Questions about Rufus and Windowa 11 installer partitions


W

Windows 11 User

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Windows 11
Why do both Rufus GPT and MBR partition schemes settings create two USB partitions (the first partition has 9.21 GB free in 14.4 GB and the second one has 126 KB free in 0.98 MB) and why do they show up when booting from my USB Flash Drive unlike in my former PC in which none showed up and why does Windows 11's installer create 4 partitions in this PC after installing Windows 11: a 100 MB System one, a 16 MB MSR (Reserved) one, a Primary one and a 554 MB Recovery one, unlike in my former PC?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI Katana 15 B12VGK
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-12650H
    Memory
    16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR5-4800MHz SO-DIMM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU 8 GB GDDR6
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" Full HD (1920x1080) 144Hz Refresh Rate 16:9 IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    SSD 1 TB NVMe PCIe Gen 4x4
    PSU
    240 W Power Supply
    Case
    Core Black
    Cooling
    Cooler Boost 5
    Keyboard
    Backlit keyboard with numeric keypad and PT-PT layout
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Google Chrome
I don't really use Rufus myself (I use an alternative) but I'm fairly certain that what Rufus is doing is this:

It creates a small FAT32 partition along with a larger partition that is NTFS. The reason for having a FAT32 partition is so that the initial boot can be performed from that partition because the BIOS in some systems simply will not allow booting from NTFS removable media. So, now you may be wondering why it doesn't simply create one single FAT32 partition. The answer is simply that FAT32 has a file size limit: No one file can be larger than 4GB in size. Problem is that the install.esd or install.wim file in the Windows distribution media may be larger than 4GB. So, you get a FAT32 partition for initial boot, and an NTFS partition to hold the bulk of the image.

Let me know if you need more detail about this.

As for the 4 partitions: If your old system did not have 4 partitions, that indicates that this system was not a UEFI firmware based system. It was a legacy BIOS based system. Modern system using UEFI use a different disk layout that includes GPT rather than MBR and use 4 partitions.

The bottom line is that this is 100% normal and expected behavior.

Again, if you need more detail, it can readily be provided to you.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self-built
    CPU
    Intel i7 11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A MB
    Memory
    64GB (Waiting for warranty replacement of another 64GB for 128GB total)
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 4TB NVMe SSD
    3 x 512GB 2.5" SSD
    1 x 4TB 2.5" SSD
    5 x 8TB Seagate Barracuda HDD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCUE RGB 5000X mid tower case
    Cooling
    Noctua NF-S12A chromax.black.swap case fans (Qty. 7) & Home Computer Specifications, Configuration, and Usage Notes General Specifications ASUS Prime Z590-A motherboard, serial number M1M0KC222467ARP Intel Core i7-11700K CPU (11th Gen Rocket Lake / LGA 1200 Socket) 128GB Crucial Ballistix RGB DDR4 3200 MHz DRAM (4 x 32GB) Corsair iCUE RGB 5000X mid tower case Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black CPU cooler Noctua NF-S12A chromax.black.swap case fans (Qty. 7) & Corsair LL-120 RGB Fans (Qty. 3)
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Max RGB Magnetic Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    The five 8TB drives and three 512GB SSDs are part of a DrivePool using StableBit DrivePool software. The three SSDs are devoted purely to caching for the 8TB drives. All of the important data is stored in triplicate so that I can withstand simultaneous failure of 2 disks.

