Solved How to delete duplicate recovery partitions and reclaim the space

Birk · Oct 20, 2024

Following a Repair install I found my boot drive looked like this:

So I thought it would be easy to delete the unused Recovery partitions, move everything else to the right, and reclaim the unallocated space. But I encountered a nasty problem when I tried to do this - so I clearly missed an important step. Here are the steps I took and hopefully someone can tell me where I messed up:

1. Delete 643 MB partition/Apply
2. Delete 641 MB partition/Apply
3. Drag/Move 667 partition to the right/Apply
4. Expand 230.4 partition to include newly created Unallocated space/Apply
5. Reboot
6.At this point I got a boot error saying the boot BCD data was bad. So I booted Reflect and ran the Boot disk repair function and rebooted. This time I got an AMD BIOS message saying the BCD data was missing, so I repeated this step and got the same results.
7. Restored the Macrium backup I made just before I did Step 1. Reboot gave the same error (missing BCD data) so I booted to BIOS and changed BCD Recovery from Custom to Auto. This allowed the system to boot ok to the configuration shown above, which is what I started from.

I'm thinking I missed some step that I should have done between #4 & #5, but have no idea what it might be. Here's hoping someone can get me back on the right track.

aubergine · Oct 20, 2024

1. reagentc /disable ---> "Operation Successful"
2. Delete 643 MB partition/Apply
3. Delete 641 MB partition/Apply
4. Drag/Move 667 partition to the right/Apply
5. Expand 230.4 partition to include newly created Unallocated space/Apply
6. reagentc /enable ---> "Operation Successful"
7. bcdboot c:\windows ---> "Boot files successfully created"
8. Reboot

edit:

On a GPT disk, BCDBOOT copies the boot files from the Windows partition to the EFI system partition and creates the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store in the same partition.

In this case /s and /f are not needed.

BCDBOOT <source> [/s <volume letter> [/f <firmware type>]]

<source>
- Required. Specifies the location of the Windows directory to use as the source for copying boot-environment files.

/s <volume letter>
- Optional. Specifies the volume letter of the system partition.

/f <firmware type>
- Optional. Specifies the firmware type. Valid values include UEFI, BIOS, and ALL.
- If you specify the /f option, you must also specify the /s option to identify the volume letter of the system partition.

Birk · Oct 20, 2024

Aha! Thanks aubergine - I'll give that a try. Will let you know what happens.

NavyLCDR · Oct 20, 2024

From a command prompt:

Code:

diskpart
list volume
select volume X <replace X with the letter of your 230 GB windows partition
shrink desired=100
create part efi size=100
format fs=fat32 quick
assign letter=s
exit
bcdboot C:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI <Note use the same letter you did in step 3 - it may not be C:
exit
reboot

Birk · Oct 20, 2024

Well the 8 commands did not work as expected. reagents/disable gave me something like "already disabled". But I went ahead with the other commands and they ran ok. reagentc/ enable failed with a message about BCD cannot be found. The bcdboot command failed for the same reason. Fortunately I was able to rebot OK. So it looks like I'll need to do more research about how to deal with BCD stuff.

Navy: I really don't like dealing with command line stuff - but I may try your suggestion after I learn a bit more about all this.

aubergine · Oct 20, 2024

Birk said:
reagents/disable gave me something like "already disabled".

reagentc /disable ---> "Windows RE is already disabled"

It means that the command cannot find the Winre.wim file or the recovery environment has already been disabled with the reagentc /disable command.

reagentc /enable ---> "The Windows RE image was not found"

It means that the command cannot find the Winre.wim file.

edit:

Recreate WinRE files on a new recovery partition? - Windows 10 Help Forums

Folks, I updated my hard drive and somehow overwrote my recovery partition. I thought it would be easy to create a new recovery file...but I'm stumped. I've read about 2 dozen threads on reagentc and esd files and am not sure where to go. Here's my curren

www.tenforums.com

@Bree:

Open the install.esd with 7-Zip file Manager. Extract the WinRE.wim (the Windows Recovery Environment windows image file) and ReAgent.xml and place them in C:\Windows\System32\Recovery. You can now run the command reagentc /enable. This should move WinRE.wim to the recovery partition

reagentc /info ---> "Windows RE status: Disabled" or "Windows RE status: Enabled"

aubergine · Oct 20, 2024

Birk said:
reagentc/ enable failed with a message about BCD cannot be found.

reagentc /enable ---> "Unable to update Boot Configuration Data"

Birk said:
Fortunately I was able to rebot OK. So it looks like I'll need to do more research about how to deal with BCD stuff.

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If you need to repair or create a new recovery partition or having problems with the Windows 11 operating system on your PC, and the usual solutions will not fix it, you can do a repair install of Windows 11 by performing an in-place upgrade without losing anything.

Birk · Oct 21, 2024

The story continues....

I had to run another In-Place Install in order to fix an SFC problem with un-fixed system files. Fortunately that did fix it and sfc runs OK now.

I did check the status of reagentc and it says it is currently disabled. I thought that was odd, but my system does boot OK and seems to run fine. What is interesting (to me at least) is that my disk layout now looks like this:

The In-Place install has eliminated one of the old Recovery partitions and moved everything around so that the current Recovery partition and 2 more inactive ones and free space all follow the boot drive partition. It's not clear to me which is the active Recovery partition, so I think I'll leave things alone until I can find out which one I need to retain.

