Windows 10: Strange Partition Structure and Wasted Space Windows 10

Hi,

I have a problem with my C drive that shows multiple partitions and it has basically isolated 16gbs on to a separate block that I cannot use at the moment.


How do I merge this wasted space into the main free disk space partition PLEASE?


Thanks and have a great week.


Neville





:)

 

W7 Hard drive partition issue

to get rid of that 100 meg windows partition that setup creates for you on a new install on a blank hdd:

- press shift+f10 when on the partition management screen in setup <-- this opens a command prompt
- diskpart <-- start the windows command line partition management tool
- list disk <--- list the installed hdds in this computer for the next step
- select disk 0 <- might have to replace 0 with the number of the correct disk
- clean <-- this will erase all data on the disk you selected one step up- dont use the wrong disk!
- create partition primary <- creates a primary partition taking up all space on the drive, adjust the command if necessary
- exit, exit to exit diskpart and the command prompt
- click refresh in partition manager and select your newly created partition and install to that

 

Partition space

You're not understanding this. Unallocated space is NOT equal as (partitioned) empty space.

Unallocated space means empty RAW sectors on HDD. Empty space means an already allocated file system (either FAT32 or NTFS or any other) that is not occupied by any data.

So in your case, as DanTheBanjoman already suggested, don't try to shrink "unallocated space", extend the main (C*Smile partition instead. You can't shrink something that doesn't exist (unallocated space), but you can extend the existing partition over unallocated space.
So, just select the C: partition and extend it further. Program should automatically allow you to do that. I'm not using Partition Magic, but i usually done this with either:
MiniTool Partition Wizard Free - manage and resize disk partitions (also for 64bit OS!)

or

EaseUS Partition Master - manage disk partitions (only for 32bit OS!)

 

Windows 10 Partitions Structure

I've seen that there are many questions about Partitions Structure in Windows 10. As I've also the same questions, I've decided to post my own queries on that matter. Since these questions are difficult to answer (because they are quite complex), it would
be better that they were answered by a Microsoft Tech.

I gather that the Windows 10 Partitions Structure (default) is the following:

Under BIOS/MBR mode: SYSTEM / WINDOWS / RECOVERY

Under UEFI/GPT mode: SYSTEM / MSR / WINDOWS / RECOVERY

Instead, the Windows 8/8.1 Partitions Structure (default) was:

Under BIOS/MBR mode: SYSTEM / WINDOWS

Under UEFI/GPT mode: WINDOWS RE TOOLS / SYSTEM / MSR / WINDOWS

1. First question: Is this correct?

2. Second: In my case, after upgrading to Windows 10 (from Windows 8.1), it appeared three partitions (BIOS): SYSTEM / WINDOWS / RECOVERY. Earlier, on my HD (with Windows 8.1, BOIS mode) there were only the two partitions indicated above: SYSTEM / WINDOWS.
Is this correct? Why these changes from two (Windows 8/8.1) to three partitions (Windows 10)?

3. Third: I did the upgrade, and next a clean installation of Windows 10. That is, there were no possibility of revert to Windows 8.1. In this case, three partitions appeared. If I had done a clean installation of Windows 10 not upgrading (that is, from
Windows 8.1) but from a Windows 10 DVD or CD with a new license (that is, from an installation completely new newly purchased), it would have appeared also three partitions?

4. Fourth: After doing the clean installation, one file appeared on C:\ It's a file called "Recovery.txt" (0 bytes). Can this file be deleted safely?

Thanks.