a DFSee script (.DFS) that will (re)create partitions
    on the same or a different disk the way they currently are.

    It will present you with a dialog, where you can specify the disk(s)
    you want scripts generated for, as well as some options refining the
    way the script will create the partitions.

    You also need to specify the (base) filename for the script(s) to
    be generated, which may include a path component.

    You can also add a short description to identify the system of the
    disk involved, and this description will be presented in the first
    confirmation dialog when running the generated script later.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

   


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'


Partition-table operations

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Partition-table operations

Operations like NEWMBR, wipe disk-start, edit NT-signature, Convert MBR<>GPT

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This submenu contains some selections that UPDATE the MBR
    sector or larger area for the selected disk(s), one of:

    - Write NEW MBR code, but KEEP the partition table intact.
      This is the standard 'NEWMBR' action as also done by several
      other partitioning tools like FDISK and LVM.

    - Write NEW MBR code, and ERASE the partition table to zeroes.
      This results in a totally EMPTY disk, with valid bootcode
      but NO partitions anymore!

    - Update the Windows NT-signature value in the MBR sector.
      This value is used by Windows disk-manager to identify disks

    - Wipe the first 10 megabytes of the disk to ZEROES

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

   


Edit Partition tables

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Partition-table operations -> Edit Partition tables

Edit a partition table in an MBR/EBR sector using the P-Table-Editor dialog

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will start the interactive partition-table editor,
    positioned on the starting-partition selected from a list.

    It will allow direct updating of the various fields in the table
    and update related fields in the same table accordingly.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used


New MBR code, KEEP tables

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Partition-table operations -> New MBR code, KEEP tables

Write new MBR bootcode to selected disk(s), but KEEP all partitions intact

Menu item screenshot(s)


    The boot-code in the master-boot-record (MBR) for the disk to be
    selected here will be refreshed to generic extended-int-13 aware
    bootcode by DFSee.

    This will get rid of any MBR virii, but would also remove MBR
    resident bootmanagers like LILO, GRUB or AirBoot as well as
    disk-translation software like Ontrack diskmanager.

    The partition-tables which are also in the same MBR sector are NOT
    affected by this action, so all partitions will still be there.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'

New MBR code, ERASE tables

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Partition-table operations -> New MBR code, ERASE tables

Write new MBR bootcode to selected disk(s) and DELETING all the partitions

Menu item screenshot(s)


    The boot-code in the master-boot-record (MBR) for the disk to be
    selected here will be refreshed to generic extended-int-13 aware
    bootcode by DFSee.

    This will get rid of any MBR virii, but would also remove MBR
    resident bootmanagers and disk-translation software like Ontrack.

    The partition-tables which are also in the same MBR sector will be
    cleared completely by this action, so all partitions are DELETED!

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used


New MBR code from an IMAGE

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Partition-table operations -> New MBR code from an IMAGE

Write new MBR bootcode from a RAW imagefile to a disk, KEEP all partitions

Menu item screenshot(s)


    The boot-code in the master-boot-record (MBR) for the disk to be
    selected is refreshed to the code in the selected RAW imagefile.

    This will get rid of any MBR virii, but would also remove MBR
    resident bootmanagers like LILO, GRUB or AirBoot as well as
    disk-translation software like Ontrack diskmanager.

    The partition-tables which are also in the same MBR sector are NOT
    affected by this action, so all partitions will still be there.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'

Save MBR code, to an IMAGE

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Partition-table operations -> Save MBR code, to an IMAGE

Save MBR bootcode from a disk to a 1-sector RAW imagefile, for later restore

Menu item screenshot(s)


    The boot-code in the master-boot-record (MBR) for the disk to be
    selected is saved to a 1-sector RAW imagefile (512 bytes) so it
    can later be restored as is (RESTORE) or used to refresh only the
    MBR code for this or another disk (NEW MBR code from an IMAGE).

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used


Wipe MBR sector of a disk

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Partition-table operations -> Wipe MBR sector of a disk

Wipe Master Boot record (MBR) on a disk, delete bootcode and partition-table


   This will wipe the Master Boot record (first sector) of the
   selected disk with all ZERO bytes.

