While I've seen a similar if not identical forum questions posted about the "system reserved partition", I don't think the answer(s) posted addresses my specific issue(s) but if it does I don't understand how to apply it (them) to my question. So I'm posting this question with specific information about my particular issues.
I installed Windows 8.1 using a 8.1 pro 64 bit DVD on a fresh 1.0TB SATA HDD I ordered for that particular purpose. Reason....I hated windows 10 after upgrading from 8.1 during the allowed Microsoft period but could not roll back afterwards to 8.1 because it was no longer available to do. I used a fresh HDD so as to save all Windows 10 data, apps, mail, etc on windows 10 disk in order to transfer or copy everything possible to the new 8.1 disk. However I failed to install that new 8.1 without an automatic system reserve partition that Windows created and ever since for about a year I've been stuck with that system reserve partition. That didn't bother me until I ran into cloning problems (I have always used clone backups via an exterior enclosure..EaseUS) specifically related to extra little partitions suddenly appearing in clones as well as feeling uncomfortable with the unavailable 350MB reserve partition space. So I started looking for a way to delete, remove, or otherwise eliminate the system reserved partition. As is current wisdom I shouldn't normally be allowed the "delete" the system reserved partition without causing boot problems, but there are ways to either move relevant boot and system files from system reserved to C (Windows) partition, subsequently deleting that then unnecessary reserved partition.
On the TeraByte Unlimited website there are specific procedures to do just that but I'm not sure my scenario exactly fits the TeraByte examples and I don't want to try them risking a crash and losing my irreplaceable data. Yes I know I could "back up" everything but once when I used back up I found that somehow data was modified or disappeared in my backup...don't ask me how unless it was because of my home network configuration connections (I have two other computers and one laptop in a home network all using 8.1 pro).
Now what evidently concerns me is that my system reserved partition is marked primary as it should be, but so is my C (Windows) partition.So I have two primary partitions, one system reserved and the other "C" (Windows), even though C partition does show "boot" while system reserved does not show boot but does show "system".
Here's what they actually show in Disk Management as well as EaseUS partition mgr
System Reserved=350mb NTFS, Healthy (system, active, primary partition)
C=292.97GB NTFS, Healthy (boot, page file, primary partition)
(Excuse my ignorance in not using screenshot posting)
I just don't know what would happen if I followed TeraByte's example procedures with my TWO primary partitions instead of just one, and/or apparently not having exactly the same partition statuses as in TeraByte's and other examples.
Summing up, what I want to do is have one Windows C partition that also is primary and booting. Don't know if it's relevant but this 1TB HDD also has a DATA partition of 638.19 GB which I absolutely want to keep regardless of what happens to C and System Reserved. NOT having a system reserved partition that takes up 350mb space as well as using another few mb's at the rear end of the disk seems better to me, in addition to not having to rely on a so called recovery in a system reserve partition that maybe could not even be accessed after a crash preventing any sort of boot. Never could understand how anyone would rely on a disk that can't be booted.
I installed Windows 8.1 using a 8.1 pro 64 bit DVD on a fresh 1.0TB SATA HDD I ordered for that particular purpose. Reason....I hated windows 10 after upgrading from 8.1 during the allowed Microsoft period but could not roll back afterwards to 8.1 because it was no longer available to do. I used a fresh HDD so as to save all Windows 10 data, apps, mail, etc on windows 10 disk in order to transfer or copy everything possible to the new 8.1 disk. However I failed to install that new 8.1 without an automatic system reserve partition that Windows created and ever since for about a year I've been stuck with that system reserve partition. That didn't bother me until I ran into cloning problems (I have always used clone backups via an exterior enclosure..EaseUS) specifically related to extra little partitions suddenly appearing in clones as well as feeling uncomfortable with the unavailable 350MB reserve partition space. So I started looking for a way to delete, remove, or otherwise eliminate the system reserved partition. As is current wisdom I shouldn't normally be allowed the "delete" the system reserved partition without causing boot problems, but there are ways to either move relevant boot and system files from system reserved to C (Windows) partition, subsequently deleting that then unnecessary reserved partition.
On the TeraByte Unlimited website there are specific procedures to do just that but I'm not sure my scenario exactly fits the TeraByte examples and I don't want to try them risking a crash and losing my irreplaceable data. Yes I know I could "back up" everything but once when I used back up I found that somehow data was modified or disappeared in my backup...don't ask me how unless it was because of my home network configuration connections (I have two other computers and one laptop in a home network all using 8.1 pro).
Now what evidently concerns me is that my system reserved partition is marked primary as it should be, but so is my C (Windows) partition.So I have two primary partitions, one system reserved and the other "C" (Windows), even though C partition does show "boot" while system reserved does not show boot but does show "system".
Here's what they actually show in Disk Management as well as EaseUS partition mgr
System Reserved=350mb NTFS, Healthy (system, active, primary partition)
C=292.97GB NTFS, Healthy (boot, page file, primary partition)
(Excuse my ignorance in not using screenshot posting)
I just don't know what would happen if I followed TeraByte's example procedures with my TWO primary partitions instead of just one, and/or apparently not having exactly the same partition statuses as in TeraByte's and other examples.
Summing up, what I want to do is have one Windows C partition that also is primary and booting. Don't know if it's relevant but this 1TB HDD also has a DATA partition of 638.19 GB which I absolutely want to keep regardless of what happens to C and System Reserved. NOT having a system reserved partition that takes up 350mb space as well as using another few mb's at the rear end of the disk seems better to me, in addition to not having to rely on a so called recovery in a system reserve partition that maybe could not even be accessed after a crash preventing any sort of boot. Never could understand how anyone would rely on a disk that can't be booted.
My Computer
System One
-
- OS
- 8.1 pro
- Computer type
- PC/Desktop
- System Manufacturer/Model
- HP 500-217c