Do I need this partition?

Cornishman · 30 Sep 2015

NavyLCDR said:

Did you read post #7? It means that you still have hidden, system protected boot files on that partition that the computer uses to boot from before it hands control over to the operating system contained on C: drive.

OK thanks!
Looks like I'm stuck with the "E" drive

NavyLCDR · 30 Sep 2015

Cornishman said:

There is a boot file in the "E" drive sources folder
Attachment 40340

Have you went into Options in File Explorer, then went down the list and unchecked by the box for "Hide Protected System Hidden Files" (or something very similar?) Then you will see the additional hidden files on E drive.

Word Man · 30 Sep 2015

Cornishman said:

What does that mean please?

1) You may have deleted files from E: but, assuming you took the Disk Management snapshot AFTER you deleted some files, it shows in the table that you still have 758 MB of data on it and this supports NavyLCDR's assertion that removing it may result in a system that won't boot.

2) Seeing the size and number of partitions on that disk and how it's reported in Disk Management, I can tell that it is an MBR structured disk as opposed to a GPT structured disk. Being one or the other can impact your choices for change.

NavyLCDR · 30 Sep 2015

Cornishman said:

OK thanks!
Looks like I'm stuck with the "E" drive

Well, you don't have to be....it's just a little harder to get rid of, if you really want to. It will take two boot disks/USBs created by two different programs, Macrium Reflect Free and MiniTool Partition Wizard Free.

Or, using just MiniTool Partition Wizard you can certainly shrink the E: drive partition to only the size required, and add the free space to C: drive.

You can also, in Disk Management, remove the E: drive letter from the partition, but leave the partition there without a drive letter.

Cornishman · 30 Sep 2015

NavyLCDR said:

Well, you don't have to be....it's just a little harder to get rid of, if you really want to. It will take two boot disks/USBs created by two different programs, Macrium Reflect Free and MiniTool Partition Wizard Free.

Or, using just MiniTool Partition Wizard you can certainly shrink the E: drive partition to only the size required, and add the free space to C: drive.

You can also, in Disk Management, remove the E: drive letter from the partition, but leave the partition there without a drive letter.

It's not worth shrinking, It's only 2 Gb
When I normally do my monthly image backup, Acronis always does a backup of "C" and "E" so I don't really want to hide the drive.
I might have to live with it.
Is it possible to delete it, then boot from a Windows 10 disk and recover the boot file?

Victek · 30 Sep 2015

NavyLCDR said:

First, I notice that your E: drive partition is marked as Active. That means it probably has the boot files on it. Have you enabled the option in Windows explorer to view system protected hidden files and looked at E: drive again? If so, I'll bet you see the boot files remaining on it. Delete E: partition now and more than likely your computer will not boot.

I'm glad you noticed that. I wonder if it would work to delete E: then boot from a Windows 10 DVD and run Startup Repair?

MikeHawthorne · 30 Sep 2015

Hi

You might want to install EasyBCD and see where your computer is booting from.
My guess is that when you did a clean install of Windows 10 it created it's own boot files on drive C:\ and is ignoring the files on drive E:\.

If EasyBCD shows a second option, i.e. drive E:\ you can remove the option there as long as it shows one for C:\.

If there are 2 boot options then it can be important to remove the 2nd option before removing the drive.

Mike

EasyBCD - NeoSmart Technologies

Get the free one at the bottom of the page.

Cornishman · 30 Sep 2015

Well I wiped drive "E" and my computer wouldn't start up.
Gave an error NTLDR is missing!!!!
I then booted from my Acronis disk, recovered "E" partition from an image and, phew!, it started up again.
Did a search using "Search Everything" and it came up with these files, not sure if it means anything:

NavyLCDR · 30 Sep 2015

Victek said:

I'm glad you noticed that. I wonder if it would work to delete E: then boot from a Windows 10 DVD and run Startup Repair?

I don't think so, because I think Windows will only allow a separate partition for the boot files. I've tried it. At one time I had only two partitions on my laptop - both Windows system partitions, one with build 10240 and one with Insider builds. Windows startup repair would not put the boot files on either system partition, but Macrium Reflect Rescue Disk did.

I have since deleted the Insider build partition and have done a clean Windows 10 install to the empty space. When I did that, it created the 350mb system reserved partition again for the boot files, despite the fact that they were already on the first operating system partition.

Cornishman said:

Well I wiped drive "E" and my computer wouldn't start up.
Gave an error NTLDR is missing!!!!

Told you so!

And you've still got some hidden files on there.... you should be seeing a bcd file.

Now, create a Macrium Reflect Rescue DVD/USB. Delete the E: drive partition again. Boot to the Macrium Reflect Rescue DVD/USB and use the Startup repair utility. See what you end up with. I think it asks you where you want to put the boot files when they are created and you would point it to your big system partition.

MikeHawthorne said:

Hi

You might want to install EasyBCD and see where your computer is booting from.

Looks like he found out they were on the smaller E: drive partition.

Cornishman · 30 Sep 2015

Created a Macrium Reflect Rescue disk, deleted the E partition again, put the boot files in C as per the instructions, but it didn't work.
My computer was stuck on the boot up. Managed to recover everything using Acronis again.
I am going to leave it as it is!
It is very stressful not knowing if your computer will start or not, I need a drink!
Thanks for your help Guys!