   Normally you would use one of the NEWMBR options instead to retain,
   the MBR bootcode (and perhaps even the partition table) intact.
   that may confuse tools when trying to reformat.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    



Update NT-signature in MBR

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Partition-table operations -> Update NT-signature in MBR

Display and optionally update the value for the Windows NT signature value

Menu item screenshot(s)


    The NT-signature value in the MBR sector, just before the tables,
    will be displayed in a dialog and can be updated to a new value.

    It is a 32-bit value used by Windows-NT and later version to allow
    identification of a disk by the disk-manager, even when the disk is
    moved to another controller, or has been temporarily removed.

    Related to this signature are paritions and driveletters.
    When an unknown disk is attached (no or unknown signature)
    the disk-manager will re-assign default driveletters.

    In this dialog, you can specify a new value of the signature,
    as an 8-digit hexadecimal value (32 bits)

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'


Wipe start of disk to ZERO

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Partition-table operations -> Wipe start of disk to ZERO

Wipe the start (10 MiB) of the selected disk completely clean to all ZEROES

Menu item screenshot(s)


   This will WIPE the first 10 megabytes of the selected disk to 
   all ZEROES, completely removing remains of MBR partition-tables
   as well as any bootmanagers living in the MBR area, LVM info and
   the partitions tables and bootsectors for the first partition.

   Useful when installing a new (picky) operating system that uses
   the old information in unexpected ways :-)

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used

Wipe LVM sectors MBR-area

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Partition-table operations -> Wipe LVM sectors MBR-area

Wipe obsolete LVM DLAT sectors (for other/previous GEO) in sectors 1 .. 254


    The MBR-track area (for any geometry, so sectors 1 .. 254) is checked
    for the presence of obsolete LVM DLAT sectors, where obsolete means
    they are NOT aligned according to the current disk geometry.

    These obsolete DLAT sectors, if any, will be cleaned by wiping the
    sector with ZEROES.

    Cleaning the MBR track from obsolete LVM sectors avoids the risk of
    picking up invalid disk information, like used geometry from them.

    The LVM DLAT sector for the CURRENT logical disk geometry will NOT
    be cleared so your current partitioning information remains valid.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used

Wipe MBR TRACK-1 sectors

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Partition-table operations -> Wipe MBR TRACK-1 sectors

Wipe reserved sectors for disk in MBR track, keep first (MBR) and last (LVM)

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will WIPE the reserved sectors in the FIRST track of the
    selected disk to all ZEROES, completely removing remains of
    hidden bootmanagers, raid-configuration, overlay-managers and
    similar stuff that may cause you problems

    Make VERY SURE your system does NOT RELY on any of these
    sectors to boot, or otherwise function properly!

    The MBR sector itself (sector 0), and for OS/2 LVM systems
    the LVM-info sector (DLAT, last sector) will be untouched.
    All sectors in between are wiped ...

    Useful when the remains cause problems with new installs,
    or otherwise interfere with normal operation.

    When the disk-geometry, or the alignment of the partition
    results in NO reserved sectors, a warning is displayed.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used


Wipe (EBR) TRACK-1 sectors

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Partition-table operations -> Wipe (EBR) TRACK-1 sectors

Wipe reserved sectors for partition, in EBR for logical. Keep table and LVM.


    This will WIPE the reserved sectors in the FIRST track of the
    selected PARTITION to all ZEROES, completely removing remains
    anything bad hiding there

    When selecting a LOGICAL partition, this will wipe the area
    between the EBR sector and the LVM or partition boot sector.
    When selecting a PRIMARY it will wipe the sectors between the
    MBR sector and the first LVM sector, or end of the MBR track.

    The MBR/EBR sector itself (with the partition table), and for
    OS/2 LVM systems the LVM-info sector (DLAT, last sector in track)
    will be untouched. All sectors in between are wiped ...

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used


Convert an MBR disk to GPT

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Partition-table operations -> Convert an MBR disk to GPT

Convert an MBR-style disk to an EMPTY GPT one: NEWMBR, create GPT guard part


    Convert an MBR-style disk to an EMPTY GPT one

    This is a 'NEWMBR -c' command, removing the MBR partitions,
    followed by a 'CR gpt' that will create a GPT guard partition
    spanning the whole disk, effectively making this a GPT disk.

