System Reserved Fragmented

There ARE files there, namely those required to run the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE for short). Some folks feel they are necessary, other folks rely on completely different tools and blow the partition away.

Did you set File Explorer option to be able to see both hidden and system files?

If you execute "reagentc /info" at an elevated (admin) command prompt, the output will tell you if and where an active WinRE is.

It's only used infrequently so there's nothing to gain with defrag unless you're OCD about it.

Bree said:

It's important not to confuse the Recovery partition with the Microsoft Reserved Partition. You're talking about the Recovery partition, but the OP may be talking about the MSR - a completely different feature, only found on gpt-partitoned drives.

(no real need to defrag that, either)

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...ws-and-gpt-faq

I'm fairly certain from the appearance and context that OP is talking about the Recovery Partition. No confusion on my part but you do well, Bree, to make the point so that no one else is confused.

True MSR would be found empty (in most cases) but it wouldn't show up in Optimize Drives just the same as it won't show in Disk Management.

OP IS DEFINITELY talking about the System Reserved Partition as OP clearly has a legacy bios installation. This has nothing to do with the MSR partition or Recovery partition.

It really does not matter if the system reserved partition is fragmented as it is static and impact on booting will be negligible. The partition is only briefly accessed during bootup and not used during normal operation.

Just leave it alone and things will be fine.

cereberus said:

OP IS DEFINITELY talking about the System Reserved Partition as OP clearly has a legacy bios installation. This has nothing to so with the MSR partition or Recovery partition.

It really does not matter if the system reserved partition is fragmented as it is static and impact on booting will be negligible. The partition is only briefly accessed during bootup and not used during normal operation.

Just leave it alone and things will be fine.

Yes, I see what you mean, @cereberus - I misspoke in labeling that partition Recovery. I checked myself by looking at the section prior to the one linked by Bree, i.e., https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...ive-partitions Therein they label the partition OP speaks of as System. I fall too easily into the trap of loose semantics on these.

I guess it only qualifies as speculation (unless we hear more from @DrSysop) that the partition in question contains the WinRE. Nonetheless, there are files in the partition.

At least we are all aligned in that OP can well afford to just let the partition be.

Word Man said:

Yes, I see what you mean, @cereberus - I misspoke in labeling that partition Recovery. I checked myself by looking at the section prior to the one linked by Bree, i.e., https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...ive-partitions Therein they label the partition OP speaks of as System. I fall too easily into the trap of loose semantics on these.

I guess it only qualifies as speculation (unless we hear more from @DrSysop) that the partition in question contains the WinRE. Nonetheless, there are files in the partition.

At least we are all aligned in that OP can well afford to just let the partition be.

Most definitely the System Reserved partition

This drive has only two partitions - not even the MSR or any recovery partitions as I deleted them.

lx07 said:

I've noticed running Optimise through GUI doesn't optimize System Reserved (even if it says it needs it).

However if you run defrag / c /h /o from command line it does. This is on a BIOS PC...



I agree you don't need to as it is only written to when you upgrade Windows but it is an interesting difference.

Yeah - interesting but pointless.

cereberus said:

Most definitely the System Reserved partition

This drive has only two partitions - not even the MSR or any recovery partitions as I deleted them.
...

But as it's MBR, there'd never have been an MSR, correct?
My guess that OP's WinRE is in the SR partition is only based on the amount of space in use shown in the first post. WinRE could as easily be there (or on the Windows partition) as in a Recovery partition.

But enough said on that unless OP wants to pursue it beyond what we've provided here.