    Networking: 2.5Gbps Ethernet and WiFi 6e
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
Follow-up: I just tried Rufus. In the latest version at least, it does exactly as I noted, but the FAT partition is normally not visible because it does not assign a drive letter to it. You could simply go into Disk Management and remove the drive letter assignment on the FAT partition.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self-built
    CPU
    Intel i7 11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A MB
    Memory
    64GB (Waiting for warranty replacement of another 64GB for 128GB total)
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 4TB NVMe SSD
    3 x 512GB 2.5" SSD
    1 x 4TB 2.5" SSD
    5 x 8TB Seagate Barracuda HDD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCUE RGB 5000X mid tower case
    Cooling
    Noctua NF-S12A chromax.black.swap case fans (Qty. 7) & Home Computer Specifications, Configuration, and Usage Notes General Specifications ASUS Prime Z590-A motherboard, serial number M1M0KC222467ARP Intel Core i7-11700K CPU (11th Gen Rocket Lake / LGA 1200 Socket) 128GB Crucial Ballistix RGB DDR4 3200 MHz DRAM (4 x 32GB) Corsair iCUE RGB 5000X mid tower case Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black CPU cooler Noctua NF-S12A chromax.black.swap case fans (Qty. 7) & Corsair LL-120 RGB Fans (Qty. 3)
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Max RGB Magnetic Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    The five 8TB drives and three 512GB SSDs are part of a DrivePool using StableBit DrivePool software. The three SSDs are devoted purely to caching for the 8TB drives. All of the important data is stored in triplicate so that I can withstand simultaneous failure of 2 disks.

    Networking: 2.5Gbps Ethernet and WiFi 6e
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
As far as windows 11 is concerned the single efi 100 mb partition is the partition where the bootloader for windows resides even if the main Windows partition is on a totally different HDD / SSD. Unlike MBR machines where the bootloader is written normally on to the ist sector of the HDD with EFI it's actually a normal file written on to the boot disk and can be edited as a normal file with some software. You can have several EFI partitions even on a single disk provided the disk is split into partitions and the boot process then will show you the boot selection at boot time.

So at boot time the pc hardware from the MOBO will load one instruction (from its hardware - ROM chip) into the computer memory and executes that. That instruction then says load data from xxxxxx (the efi bootloader) and branch to it. Then this bootloader loads up the OS - which in the case of windows will either show you the standard blue boot menu if more than one version available or the default one which continues to load the whole OS. This is actually a minor tiny OS in its own right.

This is basically "The bootstrap" program. With MBR the computers BIOS just reads sector 0 of the boot HDD.

It's a complex process so the above explanation is a bit simplistic but that's on the whole how it works. Try and logically think out the steps -- obviously the whole OS isn't basically stored in the computers hardware in the ROM chips.

For example on a Linux laptop I have : 2 files so I can boot either from external hdd (I've got a Windowstogo system on that) or the internal HDD.

[hrafn@refur ~]$ efibootmgr
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 2001,0000,0003,2002,2004
Boot0000* USB Hard Drive - ASMT ASMT105x BBS(7,USB Hard Drive - ASMT ASMT105x,0x500)feff0000000014000000000000000c030000cfe8070000050000cde80000d1e8000001000
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000180df577130002010c00d041030a00000000010106000014030506000c000305060000007fff0400
Boot0001* USB Hard Drive (UEFI) - ASMT ASMT105x PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x14,0x0)/USB(12,0)/USB(0,0)/HD(2,GPT,8e9b2c51-026f-46e0-b690-0b0bd76e89c8,0x8000,0x32000)RC
Boot0003* Notebook Hard Drive - SanDisk SD7SN6S-256G-1006 BBS(HD,Notebook Hard Drive - SanDisk SD7SN6S-256G-1006,0x500)feff00000000170000000000000001062d004ee902
00000519004ee941004ee900000002000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000018372078110002010c00d041030a0000000001010600001703120a000000000000007fff0400
Boot2001* EFI USB Device RC
[hrafn@refur ~]$

cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
Windows 11 User said:
why does Windows 11's installer create 4 partitions in this PC after installing Windows 11: a 100 MB System one, a 16 MB MSR (Reserved) one, a Primary one and a 554 MB Recovery one, unlike in my former PC?
Click to expand...
That is the standard layout for a Windows install on a UEFI machine with a GPT hard drive, your old machine was most likely a Legacy Bios/MBR machine. The 100MB Fat32 partition is the EFI partition, essential for booting a UEFI PC. The Microsoft Reserved partition (MSR) is standard on any GPT formatted drive.