    It WILL automatically recover any GPT partitions still defined
    in either the primary-GPT header+tables directly after the MBR
    or the alternate-GPT ones at the end of disk, when present
    (this would recover from an accidental 'newmbr' on the disk)

    Any new GPT partition can then be created using 'CR gpt ....'
    style commands, or the 'Create new partition' menu item.

    The operation is NOT directly recoverable, since the primary MBR
    table is zeroed. However, using the DFSee DFSDISK procedure it
    may be possible to recover the MBR-style partitions with some
    additional effort.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used

Convert a GPT disk to MBR

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Partition-table operations -> Convert a GPT disk to MBR

Convert a GPT-style disk to an EMPTY MBR one: NEWMBR (GPT info untouched!)


    Convert a  GPT-style disk to an MBR one.

    There are THREE areas that make a disk a 'GPT-style disk:

       1)  The MBR-sector with partition table (GPT-guard)

       2)  The primary-GPT header and tables, following the MBR

       3)  The alternate-GPT header and tables, at end of the disk

    This menu-item will perform a 'gpt2mbr' command without parameters
    resulting in a 'NEWMBR -c' command to reset area (1) to being MBR
    and erasing the header part of area (2)

    This will result in an EMPTY MBR-style disk, that can still be
    converted back (recovered) to the GPT-style disk it was before,
    including all partitions, using the info in area (3)
    (recover using menu item 'Convert an MBR disk to GPT)'

    To remove ALL info for the GPT partitions (unrecoverable), or
    selectively remove just one ofthe areas mentioned above, you
    need to use the 'gpt2mbr' command with extra options
    (use 'gpt2mbr -?' for help on that)

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used

Part-table cleanup/repair

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Part-table cleanup/repair

Cleanup and repair operations on MBR or GPT partition tables, CHS, Alignment

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This submenu contains some selections that do cleanup or repair
    operations on all partition tables, including the chain of logical
    partitions and their extended containers.

    - Cleanup multiple or incorrect ACTIVE flags and extended container
      sizes and offsets in partition tables for one or all disks.

    - Update CHS values in partition-tables to match disk-geometry 
      and CHS-style in partition tables for one or all disks.

    - Fix type of EXT containers to be 0x05 (standard) or 0x0F (Win9x)

    - Align the extended container (1st logical) for one or ALL disks 

    - Align the extended container for a single logical partition

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

   


Cleanup partition tables

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Part-table cleanup/repair -> Cleanup partition tables

Cleanup multiple/incorrect ACTIVE flags and EXT container sizes and offsets


    Partition-table flag values for PRIMARY partitions will be
    checked and corrected where needed, avoiding multiple ACTIVE
    partitions and non-standard flag values. Both could cause
    boot-failures ...

    All, partition-table entries in the extended-container chain
    will be checked, recalculated and rewritten when needed.

    - Any EMPTY containers (EBR without a logical, just a link)
      will be removed from the chain.

      This will allow the freespace area that the EBR was in, to be
      used for new primary partitions, or as COPY/MOVE destination.

    - ACTIVE extended containers (status flag 0x80) will be RESET

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'

Fix CHS values to Geometry

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Part-table cleanup/repair -> Fix CHS values to Geometry

Update CHS values in partition-tables to match disk-geometry and CHS-style

Menu item screenshot(s)


    All CHS-values for the disk to be selected here will be checked
    against the current disk-geometry, and be corrected to match that
    geometry when needed.

    it will also make sure ALL partition-table entries on the selected
    disk(s) will use the SAME CHS-style IBM/PQ/MS for dummy entries.
    You may get an extra dialog allowing selection of the desired style,
    depending on previous selections made ...

    This may fix 'partition-tables on disk may be corrupt' messages
    from FDISK/LVM or errors and warnings by other tools.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'

Fix EXT container Type

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Part-table cleanup/repair -> Fix EXT container Type

Fix type of EXT containers to be 0x05 (standard) or 0x0F (Windows specific)


    This submenu contains selections for cleaning up the chain of
    extended containers, to use the 0x05 or 0x0F type consistently.

    To change the type of a regular primary or logical partition, use
    the 'settype' command, or menu item 'Change partition Type'.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Make logical EXT types 05
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Part-table cleanup/repair -> Fix EXT container Type -> Make logical EXT types 05

Change all extended partitions types to be 0x05 (Industry-standard value)


    All partition-types for extended containers for the disk to be
    selected here will be changed to the industry-standard 0x05 value.

