Cleanup recommendations

maarkr · Dec 29, 2021

I recently got my system approved and upgraded to Win 11 (21H2). I would like to clean up my Disk 0 of the H drive and other unnecessary partitions if possible. I need my computer for work so I don't like to take chances with 'maybe' fixes, so you think I should leave it alone, then OK.
Recommendations? thanks

spapakons · Dec 29, 2021

I would suggest to use Windows 11 a few days before cleaning up the disk. It gives you 10 days to go back to Windows 10, if you decide you don't want Windows 11. If you clean up the disk, the required files to go back are deleted. In case you are sure and want to clean up the disk, open This PC, right-click on C: and select Properties at the bottom of the list. Then click on Clean up. You should see a list of items to delete. Click on the system files option to reveal more items. One of them is to delete the previous Windows installation. Select all the items to maximize disk space.

AndreTen · Dec 29, 2021

Think your disk layout is a bit messy. Guess, you have other Samsung (850 EVO) for system disk before you added Samsung 980...

100 MB EFI should be before C:, and H shouldn't have a letter..

This what I would do, if you decide to keep Windows 11

1. Make system Image of your C: partition (Macrium free is often used here, but any other would do) also make bootable Macrium (or other) recovery USB. Backup should go on external disk
2. Download Windows 11. ISO from MS, and make bootable USB drive
3. remove all other drives from your computer except Samsung 980 (your Windows 11 drive)
4. Boot from new USB with Windows 11, and make a clean install of Windows 11 (remove other partitions in the way)
5. Boot from Macrium USB, (also attach external disk with backup) and restore your existing Windows 11 C: partition onto newly created C: partition

You'll have a new clean layout with existing Windows setup (all your programs etc..)

maarkr · Jan 6, 2022

Gonna keep Win 11, even tho it has some buggy moments, but no different than upgrading EVERY MS OS since 3.1.

don't really want to do the restore thing even tho I do already have a WIN 11 install USB, recovery USB and my latest Win 11 AND Win 10 images... I hoped I could combine the last 3 partitions into one, maybe enlarge the C: partition into that so I have more room for my over-provisioning section to work, remove the H: drive so it doesn't show up in explorer so I could accidentally screw it up...

Zardoc · Jan 6, 2022

maarkr said:
Gonna keep Win 11, even tho it has some buggy moments, but no different than upgrading EVERY MS OS since 3.1.

don't really want to do the restore thing even tho I do already have a WIN 11 install USB, recovery USB and my latest Win 11 AND Win 10 images... I hoped I could combine the last 3 partitions into one, maybe enlarge the C: partition into that so I have more room for my over-provisioning section to work, remove the H: drive so it doesn't show up in explorer so I could accidentally screw it up...

I would use diskpart and get rid of anything past the c drive

Command prompt as admin type diskpart
type: List disk
Type: Select disk (Choose the 1 that has those files)
Type: select partition (choose one partition at a time and make sure it is the right one)
Type: delete partition override (since it's a system partition)
repeat for other partition.

Then you can merge as you wanted.

Zardoc · Jan 6, 2022

As for the H drive, just remove the letter. Mind you all other disks will adjust.

spapakons · Jan 6, 2022

If the Windows partition has enough free space, copy all data from the other partitions to a folder. Then delete the other partitions and expand the Windows partition to take all the empty space. You can do it one partition at a time if you don't have enough space. Another option is to copy all data from the other partitions to a spare disk, delete them, expand the Windows partition and then copy back your data.

Zardoc · Jan 6, 2022

spapakons said:
copy all data from the other partitions to a spare disk, delete them

I don't think you can delete an EFI partition from disk management. Only diskpart

cereberus · Jan 6, 2022

Zardoc said:
I would use diskpart and get rid of anything past the c drive

Command prompt as admin type diskpart
type: List disk
Type: Select disk (Choose the 1 that has those files)
Type: select partition (choose one partition at a time and make sure it is the right one)
Type: delete partition override (since it's a system partition)
repeat for other partition.

Then you can merge as you wanted.

Hold on. The partition after the C drive is almost certainly the active recovery partition, and the one before C drive is no longer active.

OP should run

reagentc /info

from an admin command prompt to identify which recovery partition to delete.

Zardoc · Jan 6, 2022

cereberus said:
The partition after the C drive is almost certainly the active recovery partition

I never keep the recovery partition. Ohh just noticed this is an upgrade and the EFI should be before C so I'm not sure if it's live (it must be). Man I hate upgrades. They often come back and bite you i n the butt.

spapakons · Jan 7, 2022

You want to merge C and D. So, if you have space on C copy all data from D to a folder, delete D, expand C. I never said to touch the EFI partition.

cereberus · Jan 7, 2022

Zardoc said:
I never keep the recovery partition. Ohh just noticed this is an upgrade and the EFI should be before C so I'm not sure if it's live (it must be). Man I hate upgrades. They often come back and bite you i n the butt.

View attachment 17904

Yeah but advising OP to delete it just because you don't use them is not necessarily what OP would want. I used to delete them but now Macrium Reflect uses WinRe backups, it is better to keep them unless you want to user older winpe backups which have to download up to 1 GB of winpe adk files.

spapakons · Jan 7, 2022

The OP wants to merge small partitions into C. It doesn't make sense to merge EFI or other very small partitions. The space gain is negligible. In the photo I see C and one other large partition D. It makes perfect sense to merge C and D. If have done it many times since Windows XP. Create a folder in C, copy all data from D to C, delete D, expand C. If the free space in C is not adequate, he must move the data from D to another disk, delete D, expand C and then copy all data from the other disk into a folder in C.

zbook · Jan 7, 2022

Please run: (currently requires windows 10 logon)

DiskParInfo.bat - Click here to go to the BSOD batch repository to download and run this batch file.

Zardoc · Jan 7, 2022

cereberus said:
I used to delete them but now Macrium Reflect uses WinRe backups, it is better to keep them unless you want to user older winpe backups which have to download up to 1 GB of winpe adk files.

Good point! @Cerebrus, if you use it. In a work environment it's a saver. He wants to merge it all.

For me, no issues with Macrium 3 minute backups. I don't care, I don't need it, but I get your point.

In this case, I would say fine, I just upgraded so now my bios recognizes Win 11. Lets save all my files and clean install.
First, I wouldn't have almost a TB just for windows because my docs, images, music, vids and so on would be on another drive like a lot of users do.

So the options are numerous. He wants to merge it all, it's his party.

@zbook, thanks for the bat file. Saw your posts on 10. Great work!!:)

Man, just launched the bat file to test. Can you believe this? A French OS and it can't even push log files with accents. AGGGHH

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