1

While installing Linux Mint on my laptop (pre-installed with windows), I erased the main partition for windows and created a swap partition and root partition. Considering there was already an EFI, a recovery and 2 random ntfs partitions already in place, my partition table shows a grand total of 6 partitions (and some free space thrown in the middle), none of which are extended partitions. See picture below for details

enter image description here

However, I just learned that hard disks don't allow for more than 4 primary partitions. Not only is my HDD functioning fine as is, it started with FIVE partitions before I started fooling around with it. How did this happen and did I just corrupt my hard drive? If not, where can I find out how many partitions are allowed on my hard drive? or Are they not primary partitions at all?

fixer1234
  • 28,064
populi
  • 11

1 Answers1

5

This was the case for drives partioned with MBR (Master Boot Record). Modern PC's come with drives partioned in GPT (GUID Partition Table), which has a limit of 128 partitions.

You can find more information about the differences here.

mxt3
  • 706