1.1 AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition 5.2 makes it possible to convert NTFS and FAT32 without loss of any data. No other partition management software has put this function in the free version before. It will make the operating easier and more convenient.

1.2 AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition 5.2 also has an additional function to convert GPT and MBR disk without loss of any data. GPT disks break the limitation of MBR disk size of 2TB. It can complete the partition without precondition, no matter how the number of partitions grows.

1.3 Align partition to optimize HDD or SSD performance is another exclusive function we offered in this latest version. Most of our users simultaneously use HDD and SSD in their computers. This new function could greatly improve the reading and writing speed in the process.

1.4 The last exclusive feature which also makes AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard completely superior to its competitors is that AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition 5.2 is free for private and commercial use.

Partition Assistant Standard Edition 5.2 interface

2.Other important new features

Besides the exclusive functions mentioned above, we have other important new features added into AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition 5.2 too.

2.1 From now on, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard can fully support UEFI boot, UEFI, The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), is a specification that defines a software interface between an operating system and platform firmware. Long story short, that means faster boot once you take the UEFI way. Previous version PA5.1 does not support UEFI boot. In order to keep up with times trend, this function is added

2.2 Support creating bootable disc based Windows PE 4 kernel.

2.3 We renamed “Home Edition” to “Standard Edition”. Compared to other competitors’ freeware, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition 5.2 is obviously has more powerful functions. “Home Edition” is not appropriate to title the software or summarize the function it could provide. Thus a new name is given.

2.4 Considering the increasing number of our users all around the world, Portuguese, Hungarian, Polish, Russian and Vietnamese are now available for users to choose respectively.

3.Summary

This time, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition 5.2 has brought out many useful functions which have covered most aspects of daily use for light users. Even compared to some paid version partition software, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard still can be considered as a competitive product. For most users in need of partition management, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition 5.2 may be the most convenient free partition software for you.

You may dowaload AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition 5.2 here

2. Convert dynamic disk to basic without losing data.
This function is especially designed for converting dynamic disk to basic without loss of data. Besides, it can safely clone spanned, striped, mirrored and RAID-5 dynamic volume to a basic disk.

3. Convert NTFS and FAT32 file system without data loss.
The converting between NTFS and FAT32 file system now is available by the assistance of AOMEI Partition Assistant Paid Edition Ver.5.2. This process this completely safe with no risk of loosing data.

4. Copy/Clone dynamic volume to basic disk.
This is the main difference between the paid edition and standard edition of AOMEI Partition Assistant.

5. Dynamic disk and dynamic volume management such as resizing dynamic volume etc.
This is another difference compared to the standard version. It was turned out to be a feature-rich and reliable dynamic disks and dynamic volumes management toolkit for both physical and virtual Windows-based environments. Resize dynamic disk, Extend dynamic system volume and many other useful functions can be found in AOMEI Partition Assistant Paid Edition 5.2. Take the pro edition for example.

Partition Assistant Pro Edition 5.2 interface

6. Support creating bootable disc based Windows PE 4 kernel.

According to the new features listed above, AOMEI Partition Assistant Paid Edition Ver.5.2 is highly recommended to all the users who would like to get an adequate and economical partition management software.

You may purchase AOMEI Partition Assistant Pro Edition 5.2 here

AOMEI Partition Assistant Lite Edition 5.2 offers you a new function to convert GPT and MBR disk without loss of any data. GPT disks break the limitation of MBR disk size of 2TB. It can complete the partition without precondition, no matter how the number of partitions grows.

2. Align partition to optimize HDD or SSD performance.

3. Convert primary and logical partition.

With this new feature, you can easily convert primary partition to logical partition without losing any date and vice versa.

4. Clone/Copy partition.

This new function enable you copy the entire partition on one hard disk and move it to another hard disk. This feature is rare for most partition management freeware.

5. Split partition from one into two.

Sometimes the space of a certain partition is too large and it seems to be a waste especially when you cannot divide it into smaller parts. With this new function we add into, AOMEI Partition Assistant Lite Version 5.2 can solve the problem in a safe way.

6. Wipe disk and partition. 

The difference between wipe data and format

Wiping a drive is a clearing the data thoroughly measure means to secure the data. It is time-consuming, because the whole disk has to be read and overwrite.

Format on the other hand, is faster, although the old data can still be retrievable with specialized software directly after formatting. AOMEI Partition Assistant Lite Edition provides the data secure way- “Wipe disk and partition”.