    This will allow older operating systems to see the logical partitions
    inside those containers.

    This may be needed when operating systems like Windows-9x or other
    tools have changed the type to 0x0f, to help Win9x operate properly.

    WARNING: Changing the type to 0x05 MAY CAUSE DATA CORRUPTION by
             Windows-9x if any Win9x partitions are located beyond
             the 1024 cylinder limit (usually at 8 GiB).

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'

Make logical EXT types 0F
From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Part-table cleanup/repair -> Fix EXT container Type -> Make logical EXT types 0F

Change all extended partitions types to be 0x0f (Windows-9x requirement)

Menu item screenshot(s)


    All partition-types for extended containers for the disk to be
    selected here will be changed to the Windows-9x 0x0f value.

    This will ensure SAFE operation with Win9x on partitions beyond
    the 1024 cylinder boundary (usualy at 8 GiB).

    It may cause other operating systems to NOT FIND any logical
    partitions inside that extended container.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

     


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'


Align EXT container, Disk

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Part-table cleanup/repair -> Align EXT container, Disk

Align extended container (ALIGNEXT on first logical) for one or ALL disks

Menu item screenshot(s)


    Alignment correction for the FIRST logical partition on a disk.

    The alignment of the EBR partition-table sector will be corrected
    to match the current geometry (track-size), so the distance between
    the EBR and partition bootsector is exactly one track.
    This fixes problems with logical partitions mis-aligned by Linux
    or Windows partitioning tools, causing problems for OS2/eCS LVM
    or hiding whole areas of disk freespace.

    Note:
    Works  by DELETING then recreating a single logical partition,
    however its contents is NOT affected, all data is preserved!

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'

Align EXT container, Part

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Part-table cleanup/repair -> Align EXT container, Part

Align extended container (ALIGNEXT) for selected single LOGICAL partition


    Alignment correction for the a selected LOGICAL partition.

    The alignment of the EBR partition-table sector will be corrected
    to match the current geometry (track-size), so the distance between
    the EBR and partition bootsector is exactly one track.
    This fixes problems with logical partitions mis-aligned by Linux
    or Windows partitioning tools, causing problems for OS2/eCS LVM
    or hiding whole areas of disk freespace.

    Note:
    Works  by DELETING then recreating a single logical partition,
    however its contents is NOT affected, all data is preserved!

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used


Fix+Sort GPT Header/Tables

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> Part-table cleanup/repair -> Fix+Sort GPT Header/Tables

Fix on-disk GPT info by recovery from alternate, SORT and fixup CRC values


    This menu selection lets you perform a FIX operation on the GPT
    structures for the disk to be selected.

    It will use the 'in-memory' GPT information that was retrieved
    from the primary (start of disk) and alternate (end of disk)
    locations, recalculate all CRC-values, and will write that back
    to the primary and alternate locations.

    This can be used to recover from damaged primary or alternate
    GPT structures, or to get all the CRC values consistent after
    manually editing the structures.

    As a side effect, the GPT partition table will be SORTED on
    the start sector for each partition in ascending order.

    Note: When using the (GPT) Partition Table Editor that is in
    the Edit menu, the primary and alternate locations and the CRC
    values are kept in sync automatically.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used


OS/2 LVM and BootManager

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager

Manage all OS/2 LVM and Bootmanager information, Add, Remove, Delete, Change

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This submenu has several selections to manage OS/2 or eCS
    LVM information and IBM BootManager configuration items

    You can Add, Remove, Delete, Change and Query information

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

   


Edit LVM information

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Edit LVM information

Edit LVM information related to disk partitions, LVM-volumes and BMGR-menu

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will start the interactive LVM-information editor,
    positioned on the starting-partition selected from a list.

    It will allow direct updating of most of the LVM entities:

            - volumename
            - partitionname
            - driveletter
            - bootable flag
            - installable flag

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used

LVM info for partition(s)

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> LVM info for partition(s)

List the LVM information (DLAT and BBR areas) for selected partition(s)

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will display the LVM information for the selected partition(s)

    It will display the LVM-info sector (DLAT), and for type 0x35
    partitions the LVM-signature sector (BBR area) as well.

