I have performed a new installation (with new motherboard, processor and SSD) of Windows 10 Professional (from an installation USB created today using the Download Tool on the Microsoft website). The installation appeared to go smoothly, but only the primary partition (containing the operating system) has been created: there is no MSR partition (nor Recovery and System partitions). Is this a problem?
Yes, it does include all that. So does Windows 10 no longer create these additional partitions?
A lot depends on how the drive (SSD) is partitioned. If there is only one big partition on the SSD, it will install like that.
If the SSD is all unallocated, it will install with 3 or 4 partitions.
I'm assuming there are no other drives in that computer.
I installed Windows 10 that way on purpose.
The MSR only exists on a GPT formatted drive. On a UEFI bios machine it will only install as UEFI/GPT if you boot the install media in UEFI mode. In that case there would be, in addition to the MSR, an EFI partition.
If you booted the usb in Legacy mode (which it appears that you did) it would have installed as a Legacy MBR system, that has no MSR or EFI partition. As Ghot has shown, depending on how it was partitioned before the install it is quite possible to only have a single partition.
There is no real downside to having a Legacy MBR install on a UEFI bios machine, so I wouldn't worry about it.
I never cease to marvel at the quality and speed of responses on TenForums. IMO it's the best forum out there.
Thank you very much for your help.
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