Microsoft Reserved Partition - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

This is my clean install of Windows 11 on a fully supported UEFI PC done with a standard Microsoft install USB made by the MCT.

1683894235982.png

This is a standard Legacy/MBR install of W10, but an install of W11 using a workaround to install on a Legacy device would look the same.

1683895779824.png
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, and 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Also running Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
Bree said:
That is the standard layout for a Windows install on a UEFI machine with a GPT hard drive, your old machine was most likely a Legacy Bios/MBR machine. The 100MB Fat32 partition is the EFI partition, essential for booting a UEFI PC. The Microsoft Reserved partition (MSR) is standard on any GPT formatted drive.

Microsoft Reserved Partition - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

This is my clean install of Windows 11 on a fully supported UEFI PC done with a standard Microsoft install USB made by the MCT.

View attachment 59993

This is a standard Legacy/MBR install of W10, but an install of W11 using a workaround to install on a Legacy device would look the same.

View attachment 59998
Click to expand...

My previous PC only detects the USB flash drive where I burned the Windows 11 ISO at the second time, i.e., after trying to boot from the USB, nothing shows up in the list's USB section, so I choose to boot from the HDD, then press CTRL ALT DEL to restart the PC and then the USB flash drive shows up.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI Katana 15 B12VGK
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-12650H
    Memory
    16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR5-4800MHz SO-DIMM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU 8 GB GDDR6
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" Full HD (1920x1080) 144Hz Refresh Rate 16:9 IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    SSD 1 TB NVMe PCIe Gen 4x4
    PSU
    240 W Power Supply
    Case
    Core Black
    Cooling
    Cooler Boost 5
    Keyboard
    Backlit keyboard with numeric keypad and PT-PT layout
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Google Chrome
Windows 11 User said:
Why do both Rufus GPT and MBR partition schemes settings create two USB partitions (the first partition has 9.21 GB free in 14.4 GB and the second one has 126 KB free in 0.98 MB) and why do they show up when booting from my USB Flash Drive unlike in my former PC in which none showed up and why does Windows 11's installer create 4 partitions in this PC after installing Windows 11: a 100 MB System one, a 16 MB MSR (Reserved) one, a Primary one and a 554 MB Recovery one, unlike in my former PC?
Click to expand...
Was this an upgrade to Win-11 from 10? When i installed Win-10 it created 3 partitions and when I reinstalled it it created another one. Then I built a new computer and installed 10 it created 3 and a week later upgraded to Wiun-11 and it created a new partition as well making it 4 again. I deleted all but the 100MB system and the C: partition after I did a full disk backup.


Macrium Screenshot.jpg
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP, 7, 10 & 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i5 12400
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Z690 UA ATX DDR4
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    On Board (for now)
    Sound Card
    ?
    Monitor(s) Displays
    43" Samsung tu7000
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus SSD 1TB NVMe M.2
    PSU
    500W
    Case
    LIAN LANCOOL_205M
    Cooling
    Bunch of fans . . . :o)
    Keyboard
    Unicomp: Ultra Classic White Buckling Spring USB
    Mouse
    M510
    Internet Speed
    50mbps
    Browser
    Fire Fox
    Antivirus
    Windows
john1955 said:
Was this an upgrade to Win-11 from 10? When i installed Win-10 it created 3 partitions and when I reinstalled it it created another one. Then I built a new computer and installed 10 it created 3 and a week later upgraded to Wiun-11 and it created a new partition as well making it 4 again. I deleted all but the 100MB system and the C: partition after I did a full disk backup. If I knew someone was going to ask this question I would have kept the screenshots of what I kept and what I deleted but one of the partitions was empty so I deleted that one first. I did them one at a time.
Click to expand...