    The info is displayed formatted on a sector-by-sector basis.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used , including 'ALL partitions'

Delete LVM Volume (letter)

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Delete LVM Volume (letter)

Delete volumename and driveletter from an LVM-volume, but KEEP the partition

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will remove the volumename and driveletter from the
    selected partition, but KEEP other partition information
    and the partition definition in the partition tables.
    (Unlike LVM.EXE 'delete volume' that destroys partitions)

    This will effectively DELETE the Volume for LVM, and at the
    same time, make the partition 'available' again to be used
    to create a new volume 'from existing partition' in LVM.

    When this partition was one of a 'multiple-partition volume'
    ALL the partitions in that volume will become 'available'.

    Note that after deleting the LVM volume in DFSee and starting
    the LVM program (without rebooting) it will declare this disk
    as 'possibly corrupt' since it does not find the LVM volume
    information anymore for one of its active driveletters.
    That driveletter will stay accessible as well.

    Only after rebooting, or an exit with 'save changes' from
    LVM will it make the driveletter disappear completely, and
    the message about the 'corruption' in LVM disappear.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used

Recover/Init LVM DLAT info

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Recover/Init LVM DLAT info

Initialize LVM info (DLAT) to empty, and for type 35 recover from BBR sector


    This will initialize all fields in the LVM information sector
    (IBM term: DLAT) to empty, removing any existing information.

    Then for type 0x35 partitions only (LVM/JFS) when the redundant
    information sectors with Bad-Block-Relocation and Drive Linking
    information (IBM term: BBR) are present, it will use that to
    re-initialize the fields.

    The nett effect of this is that for:

    - Compatibility volumes  (any non LVM/JFS):
      Any old inconsistent remains of LVM info is gone,
      allowing for a fresh definition for this partition.

    - LVM volumes (JFS):
      The information in the DLAT sector and BBR sectors is
      consistent again, and the same serialnumbers for partitions
      and volumes are kept, so a multi-partition JFS volume will
      not be broken.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used


Add default LVM-info (VCU)

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Add default LVM-info (VCU)

Add default LVM-information to the selected disk(s), making it LVM-enabled


    This will create default LVM-information for all partitions on the
    selected disk(s) that do not have any LVM-info yet.
    This includes a default name for the whole disk.

    The functionality is similar to the standard IBM-utility 'VCU' or
    'Volume Conversion Utility' that is typically used on first-time
    installs of any LVM-aware IBM operating system.

    The VCU utility however is known to create severe disk-problems
    when the disk-drivers in use are not the correct ones.

    The 'VCU' command in DFSee has not caused such problems so far and
    is considered a safer way of converting a non-LVM system into an
    LVM-aware one in a single step.

    When the disk already contains LVM-information, the diskname will
    stay the same, but most partition and volume-names will be changed
    to the default ones generated by DFSee, any assigned drive-letters
    may get lost and need to be re-assigned (depending on current OS).
    The driveletters recognized by the DFSee program executing 'VCU'
    will be the ones that are assigned in the created LVM-information.

    Typically, a 'VCU' action will be followed by interactive or batch
    LVM operations to fine-tune the names and assign driveletters.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'

Refresh LVM-info (LVMREDO)

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Refresh LVM-info (LVMREDO)

Refresh all LVM info (DLAT), keep names and driveletters; JFS: recover BBR


    This will refresh/revise the LVM-information sectors, also known
    as DriveLetter Assignment Table (DLAT) for the selected disk(s),
    fixing possible corruption or inconsistencies.

    More specifically, for COMPATIBILITY volumes:
    (normally anything that is not JFS)

      Create a NEW DLAT sector with all default values including the
      serialnumbers for partition and volume and valid CRC value.
      Re-apply the remembered existing values for:

             - Partition name
             - Volume name
             - Disk name
             - Driveletter
             - BMGR-menu flag

    For JFS, type 0x35 partitions it will create a NEW DLAT sector
    from the information present in the BBR area, also known as
    the LVM signature information.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'

Remove LVM-info from disk

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Remove LVM-info from disk

Remove ALL LVM info (DLAT) and signature sectors (BBR) from selected disk(s)


    This will REMOVE all LVM-information for all partitions on the
    selected disk(s), reversing the effect of a VCU operation.