Partition Assistant Lite Edition 5.2

7. Fully support UEFI boot.

8. Disk bad sector test.

9. Free for private and commercial use

You may please download  AOMEI Partition Assistant Lite Edition 5.2

Specific operations of change size by Disk Management in Windows Server 2008

Note: before extending partition, adjacent unallocated space is needed. If there’s no such space or system files are found at the right end of the partition, the shrink operation is not possible.

First of all, go into the Disk Management, chick Start-> All Programs -> Administration Tools –> Computer Management. This snap-in program can shrunk or extend the partition on hard disk.

1. Shrink partition

     In the popup window, right click on the target volume and select “Shrink Volume”, which invokes the shrink dialog. Just like the below one:

Server Manager

Enter your wished amount, and click the “Shrink” button to process.

Shrink Dialog

 2. Extend partition

if there are additional unallocated free space on the disk, Disk Management can extend it by “Extend Volume”

right click on the target volume and select “Extend Volume”

Extend Volume

Choose the amount of space in the “Select the amount of space in MB” box. Click “Next” on the popup window of Extend volume Wizard.

Extend Volume Wizard

Resize partition by AOMEI Partition Assistant Server Edition

Partition Assistant Server Edition is an all-in-one partition manager software which consists of basic and advanced features allowing you to resize partition Windows Server 2008, move, merge, split, copy partition and so on. It can display every state of partition. It proved itself a data security and outstanding performer by great amount of test and reviews from users.

Free download server partition manager

 Scenario: There are two partition in Windows Server 2008: Partition C: and Partition E:, The capacity of Partition C is 10G and 106G for Partition E.

Goal: Extend C drive with unused space in Partition E.

1. Run the software and click partition E, hold it and drag the little circle rightward to shrink E partition.

AOMEI Partition Assistant Server Edition

2. click partition C in the main interface and hold the mouse clicking on the right end of circle in the second row. Slide it rightward to complete the extension.

Adjust the amount

3. You can see the change vividly, click “Apple” to proceed, if there’s a note come up asking you to check if there’s application running in the target partition, just close the application and redo the “Apply”

Click “Apply”

This software has more functions than we just presented, they are split partition into two or more partitions, merge them into one, copy them and migrate Operation system to another disk you have.

1.If your disk is a dynamic disk, how can you do the conversion?

1.1 Goes into windows build-in manager, Right click “My Computer”, select “Manage”, and then select “Disk Management”. Right click the Disk that you want to convert, in the pop-up window, the “Convert to Basic” option is grayed out.
1.2 If you convert a dynamic disk to basic with Windows 7 Disk Management, you have to delete the dynamic volumes one by one, which means to delete all of our data. On this condition, the conversion you done just cost too much.

2. How can you do it without losing data or deleting the volumes, is that even possible?
Actually, it is possible after searching the internet. You can use third party software, which focus on conversion. For example, there is a third party partition tool- AOMEI Dynamic Disk Manager,

2.1 On the main interface, right click the target disk, then choose “Convert to Basic Disk”, although the operating steps are alike, the consequence is different,
2.2 Then click “Commit”, then “Proceed”, wait a few seconds, then the conversion is done. After the whole click step, the computer will restart. By now, you can see your disk is already Dynamic Disk.

The official site of AOMEI Technology: http://www.aomeitech.com

Why need convert MBR to GPT?

You may experience that you could not create more partitions if there were four primary partitions. And if the disk is greater than 2TB, you could only use 2TB, but the rest of the disk space could not be used. These are the limitations of MBR disk. In this case, you could convert your disk to GPT disk. Because GPT disk support large partition size-greater than 2TB, allows up to 128 primary partitions and provides greater reliability. Compared with the MBR disk, it has more advantages.

Why need convert GPT to MBR?

Sometimes you need to convert GPT disk to MBR disk and then use it for data storage on WinXp 32-bit or other low-level operating system. Since these OS could not access GPT disk, the system only prompt you with “GPT protective partition” unless you convert it to MBR disk.

To convert MBR to GPT or convert GPT to MBR without data loss, please refer to this tutorial: Convert Disk between MBR and GPT

Note: system disk could not be converted, because currently MBR boot disk and GPT boot disk are based on different motherboard.

No matter what cause the catastrophe, this article is the going to introduce a free backup software for you to protect your data. AOMEI Data Backuper is a new backup utility, an all-in-one backup utility that does not only backup your data but also many other handy tasks as well. No mater what happens to your hard drive, such software corruption, virus, etc. you can always restore it to the exact state it was in when you created the image.

Main interface

From this screenshot, you can see that the main backup includes three options to backup your file:

Disk Backup, is more like clone your disk. The only difference is that it backs up the entire disk to an image file. The image file are AOMEI preparatory backup file, you will need to use this tool again to restore the backup.

