page_title: Fdisk
section_title: Microsoft DOS and Windows
hierarchical_section_title: Fdisk / Implementations / Microsoft DOS and Windows
caption_attribution_description: English: Microsoft Windows 95 Version 4.00.1111 fdisk command
context_page_description: In computing, the fdisk command-line utility provides disk-partitioning functions - for example: preparatory to defining file systems. fdisk features in the DOS, DR FlexOS, IBM OS/2, and Microsoft Windows operating systems, and in certain ports of FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, DragonFly BSD and macOS for compatibility reasons. In versions of the Windows NT operating-system line from Windows 2000 onwards, fdisk is replaced by a more advanced tool called diskpart. Similar utilities exist for Unix-like systems, for example, BSD disklabel.
context_section_description: The command is available in MS-DOS versions 3.2 and later. MS-DOS versions 2.0 through 3.10 included OEM specific partitioning tools, which may or may-not be called FDISK.
  Support for FAT16B was added with Compaq MS-DOS 3.31, and later became available with MS-DOS/PC DOS 4.0.
  Most DOS fdisk programs, including the fdisk program that came with the original Windows 95, are only capable of creating FAT partitions of types FAT12, FAT16 and FAT16B.
  A derivative of the MS-DOS fdisk was provided with Windows 95, Windows 98, and later Windows ME. Only those fdisk versions shipping with Windows 95B or later are able to manipulate FAT32 partitions. Windows 2000 and later do not use fdisk, they have the Logical Disk Manager feature, as well as diskpart.
  Unlike the fdisk programs for other operating systems, the fdisk programs for DOS and Windows 9x/Me not only alter data in the partition table, but will also overwrite many sectors of data in the partition itself. (However, to create an extended partition any partition editor must put extended boot records before each logical drive on the disk.) Users must be sure the correct disk/partition has been chosen before using a DOS/Windows fdisk for partitioning. The fdisk /mbr switch is undocumented but well known for repairing the master boot record.
  The fdisk supplied with Windows 95 does not report the correct size of a hard disk that is larger than 64 GB. An updated fdisk is available from Microsoft that corrects this. Microsoft named the replacement "263044usa8" and is Version 4.72.2811.0. Signature May 23, 2000. The original Windows 98 fdisk program size is smaller than the updated one.
  Despite the fact that FAT32 allows you to create a single partition up to 2TB and format it, FDISK cannot create partitions larger than 512GB. Applies to all versions of FDISK from a DOS floppy disk in Windows 95 OSR 2.1 / Windows 98 (each version) / ME (also every version). However, the great advantage of the FDISK program is the ability to create a partition on a USB stick and memory cards in a very simple way and to format it. Microsoft DiskPart from Windows Vista to Windows 10 has blocked the ability to display and format all flash drives including flash drives and memory cards including SD. The only possibility of using Microsoft FDISK or outside of Microsoft's use of the program, e.g. Symantec GDISK which enables such a function.
caption: The fdisk command on Microsoft Windows 95
exif: {}