    This may be useful to allow other tools to create LVM information
    without being influenced by existing info, or to avoid confusing
    an LVM-aware tool (like DFSee) when LVM information was accidentally
    added to a disk mounted on a non-LVM system.

    In addition to the LVM sectors that match the current disk-geometry,
    this selection will also CLEAN the whole MBR area (sectors 1 .. 254)
    from any left-over and obsolete LVM DLAT sectors.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'

Change the LVM disk Name

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Change the LVM disk Name

Change the name used by LVM for a complete disk (LVM-info must be present)

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will change the name for a complete disk, as recorded in all
    the LVM-information sectors on that disk.

    Note that the name can only be CHANGED this way, there has to be
    valid LVM-information, created by DFSee 'VCU', a DFSee 'CREATE'
    or the regular OS/2 or eCS VCU or LVM tools.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used

Wipe LVM sectors MBR-area

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Wipe LVM sectors MBR-area

Wipe obsolete LVM DLAT sectors (for other/previous GEO) in sectors 1 .. 254


    The MBR-track area (for any geometry, so sectors 1 .. 254) is checked
    for the presence of obsolete LVM DLAT sectors, where obsolete means
    they are NOT aligned according to the current disk geometry.

    These obsolete DLAT sectors, if any, will be cleaned by wiping the
    sector with ZEROES.

    Cleaning the MBR track from obsolete LVM sectors avoids the risk of
    picking up invalid disk information, like used geometry from them.

    The LVM DLAT sector for the CURRENT logical disk geometry will NOT
    be cleared so your current partitioning information remains valid.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used

LVM-CRC, remove obsoletes

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> LVM-CRC, remove obsoletes

Remove obsolete entries from LVM DLAT sectors and fixup all CRC values


    This will set all LVM CRC values in the various LVM sectors
    and remove any obsolete entries (deleted partitions) from the
    LVM sectors on the specified disk(s)

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'

Set LVM-Geo to DFSee L-Geo

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Set LVM-Geo to DFSee L-Geo

Force the disk-geometry in LVM to match the current DFSee logical geometry

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will set the recorded geometry in all LVM DLAT sectors
    on the disk to match the current DFSee logical geometry.

    This will make sure that the recorded geometry is consistent
    over the whole disk, and also allows corrections if the used
    geometry is incorrect.

    An incorrect LVM geometry may lead to a failure to boot or
    to recognize any partition correctly since this info is one
    of the sources for geometry information for the disk-drivers
    like DANIS506.ADD and IBM1S506.ADD.

    You can display or set logical geometry using the 'geo' command.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'

Clear BBR on non-LVM parts

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Clear BBR on non-LVM parts

Clear obsolete LVM-signature sectors (BBR) on all non 0x35 type partitions


    This will CLEAR all LVM-signature sectors (BBR) on non-LVM type
    partitions (compatibility) that may have been left behind after
    making changes, by wiping it with a 0xF6 byte pattern.

    This will make sure that the obsolete info is NOT picked up by
    the LVM partitioning program or the eComstation installer and
    cause them to report a 'Corrupt partition table' or to cause a
    failure in MOUNTING this partition and assign it a driveletter
    when the information in the BBR sector is inconsistent.

    All non 0x35 type partitions on the specified disk(s) will then
    be guaranteed to be of the 'COMPATIBILITY' kind, not 'LVM'.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used , including 'ALL disks'


Bootmanager Install

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Bootmanager Install

Install IBM BootManager in a new primary partition in the selected freespace

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will create a primary partition for the IBM Bootmanager
    and install the Bootmanager code from 'DFSIBMGR.IMG' image
    into the new partition

    You can choose the location for the new Bootmanager by selecting
    from a list of applicable freespace areas (primary, 1 cylinder).

    When the selected freespace area is larger than one cylinder,
    you can select to put it at the START or END of that area.
    Installing it in the MIDDLE is not possible this way, but
    can be achieved by using the 'Create Partition' menu item
    and selecting the 'IBM BootManager' type there.

    Un-installing a Bootmanager is done using the 'Delete Partition'
    menu item and selecting its partition there, or by using a manual
    'delete xx' command.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a freespace area to be used

Bootmanager Query config

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Bootmanager Query config

Query and display the IBM Bootmanager configuration, including current menu

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will display the current bootmanager menu entries (list)
    and the other configuration items like default boot-system and
    the timeout value

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Bootmanager menu Add

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Bootmanager menu Add

Add a partition to the IBM Bootmanager menu (setname and LVM 'on BM menu')

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will add the selected partition to the IBM BootManager menu.

