Windows 10 upgrade creates too many partition

tsam · 13 Mar 2017

Recently I noticed that after upgrading to the latest version of Windows 10 anniversary on my HP notebook, the partition table on my disk has been changed (including the creation of 842 MB of unallocated space, and the resize of the partition containing windows 10 from 200 GB to 199.09 GB). I attached the screenshot of Macrium reflect.

Windows 10 upgrade creates too many partition-win10-partition-macrium.jpg

The only partitions that I'd like to keep are the following:

WINDOWS C: os partition;
HP Data F: created for storing data;
RECOVERY D: HP recovery partition.

Now I'd like to know among the remaining partitions what are those can I delete and what are instead the partition should I keep to prevent issues allowing windows 10 works properly ?
I'd rather avoid to run a clean windows 10 installation.

dalchina · 13 Mar 2017

Please clarify if you're using legacy BIOS or UEFI and whether your disk is formatted as GPT or MBR.

Given that, we'd know what to expect. Personally, I don't recognise what you've got.

This is a UEFI/GPT set of partitions. Note: you should have more than one partition created by the installation of Win 10.
Arbitrarily deleting some of these can remove features or stop your PC booting.

Windows 10 upgrade creates too many partition-snap-2017-03-13-13.31.17.jpg

How did you install Win 10 originally? Upgrade from Win x? Or as a clean install to unallocated space?

Or did you buy your PC with Win 10 pre-installed?- It look as if it had an OS pre-installed as you have a manufacturer's recovery partition (which is much bigger than the Win 10 450/500Mb recovery partition).

tsam · 13 Mar 2017

Thanks for your reply dalchina, I will try to provide all missing info. I have an Hp notebook with windows 8.1 originally pre-installed, afterward I upgraded to windows 10; recently I update to windows 10 anniversary edition. I'm using UEFI and my disk is formatted as GPT. Hope this helps to target what are unnecessary partition.

Mark Phelps · 13 Mar 2017

Don't know about the other partitions, but the Recovery is NOW a waste of space -- as the Win10 Upgrade is known to corrupt the HP recovery information and render that function useless.

Your best bet, at this point, is to create your own Recovery Media -- and for that, I recommend using Macrium Reflect.

Once you have that, you can remove the Recovery partition.

AddRAM · 13 Mar 2017

Well if you upgraded to Windows 10, eventually, sooner or later, you will want to do a clean install anyway. The sooner, the better :)

dalchina · 13 Mar 2017

MBR installation:

500MB System Reserved partition
C: Drive

GPT installation:

450MB recovery partition
100MB EFI System Partition
16MB MSR partition
C drive.

Of these you should expect to see the second from what you say, + any other partitions that were present before you upgraded to Win 10.

It would be instructive to see what you see if you do a SHIFT left click restart.
Do you have the troubleshooting options available?
(Safe mode, Command Prompt, System Restore...)

And for reference from MS:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/win...ive-partitions

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/win...ive-partitions

- in the midst of the technical stuff are basic parameters for the partitions.

f14tomcat · 13 Mar 2017

@tsam

I suggest you get yourself a copy of a nice, free partition viewer and manager.

Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Free

The Macrium picture is ok, but doesn't show most of the particulars on your drive, just what it's going to backup. Disk Management is also ok, but again, doesn't show the whole picture.

MiniTool is designed to show everything about all partitions and give you every option you could possibly want. Picture is also much clearer.....graphical in top pane, detail in lower. And, there's an additional option to download a bootable version for emergencies. (No, I don't work for them :))

Give it a try and post another pic of what it shows. Here's what it will look like (my box):

Windows 10 upgrade creates too many partition-2017-03-13_11h59_55.png

AddRAM · 13 Mar 2017

Yep Partition Wizard is the best.

AddRAM · 13 Mar 2017

You could delete the 2 partitions on the far right, then slide your data partition to the right, then leave nothing but unallocated space to the left to clean install Windows 10 on.

The Bootable CD is the safest and easiest way to work with partitions.

But now with Partition Wizard 10 they make you jump through hoops to get it

I don`t like that

No matter what you do, if you install in UEFI, you will end up with multiple partitions after installing Windows 10, as explained in reply #6

Right now your drive is pretty much a mess

lx07 · 13 Mar 2017

If your WinRE partition isn't big enough then it creates new partitions when your upgrade. It isn't clear which is the currently registered partition - it could be 5 or 7 or even 1.

In addition to above show a print of reagentc /info from elevated command prompt and it will tell you which it is using.

Code:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.14393]
(c) 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /info
Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) and system reset configuration
Information:

    Windows RE status:         Enabled
    Windows RE location:       \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition1\Recovery\WindowsRE
    Boot Configuration Data (BCD) identifier: 60a76a2a-e726-10e6-9763-d4823e10b645
    Recovery image location:
    Recovery image index:      0
    Custom image location:
    Custom image index:        0

REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.


C:\Windows\system32>