Windows 10: Which partitions are safe to delete/merge after Windows 10 1607 update

Hello,

I recently updated my notebook to Windows 10 Home (1607) from the previous version of Windows 10 Home.

I was in the process of performing a disk-cleanup to regain some space lost during the upgrade (notebook only has 120 gb of storage to begin with) when I noticed some extra partitions that weren't there before the update (I noticed this in the disk defrag app). I then opened EaseUS' partition manager app and saw the following:





Can anyone suggest which of these partitions I can delete/merge into C: to free up extra space? I know Recovery probably shouldn't be touched, but what about the other unallocated partitions? The partition above Recovery looks like it could also be similar (but without the label).

Any help/guidance/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

:)

 

Partions

What you have is a hybrid drive configuration (SSD + HDD). You would be able to merge both.

The following are safe to delete:

- 475 MB partition

- 14.42 GB partition

- 1 GB parition

After deleting all three partitions, this should leave a unallocated partition.

Right click the 102.66 Gb partition then click Extend and recover the remaining space.

 

Extra recovery partition after Windows 10 1709 update

Recovery Partition After Upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 7/8

Last year, I used the above freeware to delete an OEM recovery partition to the left of partition C: and merged them without data loss.

 

You can very easily add the 17.99 GB unallocated space to C: drive. I'm not sure what the 811 MB partition is after that. Maybe some kind of manufacturer's recovery partition, but it looks too small to be that. You can use MiniTool Partition Wizard to explore the partition and see the folder structure on it without assigning it a drive letter.

I would just add the 17.99GB to C: drive and leave the rest alone.

MiniTool Free Partition Manager for Window 8/7/vista/xp | Partition Wizard Free Edition

 

the 17.99 GB maybe the (Hidden?) ACER OEM Recovery partition , for recloning the Laptop to "Factory Condition" , if you don't like all their Bloatware and are going to install Clean anyway , you could delete it .

 

I've explored the 400 and 811 mb partitions and discovered they are recovery partitions. Interestingly one appears to be for the recent upgrade, while the other dates back to when I purchased the laptop. Would it be safe to remove the old recovery partition?

 

Hi,

From an elevated command prompt run the following:

reagentc /info

The output will tell you which partition is your current Recovery partition.

Unallocated space ? I doubt it.

Mini Tool's Partition Wizard could tell more about the other partitions as could the inbuilt Diskpart command if you're familiar with that.

Cheers, *Wink

 

I think I should have been clearer in that it probably Used to be the ACER OEM Partition , when you make a USB Recovery Key , it gives you an option to Delete the Recovery Partition and regain the Space , but if you don't resize/merge the partition space back into C:\ with Easeus or MiniTool PW , I think this is what you would see.

I did this recently for a friend on their Lenovo to get back the 11GB hidden partition.

I am not sure why there are two very small partitions at the end of the Drive but those could be deleted and merged back in too.

 

Partition Wizard is a good tool to use. The Anniversary Upgrade didn't create any additional partitions on my PC so I suspect you partitions are the same as before the upgrade. You can merge the 17.99 GB partition with C: if they are contiguous. Be very careful of moving around the hidden system partitions since your PC may become unbootable - a full system backup is essential before fiddling with your partitions.

 

All Good advice from Steve

Maybe in the OP's case there was a Win8.1 recovery and a Win10 recovery partition too ? .1607 did add a second Recovery Partition to my new Desktop but I have now fixed that. I wrote a small how to about how to fix that here and Topgun added his method as well.

Solved Small Wrinkle in Anniversary Update....MBR Disk - Page 2 - Windows 10 Forums