No, it was a clean Windows 11 install.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI Katana 15 B12VGK
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-12650H
    Memory
    16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR5-4800MHz SO-DIMM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU 8 GB GDDR6
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" Full HD (1920x1080) 144Hz Refresh Rate 16:9 IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    SSD 1 TB NVMe PCIe Gen 4x4
    PSU
    240 W Power Supply
    Case
    Core Black
    Cooling
    Cooler Boost 5
    Keyboard
    Backlit keyboard with numeric keypad and PT-PT layout
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Google Chrome

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP, 7, 10 & 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i5 12400
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Z690 UA ATX DDR4
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    On Board (for now)
    Sound Card
    ?
    Monitor(s) Displays
    43" Samsung tu7000
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus SSD 1TB NVMe M.2
    PSU
    500W
    Case
    LIAN LANCOOL_205M
    Cooling
    Bunch of fans . . . :o)
    Keyboard
    Unicomp: Ultra Classic White Buckling Spring USB
    Mouse
    M510
    Internet Speed
    50mbps
    Browser
    Fire Fox
    Antivirus
    Windows
john1955 said:
I found the screenshot and posted it above ^^
Click to expand...

Sorry, but what do you mean by uploading the image? I don't think your subject has to do with mine.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI Katana 15 B12VGK
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-12650H
    Memory
    16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR5-4800MHz SO-DIMM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU 8 GB GDDR6
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" Full HD (1920x1080) 144Hz Refresh Rate 16:9 IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    SSD 1 TB NVMe PCIe Gen 4x4
    PSU
    240 W Power Supply
    Case
    Core Black
    Cooling
    Cooler Boost 5
    Keyboard
    Backlit keyboard with numeric keypad and PT-PT layout
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Google Chrome
hsehestedt said:
The answer is simply that FAT32 has a file size limit: No one file can be larger than 4GB in size. Problem is that the install.esd or install.wim file in the Windows distribution media may be larger than 4GB.
Click to expand...

(y)

"Download Windows 11 (Current release: Windows 11 2023 Update l Version 23H2)"

"Create Windows 11 Installation Media"
- USB flash drive (FAT32) - install.swm and install2.swm
- ISO file - install.esd 4.53GB

"Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices"
- ISO file - install.wim 5.60GB
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
    Motherboard
    ASRock B650E Taichi Lite
    Memory
    Kingston FURY Beast 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 6000MT/s
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 9070 OC Edition 16GB GDDR6
    Hard Drives
    Solidigm P44 Pro 2TB
    Internet Speed
    1000/1000
hsehestedt said:
I don't really use Rufus myself (I use an alternative) but I'm fairly certain that what Rufus is doing is this:

It creates a small FAT32 partition along with a larger partition that is NTFS. The reason for having a FAT32 partition is so that the initial boot can be performed from that partition because the BIOS in some systems simply will not allow booting from NTFS removable media. So, now you may be wondering why it doesn't simply create one single FAT32 partition. The answer is simply that FAT32 has a file size limit: No one file can be larger than 4GB in size. Problem is that the install.esd or install.wim file in the Windows distribution media may be larger than 4GB. So, you get a FAT32 partition for initial boot, and an NTFS partition to hold the bulk of the image.

Let me know if you need more detail about this.

As for the 4 partitions: If your old system did not have 4 partitions, that indicates that this system was not a UEFI firmware based system. It was a legacy BIOS based system. Modern system using UEFI use a different disk layout that includes GPT rather than MBR and use 4 partitions.

The bottom line is that this is 100% normal and expected behavior.

Again, if you need more detail, it can readily be provided to you.
Click to expand...

john1955 said:
I found the screenshot and posted it above ^^
Click to expand...

aubergine said:
(y)

"Download Windows 11 (Current release: Windows 11 2023 Update l Version 23H2)"

"Create Windows 11 Installation Media"
- USB flash drive (FAT32) - install.swm and install2.swm
- ISO file - install.esd 4.53GB

"Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices"
- ISO file - install.wim 5.60GB
Click to expand...