Megahertz · Oct 21, 2024

At this point we don't know if the recovery environment was deleted with your commands or if it was deleted previously.
I Suggest you start over again by Restoring the Macrium backup.
Once back to the original configuration, find the real situation of the recovery environment by running:
reagentc /info
This will give the recovery partition where the recovery environment is.
If it say it is disabled look for WinRE.wim on C:\Windows\System32\Recovery
Report

Megahertz · Oct 21, 2024

We both posted at the same time.
Now you clearly have the recovery partition on the 698M partition.
698M is small in size and I suggest you make it at least 1G.
- Run reagentc /disable
- With Mini tool enlarge the recovery partition to the left to more or less 1G.
- delete the 667M partition
- expand the C: partition to the right till the recovery partition
- Apply
- Run reagentc /enable

To check run reagentc /info

Birk · Oct 21, 2024

Now you clearly have the recovery partition on the 698M partition.

Good to know - thanks. I thought the blue bar in that one was important, but wasn't sure why.

The only question I have is about reagentc - it is currently disabled. Is that an issue I need to deal with first, before attempting any actions with Minitool? To my surprise when I did reagentc /enable it came back with Operation successful. This is clearly better than the response I got before the latest Windows reinstall, but as I said my system seemed to run fine anyway.

I think I need to learn about what reagentc actually does.

Megahertz · Oct 21, 2024

I'm confused with your last post.

From the above image the recovery isn't disabled as it is on the 698M partition. If it were disabled the recovery environment will be on C:\Windows\System32\Recovery.
To find out if it is enabled or disabled and where it is run run reagentc /info

Megahertz · Oct 21, 2024

When you disable the recovery environment (reagentc.exe /disable) on the recovery partition, the recovery environment is moved to C:\Windows\System32\Recovery but you don't disable the recovery environment. You will still be able to boot to WinRE as when it was on the Recovery partition.

So you may ask "Why recovery environment on the Recovery partition"?
The answer is Bitlocker. If C: is encrypted you won't have access to it unless you boot from a non encrypted partition, load the encrypted key and then access the C: partition.

IanMosley · Oct 21, 2024

. . . or - permanently - manage your BitLocker settings at Control Panel => All Control Panel Items => BitLocker Drive Encryption

Birk · Oct 21, 2024

Thanks - I was aware of the "interaction" between Bitlocker and the recovery function. I thought it was a level of complexity I neither wanted nor needed. Consequently I do not have Bitlocker enabled or functioning.

aubergine · Oct 21, 2024

Birk said:
I think I need to learn about what reagentc actually does.

reagentc /disable - Disables Windows RE.
reagentc /enable - Enables Windows RE.
reagentc /info - Displays Windows RE and system reset configuration information.

The command "reagentc /disable" ---> "Operation Successful" modifies the ReAgent.xml file and moves the Winre.wim file from the recovery partition to the C:\Windows\System32\Recovery folder.

The command "reagentc /enable" ---> "Operation Successful" modifies the ReAgent.xml file and moves the Winre.wim file from the C:\Windows\System32\Recovery folder to the recovery partition.

Winre.wim file is a hidden system file.

The ReAgent.log file can be found in the C:\Windows\Logs\Reagent folder.

Birk · Oct 21, 2024

The command "reagentc /disable" ---> "Operation Successful" modifies the ReAgent.xml file and moves the Winre.wim file from the recovery partition to the C:\Windows\System32\Recovery folder.

The command "reagentc /enable" ---> "Operation Successful" modifies the ReAgent.xml file and moves the Winre.wim file from the C:\Windows\System32\Recovery folder to the recovery partition.

Most excellent information - thanks. Nothing I found online was that precise and specific.

aubergine · Oct 21, 2024

The disk has two recovery partitions (see screenshot below).

(disable Windows RE)

reagentc /disable ---> "Operation Successful"

(delete all recovery partitions and then extend Windows partition)

diskpart
select volume c
list partition
select partition # (replace # with the Recovery partition number)
delete partition override
select partition # (replace # with the Recovery partition number)
delete partition override
list partition
select partition # (replace # with the Windows partition number)
extend
exit

(create a new recovery partition)

diskpart
select volume c
shrink desired=1000
create partition primary size=1000
format quick fs=ntfs
set id=DE94BBA4-06D1-4D40-A16A-BFD50179D6AC
gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001
list partition
exit

reagentc /enable ---> "Operation Successful"

reagentc /info

The "bcdboot c:\windows" command from my first post is not needed.

edit:

Note that accidentally deleting the Windows partition and the EFI system partition is not possible (see screenshot below).

Birk · Oct 22, 2024

Thanks aubergine - that script makes sense to me (now that I understand what reagentc does) and seems to be the easiest way to do what I want. However, how did you know what parameters to specify for these 2 lines:

set id=DE94BBA4-06D1-4D40-A16A-BFD50179D6AC
gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001

Are these the same for everyone (in particular, for me), or do the 2 parameters have to be copied from somewhere else? I've just made another Macrium disk backup, so I'm ready to make the change.

aubergine · Oct 22, 2024

Birk said:
Are these the same for everyone (in particular, for me), or do the 2 parameters have to be copied from somewhere else?

Recovery partition - GUID Partition Table (GPT)

set id=DE94BBA4-06D1-4D40-A16A-BFD50179D6AC
gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001

Recovery partition - Master Boot Record (MBR)

set id=27

CanÂt designate partition as recovery partition - Windows 10 Help Forums

I am following the instructions in another thread on how to recreate the recovery partition in the command line utility diskpart: Code: create partition primary format quick fs=ntfs label="winRE" set id="de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac

www.tenforums.com

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