Extra partitions after SSD boot drive upgrade

JayceeM · 04 Mar 2017

I upgraded my SSD boot drive from a 128GB to Samsung 850 Pro 256GB. I used the Samsung Migration Tool as instructed. Now I seem to have an new FAT32 100MB partition, a new OTHER 16MB partition, a missing OTHER 128MB partition and a non functioning and I believe much smaller RECOVERY 450MB partition. Everything works except I can no longer reset Windows "internally". I have to use the ISO from the Windows Media Creation Tool.

Attached is a screen cap from Minitool. Can some of these new partitions be deleted? Is it possible to fix the recovery partition?

Thanks

Extra partitions after SSD boot drive upgrade-capture.jpg

dalchina · 04 Mar 2017

Hi, Windows creates several partitions. Yours are typical of UEFI boot. The 450Mb Recovery supports automatic recovery and advanced troubleshooting. The 16Mb System partition is needed for your PC to boot.

Sure, you can delete them. And you could have a bricked PC.

By the way, make sure you have at least 500Mb unallocated space on C: for the next upgrade or in-place upgrade repair install.

A little research suggests this for reference: (should be 'introduction to', of course).
An Introduction of UEFI Secure Boot and Disk Partitions in Windows 10

JayceeM · 04 Mar 2017

Thanks. Do you know why I suddenly have a FAT32 partition? None of my other machines have one and this machine didn't have one before the upgrade. And any idea why the 450Mb Recovery that supports automatic recovery and advanced troubleshooting isn't working? For any of those options I have to use the ISO from Windows Media Creation Tool.

dalchina · 04 Mar 2017

Hi, I don't know anything about that migration tool, and can't imagine how the partitions could have suddenly appeared if they weren't on your original disk.

Can you confirm that SHIFT left click Restart does not offer you a somewhat complex sequence of options via a choice of boot options to the Advance Troubleshooting menus? If the 450Mb Recovery partition isn't present or is inaccessible you will only see one option. What do you see?

You may have luck if you get Macrium Reflect's boot disk and try the repair feature. That attempts to fix issues with the boot record, however I can't say for sure it would fix issues with an inaccessible recovery partition.
Fixing Windows boot problems - KnowledgeBase - Macrium Reflect Knowledgebase

One way to do that would be to
a. Create a disk image of your windows partition
b. Wipe the disk and install Win 10
c. replace the Windows partition by restoring the disk image
d. run startup repair.

There may be some other way...

The 100 Mb partition is normal for a UEFI system, not for legacy BIOS. Is yours UEFI? Or in fact is it legacy BIOS, but somehow you've ended up with the wrong partition structure?
(See article in previous post)

topgundcp · 04 Mar 2017

The 16Mb System partition is needed for your PC to boot.

Incorrect info.

The 100MB EFI (FAT32) system partition is needed,containing Boot code/BCD, without it PC won't boot.

On every GPT disk there's an MSR (Microsoft Reserved partition) partition. For Windows 10 it is 16MB unformatted
For Data disk it is 128MB MSR unformatted partition.

The MSR partition is hidden from disk management but will display using diskpart command.

To get into Recovery environment, as stated above, try: SHIFT+Restart. If it does not work, Open Admin command prompt and type:
reagentc /info
and post the result