What partitions Can I Delete? - Upgrading Sony Vaio To SSD

Could you paste image from dis manahemwnt - easier to review.

I agree
How to Post a Screenshot of Disk Management - TenForumsTutorials


Denis

If it were mine I'd leave Disk 0 and Disk 1 alone and assume Disk 2 came from a different computer. I would disconnect Disk 2 and see if the computer will boot properly, if so I would then reconnect it and delete all the partitions on Disk 2 and create a new one for additional storage.

Chris Nicola said:

Ignore Disk 0 and Disk 1. Only Disk 2 is of interest.

Chris,

Sorry, this is not the answer you want.

I do not know what the partition SonySys does. I've never even seen it mentioned before.
- It is not unusual to find that Disk mgmt. does not show a partition that MTPW or other utilities show.
- That makes me think you don't have to worry about it but I do not know that for a fact.

Unless Sony explain what is in their RE tools partition and how to access it, I'd make no effort to preserve it.
- Windows does have RE tools of its own which are, by default, put into the Recovery partition.
- Enhanced Startup repair is available by booting from the Windows installation USB.
- Even more enhanced Startup repair is apparently available on the Macrium Reflect boot USB.
[I can provide links for these things if you are interested.]

Since I assume your computer is booting from your Disk 0 correctly, I'd
make a system image,
remove Disk 0,
fit Disk 2 in its place,
use a Windows installation USB to install Windows on Disk 2 [making whatever partitions it wants],
test the installation by rebooting,
restore the C:\ drive part of the system image to the C:\ drive of Disk 2,
test the installation by rebooting,
remove Disk 2 and put Disk 0 back in,
store Disk 2 somewhere secure.



All the best,
Denis

Chris Nicola said:

There are 7 partitions on the Sony HD showing up on Aomei Partition Manager
Only 6 partitions show up in Windows Disk management. (A 128 Mbt partition does not show up to the right of the 260 Mbt EFI partition)

That is normal, this small partition is the Microsoft Reserved Partition (MSR) which will be found on all GPT drives. As there is nothing meaningful in this partition Microsoft have chosen to hide it in Disk Management. For a GPT drive formatted by Windows 10 it will be just 16MB.

The UEFI specification does not allow hidden sectors on GPT-formatted disks. Microsoft reserves a chunk of disk space using this MSR partition type, to provide an alternative data storage space for such software components which previously may have used hidden sectors on MBR formatted disks.

Microsoft Reserved Partition - Wikipedia

Chris Nicola said:

I suspect that I can safely delete the two largest ones ie "Windows Recovery Environment" 1.4 Gbt and "Recovery" 28 Gbt.

Chris,

I agree with you.

The procedure for deleting the 1.4GB Recovery partition was posted by someone who knows the subject well [as does Bree].
removing the Recovery partition [NavyLCDR #16] - TenForums

1 Run the command reagentc /disable in an elevated command prompt / elevated PS window
2 Then you can delete the Recovery partition
3 Then run the command reagentc /enable in an elevated command prompt / elevated PS window

That 28GB factory image partition can be deleted. I always do that as well.
But do make a backup of your installed drivers first. It's the only thing you'd miss from that partition [apart from any Sony-bundled utilties but they probably provide downloads of them on their website].
Backup and Restore Device Drivers - TenForumsTutorials

Denis