Just to make sure we're on the same page -
Is that Disk 1 that you show in Disk Management screenshot above actually the external disk or is it the case that there are 2 disks inside the laptop? IOW, was the external hooked up when you took the Disk Management screenshot? If that Disk 1 is external, then something had to happen to move that 11.67 GB Recovery Partition off of Disk 0 and on to Disk 1 (external).
I believe there are 2 disks, one is an actual hard disk and the other is digital. This is a HP LAPTOP-LLK9QL81. That's the "system name".
Now I'll try to attach the screen print that I created with the Seagate attached and turned on.
Ken, I would ask you to give the HP document at this link a good read: https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c03736755
and check everything thoroughly (example - system protection directed at Drive E: ) in that document before we proceed further here.
Please let us know how it works out.
That site is for Windows 7. I have Windows 10; is it the same for Windows 10?
Ooops. Sorry about that. It's the same in principle, but to access the System Protection tab, type "restore" into the Cortana/Windows Search prompt and then select the "Create a restore point" item that pops up.
If you find system restore is active for Drive E:, then disable it and make sure you delete any restore points on it.
Other than that make sure that there's nothing on that drive that is not part of the HP recovery function. Make sure you enable viewing both hidden and system files in File Explorer. Post a screen shot of what File Explorer shows if you want help figuring out what may be there that doesn't belong.
The first thing it tells me is to be sure to create recovery disk(s) in case every thing goes south. I've been looking at web sites supposedly showing how to do that and they scare the bejeebers out of me. Here is an example:
How to create a Windows 10 recovery disk | TechRadar
I'm tempted to go ahead without creating recovery disk(s) for fear that I might end up in a mess that I don't know how to deal with.
Here is what "File Explorer" shows and I am totally confused. Shouldn't all that stuff be in Recovery Drive (E) if it's going to do a recovery?
I forgot to attach the screenshot of File Explorer. Here it is: (Is it?)
Hey Ken,
You need to post a screen shot of just the folders/files on Drive E:
NO. You should NOT have a copy of or your actual Desktop on Drive E:. I understood you to say earlier you didn't copy anything there. I suspect all this stuff on that recent files view on Drive E is whats filling it up.
There should be nothing on that drive except the HP recovery files, the largest portion comprised of multi GB chunks of data containing the image of your Disk 0 as it came out of the box from HP.
I would get a copy of the free version of Macrium Reflect and make images to an external drive of both Disk 0 and Disk 1 as your first order of business.
Have a look at the tutorials section of TenForums for very well formatted step by step guidance on making generic Windows recovery media.
Neither Windows recovery media nor the HP recovery partition will help you regain your personal data if something happens to it. However, an externally stored image made by a reliable 3rd party software (such as Macrium) WILL..
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