    A list with ALL partitions is presented, including the ones that
    are already on the menu.

    After selecting a partition, a dialog will be presented where
    you can specify the name for the partition as it should appear
    on the bootmanager menu. This will default to the volume name
    for an LVM-system, and the current menu-name for a classic one.

    Be aware that for an LVM system, the specified name will also
    be the VOLUME name, so it needs to be unique over all volumes.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used

Bootmanager menu Delete

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Bootmanager menu Delete

Delete a partition from IBM Bootmanager menu (setname and LVM 'on BM menu')

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will remove the selected partition from the IBM Bootmanager
    menu, both for the LVM-enabled and classic bootmanager versions.

    A list with the partitions on the menu is presented.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a partition to be used

Bootmanager Default boot

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Bootmanager Default boot

Set default selection for the IBM Bootmanager menu, including 'Last booted'

Menu item screenshot(s)


    This will set the default item for the IBM Bootmanager to be
    started after the timeout period has expired.

    The default can either be one of the available partitions on
    the Bootmanager menu, or it can be the special value:

                   Last-booted or BM-default

    This selection will cause the default to be whatever the LAST
    booted partition was on the previous Bootmanager run.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Bootmanager Timeout ...

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> Bootmanager Timeout ...

Set timeout in seconds before the IBM Bootmanager default choice is made


    This will set the time in seconds before the Bootmanager
    will start the default selection (timeout value).

    Before this time has expired you can make an explicit choice
    from the menu, or hit the <Esc> key to cancel the timeout.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


BMGR W2K, CHS and I13X fix

From main menu: Mode=FDISK -> OS/2 LVM and BootManager -> BMGR W2K, CHS and I13X fix

Update BMGR for W2K CHKDSK, fix BMGR-CHS values, and (re)set I13X dependancy

Menu item screenshot(s)


    The bootsector for IBM-bootmanager on the disk selected here will
    be updated to avoid damage by the CHKDSK program from Windows-2000.
    Without this, the W2K CHKDSK may incorrectly identify BMGR as a
    damaged FAT partition and will try to repair it, breaking it ...
    As an alternative, you could apply servicepack-2 to Windows-2000.

    This function will also verify and fix the CHS values recorded
    for the bootsector and configuration data sector for BMGR.

    Finally it will deactivate the explicit 'I13X' check in the BMGR
    code that results in a dependancy on the IBM MBR 'I13X' signature.
    After this deactivation, BMGR can be used with other MBR code
    like Linux GRUB as well (see 'bmfix' documentation too).

    Note: To allow booting OS/2 with non-I13X MBR code, you should
          also perform a 'fixboot' on any bootable HPFS partitions
          that are beyond the 1024 cylinder limit.

          The MBR used MUST be able to start partitions beyond the
          1024 cylinder limit, but does not need to set the 'I13X'
          signature normally required by OS/2
          The standard Windows (XP) MBR does NOT work beyond 1024!

          To reactivate the I13X dependancy use 'bmfix -I13X'

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Press <F1> again for more help; Some options may require switching to 'Expert mode'

    


Selection of this item leads to a dynamic created submenu, to select a disk to be used


PHP and HTML created by : TX-library 7.00 2021-02-28 (c) 1995-2021: Fsys Software
For application : DFSee OS/2 17.0 2022-10-22; (c) 1994-2022: Jan van Wijk with button/indicator: Expert

(to DFSee main pages)  |  File  |  Edit  |  Actions  |  Image  |  View  |  Scripts  |  Set  |  Help  |  (to BASIC menu)
Mode=FDISK  |  APFS  |  AUX  |  DUMPFS  |  EXTn  |  EFAT  |  FAT  |  HFS+  |  HPFS  |  ISO  |  JFS  |  NTFS  |  REISER  |  SWAP  |  XFS
(Mode=FDISK page) DFSee menu documentation for pulldown : Mode=FDISK
Views: 577757 Viewable with Any Browser Created by Jan van Wijk:   Aug 2007, last update:   23-Oct-2022 Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional