Recovery Partition vs System Reserved Partition

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  1. Posts : 40
    win 7
       #1

    Recovery Partition vs System Reserved Partition


    I built a WIN 10 (home version) desktop a few months back with a single SSD as its C Drive. It all works fine. Today I went to clone that drive using Samsung Data Migration.

    Disk Management shows that my originating SSD has both a healthy, primary bootable (main) partition plus a 471mb healthy Recovery partition on that C drive. There is no System Reserved partition.

    The cloned recipient SSD did not include the Recovery partition.That cloned drive obviously has no System Reserved partition since the source drive does not. The cloning went well but I have not yet tested the clone. Before I do I had two questions.


    1. Why didn't the Recovery partition get cloned?
    2. Why is there no 500mb System Reserved partition (on either) which I thought WIN 10 needed to operate?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 30,120
    Windows 11 Pro x64 Version 23H2
       #2

    Hi poolmon

    It is hard to say exactly what happen as no one knows the entire history.

    Could be when you built the original installation you didn't let Windows lay out the partitions and as such the Boot Manager and BCD info was incorporated into your Windows partition.

    https://www.howtogeek.com/192772/wha...you-delete-it/

    It is an easy read.

    As to the cloning, is your SSD smaller than the original HDD? If so the data migration tool does present options for items not to clone so it fits.

    You can make a recovery drive on a USB Thumbdrive, click start, type recovery drive and follow the prompts.

    If you have a lot of space on C: you could make it smaller and in the soon to be delivered Feature update it will likely create one.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 40
    win 7
    Thread Starter
       #3

    I built the computer within the past year and installed a new version of WIN 10 using a new 250gb SSD. I followed the WIN 10 install instructions and did nothing to manage or otherwise partition the SSD. The clone was made to an identical Samsung 250 gb SSD and the originating drive has only 60 gb used, so there definitely plenty of space.

    Since the computer boots fine I obviously have to assume that the boot files are on the single main partition, but it is a mystery why in that regard. With respect to the Recovery partition I guess Samsung Magician just does not clone it by design. I know that it does clone the System Reserved partition if it is present on the originating drive, which it was not in my case.

    So I guess WIN 10 (home) can install itself without a System Reserved partition by putting the boot files in the main partition, but if I ever tried to upgrade to WIN 10 Pro with bitlocker encryptions the lack of that partition would seem to present a problem.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 30,120
    Windows 11 Pro x64 Version 23H2
       #4

    Actually I just used Magician on Monday and got everything.

    Must check my wife's laptop, did that months ago.


    Do you know if you are booting legacy or UEFI?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 30,120
    Windows 11 Pro x64 Version 23H2
       #5

    It might be worth getting Mintool Partition Wizard (Free) and looking at disk. Will see hidden partitions.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 41,413
    windows 10 professional version 1607 build 14393.969 64 bit
       #6

    Open administrative command prompt and type or copy and paste: (all at the same time)

    Code:
    bcdedit /enum
    reagentc /info
    diskpart
    list dis
    list vol
    sel dis 0
    det dis
    lis par
    sel par 1
    det par
    sel par 2
    det par
    sel par 3
    det par
    sel par 4
    det par
    sel par 5
    det par
    sel dis 1
    det dis
    sel par 1
    det par
    sel par 2
    det par
    sel par 3
    det par
    sel par 4
    det par
    When these have completed > right click on the top bar or title bar of the administrative command prompt box > left click on edit then select all > right click on the top bar again > left click on edit then copy > paste into the thread
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 4,752
    Windows 11 Pro 64 Bit 22H2
       #7

    If, when you installed Windows, instead of letting Windows create partitions from the Unallocated Space during the install, you created a partition and formatted it. Then chose that partition to install Windows, you will not get a System Reserved partition, the boot information will be included in the C: partition.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 40
    win 7
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Thanks for all the info guys.

    Both original & target SSD's are listed as MBR as opposed to UEFI. I may have created a partition unknowingly in getting the original/new unformatted drive recognized, but I don't recall taking any steps that Windows did not step me through.

    Not that an upgrade to WIN 10 Pro is contemplated, but I suspect that having no System Reserved partition will not allow that to happen, after seeing how the original WIN 10 upgrade created a problem for some WIN 7 users that had a smaller 100mb vs 500mb System Reserved partition.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 30,120
    Windows 11 Pro x64 Version 23H2
       #9

    UEFI can boot on MBR if your BIOS is set to support legacy.

    Actually I don't think you config is going to stop you from doing anything.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 4,752
    Windows 11 Pro 64 Bit 22H2
       #10

    If the Source Disk did not have a System Reserved Partition then when you cloned it to the Target SSD it will be an exact mirror copy with no System Reserved Partition.
    Also, if the Source disk is Initialized MBR, if it was not previously Initialized, then It will also Initialize the Target SSD as MBR not GPT for UEFI Bios. As stated, this shouldn't stop you from doing anything.
      My Computer


 

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