Do I have extra hidden partitions

x509 · 19 Feb 2020

This drive is currently an SSD, but has been migrated from a spinner. The image goes back to Windows 7 and was upgraded to Windows 10 Retail, and I'm wondering if I have some hidden partitions that I don't need. I don't recall actually creating a recovery partition, since this system is home-built. There are a 100 MB partition and a 540 MB partitions that I'm not sure about. Note that one is FAT32 and the other is NTFS.

If I add drive letters to these partitions, what do I look for to see the purpose of each partition in question?

Do I have extra hidden partitions-image.png

Berton · 19 Feb 2020

I wouldn't be concerned about the unlettered partitions, seldom large enough to be useful but necessary to have.
This is what mine shows, C: is the Boot/System/Windows partition and D: is Data on the only Internal HDD. It was Win8 when I got it and then Upgraded to Win10:

Do I have extra hidden partitions-dm.png

Two drives are single partition each and External USB HDDs. ODD is not shown below them.

Bree · 20 Feb 2020

For the most part it looks like a normal GPT disk layout for a UEFI system. Here's mine...

Do I have extra hidden partitions-gpt-disk-layout.png

The first partition (Recovery) is created by a normal clean install of Windows 10. It holds the WinRE recovery environment that you'll boot to if you choose Advanced Startup in Settings.
Boot to Advanced Startup Options in Windows 10

The second Fat32 partition is you EFI System Partition, this is what boots your PC. Disk Management should show this as its name.

The third 16MB partition is the Microsoft Reserved Partition and won't appear in Disk Management: Microsoft Reserved Partition - Wikipedia

C: is obvious

The only one that I don't have is your 5th partition, the 540MB NTFS. That looks like another recovery partition (from the size) possibly created by a reinstall or an upgrade to a new version of Windows 10. Only one recovery partition would be in use, but until you know which you'd better not delete either of them.

My unallocated 46.6GB is deliberately left unused as over-provisioning as this drive is an SSD.

Presumably the partition that's cut off at the far right of your screenshot is one you are not concerned about, perhaps it's a Data partition like mine.

You can explore the contents without having to give them a letter. In Minitool Partition Wizard right-click on a partition and select Explore.

zbook · 20 Feb 2020

The MSR is 16 MB and is typically hidden when viewing windows 10 disk management.

In the image in the opening post it is not hidden and is displaying other.

The fat32 is the EFI partition.

The 540 MB may be a second recovery partition.

With the small size of the partitions they can be left as is.

The first recovery partition is likely not in use and you could make it unallocated space.

However a need to capture < 1 GB on this size drive (500 GB) is highly unlikely.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...ive-partitions

x509 · 20 Feb 2020

Bree said:

For the most part it looks like a normal GPT disk layout for a UEFI system. Here's mine...
C: is obvious

The only one that I don't have is your 5th partition, the 540MB NTFS. That looks like another recovery partition (from the size) possibly created by a reinstall or an upgrade to a new version of Windows 10. Only one recovery partition would be in use, but until you know which you'd better not delete either of them.

Presumably the partition that's cut off at the far right of your screenshot is one you are not concerned about, perhaps it's a Data partition like mine.

You can explore the contents without having to give them a letter. In Minitool Partition Wizard right-click on a partition and select Explore.

Bree,

Thanks for the reply. You are correct about the partition that is cut off. It's my D: DATA partition. I always keep Windows+programs in C: and all data in D:, so when, not IF, I have a Windows issue, my data isn't at risk.