Upgrading W10 Pro 1909 to 20H2 creates an extra partition on my SSD

Pacman23 · 29 Apr 2021

Just upgraded my ThinkPad T450s from 1909 to Windows 10 Pro 20H2 (OS Build 19042.928) allowing Windows to do its own thing through Windows Update - no major problems, just typical niggles. However, I seem to have an extra partition on my 1 TB Crucial SSD

Upgrading W10 Pro 1909 to 20H2 creates an extra partition on my SSD-honeyview_macriumreflectpartitionspostw_20h2_upgrade.jpg

I've created images and clones of all four partitions after the upgrade, using Macrium Reflect, but I assume partition E is superflous and can be ignored in backing up or deleted from my source drive? As you can see, I'm not short of space(!) but I'd welcome confirmation of my assumptions. TIA

Iain

hsehestedt · 29 Apr 2021

Judging by the size, E: could be a Recovery partition. Normally it simply would not be assigned a drive letter. In disk manager, simply remove the drive letter assignment and then you won't see it in normal operation. This would be the normal state for that partition. Something must have caused a drive letter to be assigned.

Odd thing is that over the past few months I have been seeing the same thing happen - I get drives letters assigned for some unknown reason.

Pacman23 · 29 Apr 2021

The drive letters on the recovery partition(s) disappear when I close and reopen Macrium Reflect.

Megahertz · 29 Apr 2021

Your System is Legacy MBR
- Partition 1 is the System partition and has the boot manager (Active). DON'T delete it or it won't boot. Take the letter assigned (E:) from it.
- Partition 2 is Windows C: partition
- Partition 3 is Windows Recovery partition (needed for maintenance) and has WinRE. Take the letter assigned (F:) from it.
- Partition 4 was created by you (D:).

To take the letter assigned to a partition, use Disk manager (C:\Windows\System32\diskmgmt.msc). Right click on the partition - Select "Change drive letters and path" - Remove to have no letter assigned to the partition.

topgundcp · 29 Apr 2021

- Partition x (not shown) is just after Partition 1 and before Partition 2. Is a RAW (not formatted) and the size is ~16MB

This is an MBR disk, not GPT. There's no 16MB unformatted hidden.

@Pacman23
This is normal. This is the new partition layout for 20H2 which Windows will create a separate Recovery Partition. The old layout had the Recovery and Boot Manager together in the System Reserved partition.

So if you open the Admin command prompt and type: reagentc /info. It will show you that the Recovery is in Partition 3

NavyLCDR · 29 Apr 2021

Code:

diskpart
select volume e
remove
select volume f
remove
exit
exit

All is right in the world again.

AddRAM · 30 Apr 2021

Remove the letter E from the System Reserved partition, and delete the Recovery partition F, you don`t need it.

Then extend C to the right to add the space to C

When you`re done, there should be no letter on the System Reserved partition, then C, then D, and that`s it.

All can be done from Disk Management.

If you have trouble using Disk Management, then use Partition Wizard.

Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Wizard Free

NavyLCDR · 30 Apr 2021

Before you delete the recovery partition you might want to run:
reagentc /disable

After you delete the recovery partition you can then run:
reagentc /enable

Pacman23 · 30 Apr 2021

Thanks for all the suggestions, this is a great forum.
Firstly, let me admit to the fact that I unwittingly muddied the waters with the image in my first post showing an image of Macrium Reflect showing my SSD's 4 partitions, each with a letter (A,B,C & D) attributed to them. I'd taken that image while testing MR from the boot menu and never realised that MR attributed letters to all partitions at that stage. So, what I'd posted was this image:-

when MR when run from Windows 10 as normal shows my SSD as this:

Upgrading W10 Pro 1909 to 20H2 creates an extra partition on my SSD-capture.png

with only two partitions carrying a letter, which is what I would expect. Minitool Partition Wizard shows this:

Upgrading W10 Pro 1909 to 20H2 creates an extra partition on my SSD-mtpw.png

If I am forced to move, merge or delete partitions, I'm much happier using Partition Wizard - so I'll tidy things upwhen life is a bit less stressful than it is right now. But, rest assured, I'll have plenty of Macrium Reflect images to fall back on before I do. The older I get, the more circumspect I've become - the downside of that is that everything takes twice as long!

AddRAM · 30 Apr 2021

You only have to delete the 623 MB partition, easy peasy, do it when the mood hits you.

Partition Wizard is the best