Windows 10: Why does Windows 10 parition the hard drive into a C and D drive?

Hello,

Relatively new to Windows 10. Why does Windows 10 partition the hard drive into a C and D drive?

As purchased, my Windows 10 machine has split my 2TB drive split into C and D.

The C drive is much smaller than the D drive (At work otherwise I would supply the actual space values).
I have modified the system to send most of my data to the D drive.

This question is just to satisfy my curiosity.

Thanks in advance.

Stu

:)

 

Windows 10 installation failure - 80070003

it does not format the c drive becoz their is no parition of my hard drive

 

Windows Detected A Hard Disk Problem Repair - Computer Running Windows 10, Check Disk States "No errors were found".

Every time I boot the computer, a Microsoft Window states Windows Detected A Hard Disk Problem Repair (lists drive C & D). I have backed up all files on computer.

This message appears to be from Windows 7, not the current Windows 10 operating system. Why is Windows 7 popping up a message and not Windows 10?

Check Disk States on C and D states "No errors were found". When I open the hard drive properties, Device status states, " This device is working properly. Why does one message say there is a problem and two other checks state there is not a problem.

Is there a problem with the hard drive? How can I find out?

 

It doesn't. If the computer has a Hybrid Platter drive that uses a 36GB SSD for handling buffer for read/write, that would be why you are seeing two drives. Fill out the whole model number of your machine. Your Dell code will tell you on their Support website what it was built with.

 

It's not Windows 10 that chose to partition the drive as C: & D: drives. That was a decision made by the PC manufacturer. My (originally Win7, now upgraded to 10) Toshiba laptop came out of the factory with two equal-sized partitions. I've no idea why, perhaps they intended the D: drive to be for user data (or backups?).

Whatever - the only thing Toshiba actually put in the D: drive was their HDDRecovery folder containing the factory reset system image.

 

Hello bro67

I went to the Dell website and for my machine's configuration, I saw:

SSDR, 256, S3, 2280, SAMSUNG

I am going to assume this mean that I have a SSD.

Thanks

Stu

 

It may have an SSD AND a HDD ? the SSD is unlikely to be 2TB and looks like it is 256 GB Sata type 2280 above or it maybe a SSHD as Bro suggested

Post a link to the exact model you have ...... then no guessing game.....


KB.

 

I agree with most of the previous comments. If C is much smaller, it is likely 256 GB max as I've never seen anyone put a 1 TB SSD in a for sale machine. I have a 1 TB SSD but I bought it when upgrading my PC a couple of years ago for speed. I partitioned it at C=200 GB, D=200 GB, E=531 GB and I have a 3 TB for data storage.
I like a clean separation of OS, programs, and data, so C is OS Win10, D is scratch drive at moment as I'd planned a dual OS boot but did that on my backup PC with XP/Win10, and E is programs. Of course its impossible to stop some programs from installing on C but at least I minimize it. I would tend to recommend you partition your large drive so you can have a program drive and a data drive. I've been operating this way going back to DOS 2.2 in 1986 and I've seldom lost any significant data. OS's and programs can always be re-installed, but data collected over years can't.

In Win10 you can look at your drive partitioning and hardware setup by opening Control Panel. Click on Administrative Tools, then System Configuration, then tab Tools in the popup window. Then click Computer Management, then Storage, then Disk Management. That takes a few seconds to gather the data but will come up with a list like Disk 0 (256 GB), Disk 1 (1.7 TB), CD-Rom 0. That will tell you the size of each drive, whether they are physical (0,1) or Logical (C,D) with the size and how much space is used/left. Cheers.

 

thekelt there are plenty of units sold that have 1TB drives installed in them at the factory. The drive that is installed is a M.2 Samsung PM851 SSD. http://www.samsung.com/us/business/o...odOverview.pdf Data Sheet on that drive series. http://www.samsung.com/semiconductor...851_M2_v12.pdf

 

Yes you have a Samsung PM851 series M.2 SSD drive. This is the data sheet on it. http://www.samsung.com/semiconductor...851_M2_v12.pdf Product Overview on it. http://www.samsung.com/us/business/o...odOverview.pdf

"Exceptional Performance in an Ultra-Slim Form Factor Designed for use in ultra-slim notebook PCs and desktop computers with a supporting mSATA compatible socket, (or use a SATA to mSATA adapter if your computer accepts standard 2.5" SATA drives, or a MicroSATA to mSATA adapter if your computer accepts 1.8" MicroSATA drives). The Samsung PM851 SSD provides exceptional read, write, and multi-tasking performance. It's built for the real world, with no moving parts to reduce the risk of damage from shock, while using the latest in security technology including AES 256-bit encryption. Additionally, its ultra-efficient design means increased battery life. Features Fast - Enables you to boot up your computer in as little as 10 seconds. Energy Efficient - improves battery life by as much as 50 minutes over a spinning hard drive. Rugged - Solid-state design provides greater shock protection for data. Secure - Worry-free data security with AES 256-bit full-disk encryption. World Class Speed The PM851 in the 512GB capacity is capable of delivering class leading sequential read and write speeds--up to 540 MB/sec and 380 MB/sec respectively--for ultra-fast file transfers. Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) Technology Samsungs PM851 SSD applies 256-bit AES hardware-based data encryption automatically, and you can re-purpose your drive or dispose of your data simply by erasing the encryption key. Samsung 3-Core MDX Controller 4th-generation 3-Core Cortex-R4 Samsung MDX Controller ensures sustained performance under demanding conditions, and accomplishes more under the same power conditions than the previous-generation Samsung MCX controller."

The only question that comes up is that you may have a second drive installed alongside the M.2. Your spec's from when you ordered it will state what hardware was installed. It is available on the Support side of Dell if you put in your ID on the sticker or the Serial number.

 

If you could put a picture of disk management it would be clearer how everything was set up.

 

Not much to clear up. Most likely they have two M.2 boards in the unit is why they may be showing two drives. M.2 is making it easier for OEM's to not have to deal with shock and drop problems. Along with the fact that Apple set the standard with the Air to have a M.2 drive in the unit.

Now seeing a picture of the boards if they are able to access them wold be well worth knowing how Dell did this.

 

XPS 8900 Special Edition High Performance Desktop | Dell Canada

It's not 2x M2 ....... it is using the M2 Drive as a Cache (for the 2TB HDD drive) and C:\ Drive

using Intel's Smart Response Technology ,which uses 19GB-64GB for Caching , the rest is usable for the OS as C:\

I also use an old 60GB SSD for caching my 2TB Raid 0 Array on my X99 system.

 

I found a picture on ifixit that shows the M.2 installed and the placement of the Wifi card. Dell is copying off of Apple in pretty much making their version of the Macbook Air. The only question is if you can increase the M.2 to a larger size if you are not storing items on a NAS on your network or some other cloud service. This is the link to let you zoom in and see it better. https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.ne...ZNfTeLlh1.huge