Too many partitions?

SIW2 · 13 Jan 2022

Most partition managers, you would use "resize" not extend

steve108 · 13 Jan 2022

NavyLCDR said:

I agree. But it isn't required. When you convert an MBR disk to GPT using Microsoft's own mbr2gpt.exe, no MSR partition is created, so how can it be necessary when Microsoft does not create it?
........

Another data point in the set of M$ being consistently inconsistent

NavyLCDR · 13 Jan 2022

kitpzyxmsir said:

I created a simple volume out of it. Formatted it, gave it a drive letter (F:). It's a regular partition 200mb now, but it still doesn't show up in the extend options for C:\. I tried to extend F:\, but it's only choice is that 337mb partition to it's left. Apparently, it must be next to C:\. I don't think it matters which side.

I think I'm gonna change the drive letter for E:\, then Change the F:\ to E:\ and see what happens.

It is the 16 MB MSR partition that is keeping you from doing it in MiniTool Partition Wizard. You will not be able to add the space in question to C: drive until you delete it.

You are going to have to delete the partition highlighted below:

kitpzyxmsir · 13 Jan 2022

What do you think about this? I restore this partition with an image backup, but first delete all partitions with Macrium, then only only replace with the image partitions I want?

steve108 · 13 Jan 2022

kitpzyxmsir said:

What do you think about this? I restore this partition with an image backup, but first delete all partitions with Macrium, then only only replace with the image partitions I want?

If you have a MR rescue USB and full MR image of this drive, what you propose is literally risk free and should work out fine.

If after your reorder the partitions by dragging them from the backup image to your drive, the PC doesn't boot, try the MR USB repair boot problems option.

Worst case, you restore the drive backup image.

Megahertz · 14 Jan 2022

kitpzyxmsir said:

What do you think about this? I restore this partition with an image backup, but first delete all partitions with Macrium, then only only replace with the image partitions I want?

That is the clever solution.
When restoring (drag and drop from source to target), resize the partitions
- EFI - Fat32 - 100M
- MSR - RAW -16M
- C: - NTFS - 60G or bigger
- Data - NTFS

After everything is running with the new layout you can create a WinRE (recovery) by running reagentc /enable

kitpzyxmsir · 15 Jan 2022

Megahertz said:

That is the clever solution.
When restoring (drag and drop from source to target), resize the partitions
- EFI - Fat32 - 100M
- MSR - RAW -16M
- C: - NTFS - 60G or bigger
- Data - NTFS

After struggling and failing to get the job done from a variety of stumbling blocks using both Mini Tool Partition Wizard and Diskgenius (good learning exercise, nonetheless), I gave my Macrium idea a try.

Worked like a charm! Almost too easy.

I deleted all target partitions except for the 337mb EFI System partition , which was different in size than the replacement. I didn't know if that was significant, but there was really no risk. If it didn't work, I could just restore the image again and start over. What would we do without Macrium?

So actually the only thing replaced was C:\.

Attachment 357297

After that, what was not possible with MIni & Diskgenius, a simple Disk Management C:\ extend volume finished the job

Attachment 357299

Megahertz said:

After everything is running with the new layout you can create a WinRE (recovery) by running reagentc /enable

Is that really necessary?

steve108 · 15 Jan 2022

Ewww, you have a RAW G: partition - 781 GB? I said.... um or thought 99.9% your Macrium plan would work

NavyLCDR · 15 Jan 2022

steve108 said:

Ewww, you have a RAW G: partition - 781 GB? I said.... um or thought 99.9% your Macrium plan would work

Over provisioning? Some people like to do that.

steve108 · 15 Jan 2022

I like/have overprovisioning too, but it says unallocated, not RAW

and doesn't say "Healthy..." and not so huge. Maybe OP has an explanation.