My previous PC only detects the USB flash drive where I burned the Windows 11 ISO at the second time, i.e., after trying to boot from USB, nothing appears in the boot device list, so I choose to boot from the HDD, then press CTRL + ALT + DEL to restart the PC and after trying to boot from USB for the second time, the USB flash drive appears in the boot device list.

Also, my current PC shows two entries when booting from USB to install Windows 11. I used Rufus to burn a Windows 11 ISO to my USB Flash Drive.

If I choose the first entry, I have no problems when trying to install Windows 11, but if I choose the second, the OOBE looks distorted and I have an error when trying to install Windows 11.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI Katana 15 B12VGK
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-12650H
    Memory
    16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR5-4800MHz SO-DIMM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU 8 GB GDDR6
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" Full HD (1920x1080) 144Hz Refresh Rate 16:9 IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    SSD 1 TB NVMe PCIe Gen 4x4
    PSU
    240 W Power Supply
    Case
    Core Black
    Cooling
    Cooler Boost 5
    Keyboard
    Backlit keyboard with numeric keypad and PT-PT layout
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Google Chrome
Installation drive
A Win 10 / 11 installation drive should be able to boot as Legacy or UEFI so it is on a MBR drive.
A MBR drive can boot as Legacy and also as UEFI if the boot manager is on a Fat32 partition.
As a GPT drive has no MBR it can only boot as UEFI if the boot manager is on a Fat32 partition*.

Generally, to boot as Legacy, BIOS transfer the boot sequence to a drive MBR that will transfer to a master boot manager on an Active partition that will transfer the boot sequence to a OS partition. On a the Win 10 / 11 installation drive the active and the OS partition are the same. All partitions can be Fat32 or NTFS.

Generally, to boot as UEFI BIOS transfer the boot sequence to the BIOS priority boot manager on a Fat32 Partition that will transfer the boot sequence to a OS partition. To boot as UEFI, BIOS will look for a boot manager on a Fat32 partition. *Very few BIOS will allow the boot manager on a NTFS. Why Fat32? Because it is universal and public domain and NTFS is MS proprietary. On the Fat32 EFI partition you may have a Windows boot manager with a Linux and with a Mac boot manager. Same partition with many boot managers.

The maximal possible size for a file on a FAT32 volume is 4 GB minus 1 byte, or 4,294,967,295 (232 − 1) bytes. This limit is a consequence of the 4-byte file length entry in the directory table.
On a single install.wim you may have up to 11 Windows images so install.wim is much bigger than 4G and that is why and only why it is on NTFS partition.

Windows drive
A Legacy Win 10 / 11 drive normally has 3 partitions: System (active with boot manager), C: and Recovery but you can make it with only C: disabling the recovery environment and making C: as active with boot manager.
A UEFI Win 10 / 11 drive normally has 4 partitions: System EFI (with boot manager), C: and Recovery but you can make it with only System EFI and C: disabling the recovery environment.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP 64 - Lubuntu
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom build
    CPU
    i5 6600K - 800MHz to 4400MHz
    Motherboard
    GA-Z170-HD3P
    Memory
    4+4G GSkill DDR4 3000
    Graphics Card(s)
    IG - Intel 530
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 226BW
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    (1) -1 SM951 – 128GB M.2 AHCI PCIe SSD drive for Win 11
    (2) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for Data
    (3) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for backup
    (4) -1 BX500 SSD - 128G for Windows 7 and Lubuntu
    PSU
    Thermaltake 450W TR2 gold
    Keyboard
    Old and good Chicony mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech mX performance - 9 buttons (had to disable some)
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Q550LF
    CPU
    i7-4500U 800- 3000MHz
    Motherboard
    Asus Q550LF
    Memory
    (4+4)G DDR3 1600
    Graphics card(s)
    IG intel 4400 + NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Display LP156WF4-SPH1
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    BX500 120G SSD for Windows and programs
    & 1T HDD for data
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64
Megahertz said:
Installation drive
A Win 10 / 11 installation drive should be able to boot as Legacy or UEFI so it is on a MBR drive.
A MBR drive can boot as Legacy and also as UEFI if the boot manager is on a Fat32 partition.
As a GPT drive has no MBR it can only boot as UEFI if the boot manager is on a Fat32 partition*.

