Windows 10: Possible to make a partition inaccessible to OS?

Hello, Ok I have a clone of my OS on my original hard drive that I want to keep for warranty reasons since I installed an SSD, the only problem is when I have my original drive hooked up it causes all kinds of little problems because my PC receives commands from both OS's. So since this happens I have 780GB worth of storage just sitting unused and I would love to be able to partition my drive and have it to where my PC doesn't read the partition with my backup OS until I want it too. I'm not even sure if this is possible or if it is how to begin to know how to do it, so any solutions will be appreciated. Thank you very much.

:)

 

Unable to make a partition or to restore shrunk volume

Thanks a lot, that did the trick

 

Unmountable boot volume what does it mean?

'Volume' is the term for a unit of disk storage. For example, a partition is a volume, and the two terms are often used interchangeably.

The 'boot volume' is the partition that contains a bootable operating system. For Windows users, the boot volume is typically C:

'Mounting' a volume means making it accessible ... making it possible to find and use the folders and files in the volume.

Therefore, an unmountable boot volume (in a Windows system) is a C: drive that is inaccessible. Since the C: drive is used to boot the computer, if the C: drive is inaccessible your computer can't boot.

The C: drive is inaccessible because it has become corrupted. This can happen for hundreds of different reasons, including problems with upgrades, malware, inappropriate configuration changes and misbehaving software applications.

To fix the problem correctly you have to know what caused it in the first place. These are highly technical things that confound most people, so many people end up re-installing Windows. Before you do that, it could be worthwhile to show your computer to
a technician. Pick someone who really knows their stuff, not that Up The Creek Squad or whatever they're calling themselves these days.

 

Use Macrium Reflect Free to image your HD with original Window 10 and save it to the external HD(780GB) . This will create a single image and can be used to restore to the HD when needed. Format the HD to use as data storage.

 

What problems? It will have the same disk signature as the other if its cloned

 

Samuria it was that my bluetooth quit working is what brought it to my attention and after several hours chatting and on the phone with dell support this is what they told me was the cause and a couple other little things I never even noticed.

Topgundcp the 780GB isnt an external drive it is the original 1TB HDD that came with my system(only has 780GB after clone was put on it) which is why i need to keep a clone on it just incase I need to use my warranty. When I installed the SSD dell said it will void my warranty if I dont have the original in when/if it gets serviced. So right now I am running with my SSD as my main drive and my 1TB is still installed just unhooked.

 

What you could do is to shrink the 1TB large enough to store the image. Then create an image with all partitions and save it to the newly created partition. Next, re-format the partitions that were included in the backup image and use it for storage or whatever.

With the backup image, you can restore it back to the way it was or restore it to a new HD/SSD.

 

Dell comes with a Factory Restore Image Partiton which contains the Factory Install.swm(s) and the Oem,wim(s) for the other partitions..

You will also find the custom Dell images in C:\Recovery\ > with the exception of the install.swm's..

Go to control panel > Recovery > create recovery drive

This will create a windows recovery USB including the Dell Customizations Apps Package...
Then assign a drive letter to the Image partition and copy the install.swm's into the sources\oem folder on the USB

After doing that the USB will allow MS Windows Type Recovery or Dell Factory Recovery...





I deleted the PBR-diskpart.txt, the PBR-resetconfig.xml and the reconstruct.wim's created by windows from the USB
Thus making the USB Factory Recovery Only...
Note: you must have a "clean" HDD/SDD in order to Restore the Factory Image..

Now that you have this recovery media on USB - you can format the 1TB HDD and use for a DATA drive..
Create a Folder and copy the contents of the USB into it - and save the Factory Recovery..

 

Wow thanks Kyhi that worked nicely and espcially thanks for all the detail, I never would have gotten it otherwise, and thanks for getting back with me topgundcp(awesome name).

 

Just make sure the Sources\OEM Folder on the USB Stick has the Factory > Install.swm(s)

As these are not part of the "Create a Recovery Drive" process..
And they are only found within the Factory "Images" partition..
Thus you have to ADD them to USB