Solved New Installation - Partition Query

curlymike · Jul 22, 2023

Hi guys

I've just done a fresh Windows 11 installation on my laptop and everything is working great.

However, just out of pure interest, I'd like to understand about the partitions created.

It's a 2TB SSD - It's formatted GPT but the partitions aren't as expected.

I have a 100 MB (EFI System Partition) and 1862 GB Windows 11 Partition (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Basic Data Partition). But then, there's a 625 MB partition which doesn't appear to be anything. It isn't labeled System or Recovery. There are no properties and if I right click it it can be deleted.

Even though everything is working fine, has the installation gone wrong somehow?

Kindest regards

rockyanexp · Jul 22, 2023

Thats the Recovery Partition.

curlymike · Jul 22, 2023

rockyanexp said:
Thats the Recovery Partition.

Thanks for your reply.

That's what I thought but it's not labeled as such, it's not protected and has no properties. It even isn't listed in the top half of the Disk Management Console.

I tend to agree with you but I reckon it's a Recovery Partition gone wrong.

FreeBooter · Jul 22, 2023

Open the command prompt with administrative privileges and execute below commands to assign a drive to that partition.

Code:

diskpart
list disk
select disk 0
list partition
Select partition X
ASSIGN LETTER=X
Exit

Ghot · Jul 22, 2023

Hello @curlymike and welcome to ElevenForum.

You don't really "need" the Recovery partition, if you use decent backup software. The only two partitions you "need" to boot Windows, are the EFI partition and the Windows partition (usually C:\).

For example... I have totally removed the Recovery partition, and do use backup software instead.
I also agree with you, that it's probably a Recovery partition... gone wrong.
You can use a free program like Minitool Partition Wizard to get a better idea...

Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Wizard Free

As an all-in-one free partition manager and disk manager software, MiniTool Partition Wizard Free helps manage disk space safely on Windows 11/10/8/7.

www.partitionwizard.com

Here is a quickie guide for two popular backup software solutions...

Macrium Reflect, AOMEI Backupper and Hasleo Backup Suite - GUIDES

How to use backup software... 1. When everything is working perfectly... make a full Windows backup. 2. Then, if something breaks... restore from the latest backup. 3. Then... try "whatever you were doing" a different way. If it still breaks Windows, then... go to step #2. 4. Repeat...

www.elevenforum.com

iko22 · Jul 22, 2023

The system is missing an MSR (Microsoft Reserved Partition). The MSR is usually placed after the EFI partition.

cereberus · Jul 22, 2023

curlymike said:
Thanks for your reply.

That's what I thought but it's not labeled as such, it's not protected and has no properties. It even isn't listed in the top half of the Disk Management Console.

I tend to agree with you but I reckon it's a Recovery Partition gone wrong.

Not necessarily - the folders in Recovery partition are hidden even if you assign a drive letter.

Ghot · Jul 22, 2023

@curlymike

A windows 11 drive should look like this, if everything went... "right".
The Recovery partition, should be labeled as such.
There "may" be some unallocated space as well, but the size will vary depending on the size of the Windows partition and the size of the drive.

iko22 · Jul 22, 2023

The MSR does not usually show in Disk Management, it only show in DISKPART.

Ghot · Jul 22, 2023

Here's some pics to help explain things...

First is a pic of a normal Windows 11 install...

And here is a pic of MY setup. RED box is needed to boot Windows. BLUE box is just normal non-Windows partitions.
I removed the Recovery and System Reserved (MSR) partitions, long ago...