Generally, to boot as Legacy, BIOS transfer the boot sequence to a drive MBR that will transfer to a master boot manager on an Active partition that will transfer the boot sequence to a OS partition. On a the Win 10 / 11 installation drive the active and the OS partition are the same. All partitions can be Fat32 or NTFS.

Generally, to boot as UEFI BIOS transfer the boot sequence to the BIOS priority boot manager on a Fat32 Partition that will transfer the boot sequence to a OS partition. To boot as UEFI, BIOS will look for a boot manager on a Fat32 partition. *Very few BIOS will allow the boot manager on a NTFS. Why Fat32? Because it is universal and public domain and NTFS is MS proprietary. On the Fat32 EFI partition you may have a Windows boot manager with a Linux and with a Mac boot manager. Same partition with many boot managers.

The maximal possible size for a file on a FAT32 volume is 4 GB minus 1 byte, or 4,294,967,295 (232 − 1) bytes. This limit is a consequence of the 4-byte file length entry in the directory table.
On a single install.wim you may have up to 11 Windows images so install.wim is much bigger than 4G and that is why and only why it is on NTFS partition.

Windows drive
A Legacy Win 10 / 11 drive normally has 3 partitions: System (active with boot manager), C: and Recovery but you can make it with only C: disabling the recovery environment and making C: as active with boot manager.
A UEFI Win 10 / 11 drive normally has 4 partitions: System EFI (with boot manager), C: and Recovery but you can make it with only System EFI and C: disabling the recovery environment.
Click to expand...

OK, but what does that have to do with what I said here?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI Katana 15 B12VGK
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-12650H
    Memory
    16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR5-4800MHz SO-DIMM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU 8 GB GDDR6
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" Full HD (1920x1080) 144Hz Refresh Rate 16:9 IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    SSD 1 TB NVMe PCIe Gen 4x4
    PSU
    240 W Power Supply
    Case
    Core Black
    Cooling
    Cooler Boost 5
    Keyboard
    Backlit keyboard with numeric keypad and PT-PT layout
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Google Chrome
Windows 11 User said:
My previous PC only detects the USB flash drive where I burned the Windows 11 ISO at the second time, i.e., after trying to boot from USB, nothing appears in the boot device list, so I choose to boot from the HDD, then press CTRL + ALT + DEL to restart the PC and after trying to boot from USB for the second time, the USB flash drive appears in the boot device list.
Is Fast
Click to expand...
Is fast start enabled? Turn On or Off Fast Startup in Windows 10
Windows 11 User said:
Also, my current PC shows two entries when booting from USB to install Windows 11. I used Rufus to burn a Windows 11 ISO to my USB Flash Drive.
Click to expand...
Probably one is to boot as Legacy and the other to boot as UEFI ( USB (Name and USB UEFI (Name) )
Windows 11 User said:
If I choose the first entry, I have no problems when trying to install Windows 11, but if I choose the second, the OOBE looks distorted and I have an error when trying to install Windows 11.
Click to expand...
Probably due to differences in Legacy and UEFI install
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP 64 - Lubuntu
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom build
    CPU
    i5 6600K - 800MHz to 4400MHz
    Motherboard
    GA-Z170-HD3P
    Memory
    4+4G GSkill DDR4 3000
    Graphics Card(s)
    IG - Intel 530
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 226BW
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    (1) -1 SM951 – 128GB M.2 AHCI PCIe SSD drive for Win 11
    (2) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for Data
    (3) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for backup
    (4) -1 BX500 SSD - 128G for Windows 7 and Lubuntu
    PSU
    Thermaltake 450W TR2 gold
    Keyboard
    Old and good Chicony mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech mX performance - 9 buttons (had to disable some)
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Q550LF
    CPU
    i7-4500U 800- 3000MHz
    Motherboard
    Asus Q550LF
    Memory
    (4+4)G DDR3 1600
    Graphics card(s)
    IG intel 4400 + NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Display LP156WF4-SPH1
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    BX500 120G SSD for Windows and programs
    & 1T HDD for data
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI Katana 15 B12VGK
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-12650H
    Memory
    16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR5-4800MHz SO-DIMM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU 8 GB GDDR6
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" Full HD (1920x1080) 144Hz Refresh Rate 16:9 IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    SSD 1 TB NVMe PCIe Gen 4x4
    PSU
    240 W Power Supply
    Case
    Core Black
    Cooling
    Cooler Boost 5
    Keyboard
    Backlit keyboard with numeric keypad and PT-PT layout
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Google Chrome
Duh! Rufus only burns the ISO to a Flash Drive. It only removed the MS BS and It does NOT create any HD partitions. The only partitions are created by the Windows installer. If you don't like what it does, then get a different Windows ISO.

