No Boot Partition

Question

I recently converted my bootable Drive C from mbr to gpt and then changed the bios to boot from UEFI and everything worked as normal except when I looked at Disk Management my Boot Partition had disappeared and had been replaced with a Recovery Partition, but the system boots as normal.

If I right click on the recovery partition the only option I get is 'Help', so I can't shrink the recovery partition to move it.

How can I make a smaller recovery partition and then assign the partition with the OS on it as the C: Drive.

As you can see from the pics that Explorer still thinks the Boot Drive is the C: Drive

anne_droid · Answer

Hi

Windows creates a 100 MB partition, which you have I believe, as a BOOT partition.

Disk 0 Partition 3

Personally I use Paragon Partition Manager for this kind of thing (as I run Linux Mint I also use Gparted).

Windows usually creates 4 partitions

uEFI boot area

C:\

winre

Hidden partition

So great care must be used when making any changes.

I have few more than the basic 4 windows types.

If in doubt please ask.

Steveh24 · Answer

@anne_droid​ I seem to be missing the main Boot partition (C:) and my Recovery partition is 931Gb and contains the OS and my data, but if I right click this partition all I get is 'Help' because it's a Recovery partition. How can I reduce the size of the recovery partition and create a C: drive with the OS and data files in it like a normal windows drive is setup.

anne_droid · Answer

Hi

Dunno.

Your pictureshows it as 931.32 GB with 931.32GB free, to me, meaning it is an empty partition.

I use Paragon Partition Manager,and assign a drive letter, USUALLY, A:\ and B:\

then use the "mountvol" command to mount the partition(s) accordingly.

I think you need to list the drives and their partitions.

Steveh24 · Answer

This is a screenshot from Paragon Partition Manager and it shows that 326Gb has been used and that there is 604Gb of Free Space, this is also confirmed by Windows Explorer, but the dive is listed as Hidden as it is a Recovery Partition, so it appears that the Boot partition and the Recovery partition have been merged in to one after it was converted from mbr to gpt and I need to seperate them creating a new smaller Recovery partition and making the current partition the C: Drive as a Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Basic Data Partition

Steveh24 · Answer

@anne_droid​ I forgot to add the screenshots

anne_droid · Answer

Hi

It still makes little sense.

As you have a desktop, unplug the 6 TB disk, and the DVD. Leaving only the 1 TB.

Look in the BIOS to see what/which Drive is listed as the primary boot disk.

Then do the listing again so that only the 1 TB is listed by DiskPart and Paragon, assuming itwill boot.

Does it have the 4 partitions? If not consider a re-install with only that drive connected.

Steveh24 · Answer

@anne_droid​ You're right, it doesn't make sense and it only changed after I converted the partition from mbr to gpt which I needed to do to upgrade from Windows 10 to 11, I also had to change the boot mode from Legacy to UEFI. The BIOS is showing that the boot drive is the 1Tb drive, but I will try as you suggested and boot with just the 1TB drive connected. I can't do a re-install as I have too many programs installed, which is why I wanted to do an upgrade to Windows 11 instead of a clean install.

anne_droid · Answer

Hi

I was thinking (having second thoughts) more of an over the top (In-Place) install in your circumstances then...

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/repair-install-windows-11-with-an-in-place-upgrade.418/

""This tutorial will show you how to do a repair install of Windows 11 by performing an in-place upgrade without losing anything.

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.

You will keep all accounts, apps, files, settings, and personal data.

You must be signed in as an administrator to perform a repair install of Windows 11.

You will only be able to perform a repair install of Windows 11 from within Windows 11. You will not be able to perform a repair install at boot or in Safe Mode.

You will need at least 20 GB of free space on the Windows drive to perform an in-place upgrade.""

Steveh24 · Answer

@anne_droid​  Many thanks, that sounds a lot more feasible for the situation and well worth a go, I did see a YouTube video a while ago where you can mount a Windows 11 ISO and do an in-place upgrade without losing any data

Steveh24 · Answer

@anne_droid​ I've done an in-place upgrade and it doesn't touch the current partitions, so you end up where you started. It looks like what I need to do is to shrink the current Restore partition by 1Gb and create a new partition and name it Restore, then rename the old Restore partition as the C: Drive so that it shows as the Primary partition with the Boot, Page File etc, I will then have my 4 partitions and a C: Drive, my problem is I don't how to this without losing any data.

anne_droid · Answer

Hi

Use Belarc Advisor and print out or screenshot all your LICENCE details and other particulars.

Well clone/copy the existing C: (many people recommend Macrium Reflect) either to the larger Drive and/or an external device.

https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/r7aepz/how_do_i_clone_my_entire_c_drive_to_a_new_hdd/

https://uk.pcmag.com/hard-drives/149968/how-to-clone-a-hard-drive-on-a-pc-or-mac

Then create what you need on the 1 TB storage space, with the knowledge you have a backup, and copy/move the clone back to whence it came.

But is a dilemma I agree.

Precision Fixed Workstations

No Boot Partition

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