Partition Backup, is similar to Disk Backup. Instead of backing up the entire disk, it backs up the whole partition.

System Backup, refers to back up all the system files and boot files. When restore from this you can have a system up and running the exact same state as the original machine.

Backup methods

There are three methods of data backup provided by AOMEI Data Backuper:

Full backup：This is when a user executes a backup of the entire system disk, creating a duplicate image. It enables a high level of recoverability, but takes a long time to perform.

Incremental backup: This is to back up the changed and new added data based on the first full backup or the last backup.

Differential backup: It begins with a full backup, then tracks changes made.

When you backup with AOMEI Data Backuper, there are options you can choose to set how you’d like the data to be saved. You can compress and encrypt the data, split the file into multiple parts and add comment to the backups. With this program, you can also clone one hard drive to another without creating an image file and create a bootable media (e.g. CD or USB media) to restore system drive when Windows can not boot.

Related articles:

Image Backup Windows 7 to Ensure Data’s Safety

Image Windows Server 2003 with Magic Backup Software

Powerful Disk Image Software for Windows Server 2008

There are two main purposes about backing up your computer. The first and possibly the most common, is to make copies of important files. The second is to back up your whole PC hard drive, which makes it easier to recover from a disaster.

Backup Windows system or files to external hard drive is one of the most reliable ways to protect data against a data loss incident. An external hard drive is exactly the same as an internal hard drive, except it’s packed in a separate box. It’s very easy to copy files from your internal drive to an external one, although it can take a while. In addition, an external hard drive potentially has a lower risk of system failure. And with all the diversity of available HD capacities, connection type, and transfer standards, almost everyone can always choose the most personally portable external hard drive to backup.

Free backup and restore software

If your hard drive fails, it’s easy to lose precious photos, videos and emails. But there is a way of preventing this from happening to you – by making sure you have backed them up elsewhere. Therefore if the worst happens, you can restore the disk to its original state from the image file on the external hard drive.

AOMEI Data Backuper, a professional free backup and restore software that is easy to use for most common users. It supports system backup, disk backup, partition backup, system restore, disk, partition restore and disk partition clone and etc. With the friendly interface, users could easily master some professional tech of backup and restore.

What’s more, this latest free backup tool could support not only non-server OS (such as Windows 8, Windows 7) but also support Server 2008 and Server 2012). Therefore, no matter you are a Servers administrator or a common home users, this software could help you backup and restore data in an easy and safe way.

This question was found in a tech forum and there are many other similar issues. With Solid State Drive (SSD) devices becoming more prevalent as hard drives, many users begin to use SSD to store OS for its better performance. However, SSD, like common hard drive, will crash at any time. If you’ve ever reformatted your hard drive, reinstalled Microsoft Windows, reloaded all your applications, and reset all your settings, you know what a time-consuming and boring process it can be. Thus, creating an image file of your SSD to another hard drive or USB is a wise behavior.

AOMEI Data Backuper is a Windows backup image software, which can help you backup, restore or clone your hard disk/partition/applications fast and safely. It can also backup solid state drive via full backup, incremental backup and differential backup and restore it to the same state in the event of a system crash or hardware failure.

Additional features of this drive imaging software

• Image file checker and explorer: Check data integrity of image file to ensure the backups can be restored successfully.
• One-click system backup.
• Create Bootable Rescue Media.
• Comment Backups and Splitting Backups: add comments to backups so that the backups can be further identified and clarified.
• Encryption and Compression: You can set a password for each backups to prevent unauthorized access.

If you experience a catastrophic failure and you don’t want to go through the tedium of reinstalling and reconfiguring your operating system, applications, here is going to introduce you a special software to make backups of your C drive.

Brief introduction of AOMEI Data Backuper

AOMEI Data Backuper, a free backup and restore software for both home and commercial use. This freeware can help you backup hard drives and partitions, operating system and applications, restore system partition easily and quickly and ensure system bootable after completing the recovery process, encrypt and compress an image file.

First, launch this software to get its main interface. Then, click “System Backup” under the “Backup” tab.

Second, in this window, you can set the name of the image file in the “Task Name” to distinguish it from others. The system drives have been set as source partitions by default in step 1. Then, select a destination path to store the image file in step 2. Then click “Start Backup” to begin the operation.

Notes: ”Backup Options” includes the functions of comments, compression, encryption, splitting, etc.

At last, click “Finish” option to exit.

So, please free download this software to backup your data frequently, because you never know when disaster will strike.