And if you get the right ISO, from the right source, it will normally create only two partitions. At least, that's been my own experience.
(like Today)

I had a serious HD/ssd problem today, where my OS did not want to boot...... it was necessary to put in my Win-11/Optimum 24H2, V4.1 Flash Drive and do a CLEAN re-install. What a treat!

Ten minutes later, I had Windows 11, 24H2 reinstalled and the SSD was once again working OK. Another Quick Fix!
Then I did a Ghost Reinstall of an Image File that I made a week ago. And in another 15 minutes, I had my SSD back up and running just like it did a week ago, with only two partitions on my SSD.

I'm sorry, but I really don't understand all the angst about all these extra partitions. WTF?
It's obvious to this old Tech, that Y'all really don't know what you're doing!!!

I've been told that I should do a U-Tube Video, or write a book, but I'm too old for that Sh**!

I just get my Windows OS's from a reputable source, burn them to Flash drives with Rufus, and then do 10 minute installs.
Knowledge comes with age, and experience.

Cheers Mates, No insults intended!

TM :cool:
 

My Computer

System One

TechnoMage2021 said:
Duh! Rufus only burns the ISO to a Flash Drive. It only removed the MS BS and It does NOT create any HD partitions. The only partitions are created by the Windows installer. If you don't like what it does, then get a different Windows ISO.

And if you get the right ISO, from the right source, it will normally create only two partitions. At least, that's been my own experience.
(like Today)

I had a serious HD/ssd problem today, where my OS did not want to boot...... it was necessary to put in my Win-11/Optimum 24H2, V4.1 Flash Drive and do a CLEAN re-install. What a treat!

Ten minutes later, I had Windows 11, 24H2 reinstalled and the SSD was once again working OK. Another Quick Fix!
Then I did a Ghost Reinstall of an Image File that I made a week ago. And in another 15 minutes, I had my SSD back up and running just like it did a week ago, with only two partitions on my SSD.

I'm sorry, but I really don't understand all the angst about all these extra partitions. WTF?
It's obvious to this old Tech, that Y'all really don't know what you're doing!!!

I've been told that I should do a U-Tube Video, or write a book, but I'm too old for that Sh**!

I just get my Windows OS's from a reputable source, burn them to Flash drives with Rufus, and then do 10 minute installs.
Knowledge comes with age, and experience.

Cheers Mates, No insults intended!

TM :cool:
Click to expand...

Doesn't it burn to HDDs as well?

I got them from the right sources and they created 4 partitions too.

The last time I installed 24H2, it took a ridiculous amount of time (much more than 23H2).

I'm just curious, what about it?

And you aren't for installing Windows?

I already did a lot of installs since Windows XP.

