Windows 10: HDD Partition issues

Hi all, I just got this laptop and I don't know what to make of the partition structure. It seems like a lot of wasted space. Here is a picture using Macrium:




What do you all think?

Thanks, Jim

:)

 

second hard drive

The HDD is actually working ok, if I connect the caddy in a USB port the HDD works. Besides, I have a partition running Linux this partition detects and use the second HDD only Windows fails. Also, I connect a different HDD and I have the same issue, then
is not a HW issue, the problem is in Windows.

 

Troubleshooting Bitlocker

Hi,

Is there a way to troubleshoot BitLocker?

I have BitLocker enabled on one of my HDD partitions & all my external HDD too. Off late one of the external HDDs, after entering the password it just hangs. The only option for me is to reboot. The encrypted system partition & rest of the external HDDs
do not have any issue.

Or is this an issue with that particular HDD?

Vijay.

 

Looks like it's had OS upgraded a time or two. Just got it - is it second hand? That can be cleaned up, depending.

 

Thanks Word Man. Yes, I think it was originally Win 7 and when I got it it was Win 8, and I upgraded it to Win 10 yesterday.
I can make an image of C:\ and then re-partition it, but I don't know how to re-install the image. Is that the approach you would take? I'm open to other solutions. Regards, Jim

 

First, create a usb recovery drive from control panel, recovery, create recovery drive, and select to copy recovery partition,

If you are happy to reinstall programs, best option is to reinstall Windows 10 from scratch really, deleting all partitions.

However, should be easy enough to tidy up this. Last partition is an oem recovery partition, so you could just delete all 4 partitions after the c drive from disk management and expand the C drive.

Slightly trickier tidying up before the C drive and not really worth the effort as space used is quite low.

 

Thanks cereberus, OK, I've created a USB recovery disk and I am willing to re-install Win 10 from an ISO, but what do I do to clean up the partitions. I used to know how to do it in DOS, but I'm sure there are better ways now. Regards, Jim

 

Assuming you've already had the backup image of your current Windows 10 OS then it is safe to reconfigure your Windows 10 partition scheme using strictly with Macrium.

• OPTION 1:
  Wipe out the whole disk and do a fresh install to get the first 3 partitions ie. 450MB Recovery, 100 EFI System, 16MB MSR then use Macrium boot disk to replace the fresh install C-Drive with the C-Drive from your Backup.
  OPTION 2:
  To save time re-installing fresh Windows 10 from option 1, you can download the template of the first 3 partitions from here:
  BootEFI_Only-00-00.zip
  Boot from Macrium Rescue disk (USB/DVD), select the template then restore to current Windows drive with the template. Again, within Macrium, select your backup image, copy your C-drive from the backup image.
• From Macrium, click on "Fix Windows boot problem" then reboot your PC

Once done. You should have a partition scheme as follows, same as fresh install:
450MB Recovery
100MB EFI System
16MB MSR
C: Drive

IMPORTANT: The procedure must be done using Macrium Boot Disk since you cannot perform the steps while Windows is running.

To copy C drive from backup: Click on 1 to enable 2, click on 2 to delete C partition from destination if existed. Click on 3 then drag and drop to destination. Click Next->Finish.

 

What I would do is delete the undesired obsolete partitions using MiniTool Partition Wizard free and expand the existing partition into the resulting free space.

Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Free

 

Your method will work if OP just want to delete the obsolete partitions. However, The partition scheme will not be standard. In addition:

• You will need to use reagentc to fix the Recovery.
• Why install Mini Tool when he's already have Macrium installed and can be done in couple of steps
• Mini Tool will not allow to resize the 128MB MSR partition back to 16MB MSR as standard with Windows 10 installation.
• With a non standard partition scheme, there's no garantee that it will work for future update/upgrade as seen in so many threads with Windows OEM

With that said. It is up to OP to decide which way he wants to clean up. We only provide the options.

 

That promise would be broken if OP deleted their second partition and found that the OS will no longer boot.

 

Hi everybody, thanks for your interest and support. Well, I wound up using MiniTool and Macrium, but I destroyed my bootability with MiniTool, even though I bought the Pro version. It doesn't really merge partitions unless they are literally side by side. I wound up creating a bootable Win 10 ISO with Rufus and after I manually configured the partitions like topgundcp suggested with Minitool, but I didn't do it right. I didn't use Macrium to it's full potential because I didn't like my backup. Just call me kluge. After I bought MiniTool Pro, I discovered that it's contained for free in WinPE.ISO. Oh well!!!*Mad

 

Oh, please don't worry Teresa. First of all, they are not the same computers. Secondly, I am learning a lot. The one from a few days ago is complete and ready to use. I have been using a very nice WinPE ISO bootable USB stick. It has a tool which allows me to retrieve the Product Key. So there is no harm done if I mess up. I just start over. Back in the early 90's I bought a bunch of junk computers and I learned s much that I got a better job at my work. I'm retired now, but I need a hobby and I think I found it. Back in those days, it took all night to format a 5 Mb drive. I would hope it was finished when I got up. *Smile

Thanks for your interest and concern.

I have been using MiniTool, but I think I will try AOMEI because I'm having issues with MiniTool. I think I'll get my money back. I bought the Pro version for $59.00 and I'm not happy with it. Time to go to bed. Good Night. Jim

P.S. That other thread is marked solved.

 

AOMEI is much better. It detected and reported bad sectors in the MBR, which MiniTool never mentioned. I sent them a request for a refund. I guess I'll throw a new drive in it today and start over. Regards, Jim

 

Hi all, It's working. Replacing the HDD cleared up everything. It's now running Win 10 and liking it. There is just one tiny little problem... I have partitioned the drive the way topgundcp suggested, but even though I double checked in both MiniTool and AOMEI that the minor partitions are un-lettered, after it re-boots into Windows 10, drive letters have been assigned. The only problem with that is that the minor partitions then become visible to the user and you never know what kind of mischief they will get into. Thanks for your suggestions. Good morning, Jim

Edit: I tried re-booting immediately back into WinPE and found, with AOMEI, that the drive letters had returned.