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Partitioning the Hard Disk
Partitioning is necessary because, while your hard disk can store
either 40MB or 90MB of data (depending on which Equity 386 model
you purchased), MS-DOS cannot manage more than 32MB at a time.
The partitioning process divides the single physical disk drive into two
or more logical drives. After you have followed the steps in this
chapter, you will be able to access each logical drive as though it were
a separate physical device. The first logical drive will be drive C, the
second will be drive D, and so on.
The first logical drive (drive C) is also called the primary partition. All
remaining logical drives together make up what MS-DOS calls the
extended partition.
The instructions in this chapter tell you how to create a primary
partition of 32MB and to divide the extended partition into
maximum-sized logical drives. Thus, on a 40MB physical drive, these
instructions create a drive C of 32MB and a drive D of 8MB. On a
90MB physical drive, these instructions create a 32MB drive C, a
32MB drive D, and a 26MB drive E. If you prefer to create smaller
logical drives, see the instructions for FDISK in your MS-DOS
Reference Manual.
3-4
Preparing a Hard Disk for Use