Windows 10: PC Reset and Windows.old

OK, then the default Windows RE status indicates no recovery image link or custom image link, i.e., there are not WIndows hooks into that 4.88 GB partition which is even more certainly a factory restore partition.

You should have a full disk image per OldMike's recommendation before doing anything.

I would think real hard and, if it were me, I'd be ready to cut the apron strings from that Win8.1 factory restore partition. To do away with it, you could use the MiniTool to delete it (partition 5), then slide partition4 all the way to the right, then expand partition 3 rightwards to recoup that disk space left unallocated by moving partition 4 to the right.

I would NOT recommend not doing anything to size and position of partitions 1 and 2, however.

After those are accomplished, you can dig deeper into getting rid of windows.old - if not just redoing a clean install.

If you DID do a totally clean install of Win10 at this point, you WOULD have the opportunity to blow away ALL partitions and come back with only 3 plus a 16-128MB unallocated but system reserved "partition".

Sorry for delay in edit, got called away for several minutes.

 

It will if he add this:

Run as Administrator in Windows 10

or

Run as administrator - Add to MSI File Context Menu in Windows 10

 

this comes up when I press the Esc button on boot up, will removing the partition possible remove this too? or is this also on partition 4 as well? will a recovery USB drive substitute for the full Win 10 img, I have a metered connection and worry that my product key will be erased.

 

DDroid, sorry but I got called away and made a final edit to my post #14 which you may not have seen. Moving on,

That definitely looks more like a manufacturer supplied boot menu, not the native WIndows one. If you're ready to cut free of the manufacturer options and regain the 4.5 GB, your most reliable bet will be a clean install of Windows 10.

You've already gained activation of Win10 through the upgrade and the MS activation servers have record of your machine hardware ID - from this point on you will activate when doing a clean install. There is no "key" to keep track of as in earlier OS versions.

You can use the Media Creation Tool to make a complete install USB key for Win10 for your particular version. I realize you have a metered connection but this may well be a good investment insofar as having external complete OS recovery media. See Brink's Tutorials here on Creating Win10 Media (Opetion 2 specifically): https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1...n-install.html

If you were to install (and create bootable WinPE rescue media for) Macrium Reflect Free, you could have an archival full image of your disk as it is now on an external USB hard drive to fall back on in ANY event.

 

Not sure if this is of any help to ya, but I was looking under partition 5 and found a .WIM file, not sure what is in the file though.