I'm sorry if I'm not an expert like you.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI Katana 15 B12VGK
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-12650H
    Memory
    16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR5-4800MHz SO-DIMM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU 8 GB GDDR6
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" Full HD (1920x1080) 144Hz Refresh Rate 16:9 IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    SSD 1 TB NVMe PCIe Gen 4x4
    PSU
    240 W Power Supply
    Case
    Core Black
    Cooling
    Cooler Boost 5
    Keyboard
    Backlit keyboard with numeric keypad and PT-PT layout
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Google Chrome
@Windows 11 User

When you create Win 11 install media, or pretty much any bootable media on a USB stick, the Boot Menu will show "two" USB stick entries. One will be legacy and the other will be UEFI.

You just pick whichever one actually boots.

For example, this is how my Corsair 16GB USB stick shows up when I boot from the Macrium Reflect bootable rescue media...

0000 F8 Boot Menu - USB stick.png


I have a UEFI Bios and GPT disks, so I need to choose: the UEFI version of the USB stick.
If I recall, the Windows Installation media, appears the same on the Boot Menu.
If I still had the old MBR disks and a legacy Bios, I would need to choose the USB stick that doesn't say UEFI.

Both entries are for ONE USB stick, and as I mentioned, you just pick the one that boots.
Having both options is just for our convenience.



On a side note... this is how a clean Windows 11 install will look when you have a UEFI Bios and GPT disk(s)...

00000 Default Windows partitions.png



IF... you decide to use 3rd party backup software, religiously, you can delete the MSR and the Recovery partition if desired. To boot Windows 11, you only "need" The EFI partition and the Windows partition.

I do use backup software, so I removed the MSR and Recovery partitions.
I only kept the Windows and EFI partitions... which ARE "needed" to be able to boot into Windows.
See RED box....

Image1.png
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26100.3775 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦24H2 ♦♦♦non-Insider
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5002)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Internet Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
Ghot said:
@Windows 11 User

When you create Win 11 install media, or pretty much any bootable media on a USB stick, the Boot Menu will show "two" USB stick entries. One will be legacy and the other will be UEFI.

You just pick whichever one actually boots.

For example, this is how my Corsair 16GB USB stick shows up when I boot from the Macrium Reflect bootable rescue media...

View attachment 105386


I have a UEFI Bios and GPT disks, so I need to choose: the UEFI version of the USB stick.
If I recall, the Windows Installation media, appears the same on the Boot Menu.
If I still had the old MBR disks and a legacy Bios, I would need to choose the USB stick that doesn't say UEFI.

Both entries are for ONE USB stick, and as I mentioned, you just pick the one that boots.
Having both options is just for our convenience.



On a side note... this is how a clean Windows 11 install will look when you have a UEFI Bios and GPT disk(s)...

View attachment 105387



IF... you decide to use 3rd party backup software, religiously, you can delete the MSR and the Recovery partition if desired. To boot Windows 11, you only "need" The EFI partition and the Windows partition.

I do use backup software, so I removed the MSR and Recovery partitions.
I only kept the Windows and EFI partitions... which ARE "needed" to be able to boot into Windows.
See RED box....

View attachment 105388
Click to expand...

In my previous PC, only one entry appeared and on this one two appear and they don't mention UEFI. Only the first entry works so I use it to install Windows 11. This PC has UEFI (although UEFI still mention BIOS, I don't know why) and I used the GPT setting in Rufus when burning an Windows 11 ISO.

How is it for convenience when one of them doesn't work and two entries appearing instead of only one just confuses users, anyway?

So, having 4 partitions after installing Windows 11 is normal, unlike what @TechnoMage2021 said.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI Katana 15 B12VGK
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-12650H
    Memory
    16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR5-4800MHz SO-DIMM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU 8 GB GDDR6
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" Full HD (1920x1080) 144Hz Refresh Rate 16:9 IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    SSD 1 TB NVMe PCIe Gen 4x4
    PSU
    240 W Power Supply
    Case
    Core Black
    Cooling
    Cooler Boost 5
    Keyboard
    Backlit keyboard with numeric keypad and PT-PT layout
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Google Chrome
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