Questions about Rufus and Windowa 11 installer partitions


Windows 11 User said:
So, having 4 partitions after installing Windows 11 is normal behavior
Click to expand...


YES.
This is what a clean install of Windows 11 will look like...

00000 Default Windows partitions.png


A clean install of Windows 10 will look like this also. Assuming UEFI Bios and GPT disk(s).

This all changed from Windows 7 to Windows 10 and above.
On Windows 7 most people had MBR disk(s), and Legacy Bios.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26100.3194 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦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 4702)
    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 13 years?
Ghot said:
YES.
This is what a clean install of Windows 11 will look like...

View attachment 105389


A clean install of Windows 10 will look like this also. Assuming UEFI Bios and GPT disk(s).

This all changed from Windows 7 to Windows 10 and above.
On Windows 7 most people had MBR disk(s), and Legacy Bios.
Click to expand...

But in my previous PC (which also had a UEFI and in which I also used the GPT setting in Rufus when burning an Windows 11 ISO), only one entry appeared after installing Windows 11 and on this one two entries 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?
 

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
There are Microsoft links with a feedback link.

This link dated:
  • Article
  • 02/10/2023


learn.microsoft.com

UEFI/GPT-based hard drive partitions

UEFI/GPT-based hard drive partitions
learn.microsoft.com


System partition​

The device must contain a system partition. On GPT drives, this is known as the EFI System Partition, or the ESP. This partition is usually stored on the primary hard drive. The device boots to this partition.

The minimum size of this partition is 200 MB, and must be formatted using the FAT32 file format.

This partition is managed by the operating system, and should not contain any other files, including Windows RE tools.

Typo?

Anyone know about a change or planned change 100 MB > 200 MB?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4800MQ CPU @ 2.70GHz
    Motherboard
    Product : 190A Version : KBC Version 94.56
    Memory
    16 GB Total: Manufacturer : Samsung MemoryType : DDR3 FormFactor : SODIMM Capacity : 8GB Speed : 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Quadro K3100M; Intel(R) HD Graphics 4600
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition Audio CODEC; PNP Device ID HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_111D&DEV_76E0
    Hard Drives
    Model Hitachi HTS727575A9E364
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Mobile Workstation
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)
Click to expand...

This is because the key installation file install.wim is over 4GB in size and cannot be written to a fat32 partition as that has a file size limit of 4GB.

So install.wim has to be written to an NTFS partition instead.

Unfortunately most pcs cannot boot from an NTFS partition, so the main boot file boot.wim is stored on the bootable fat32 partition.

So in essence, pc usb drive boots from fat32 partition, and then install.wim on NTFS partition takes over.

Back in the day when install.wim was less than 4GB, all files were on fat32 partition (in fact usb drives only allowed one partition). That is no longer possible (without splitting install.wim into smaller files but that is a PITA to do).

If you create a usb installation drive using the Media Creation tool, the installer uses install.esd instead wich is a super compressed version of install.wim and is less than 4GB so all files fit on a single fat32 partition.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Zenbook 14
    CPU
    I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB soldered
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop OLED screen
    Screen Resolution
    2880x1800 touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
    PSU
    Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
    Keyboard
    Built in UK keybd
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
    Internet Speed
    900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

    Macrium Reflect Home V8
    Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
    Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
Windows 11 User said:
How is it for convenience when one of them doesn't work and two entries appearing instead of only one just confuses users, anyway?
Click to expand...

The convenience is not just for Windows installation media.
When I had an MBR disk and UEFI Bios, I needed to use the non-UEFI Corsair USB stick.
When I switched to GPT disk(s), I had to use the UEFI version.

Microsoft made a LOT of changes in a very short time. It will take some time to get used to them.
Best advice I can give, is to relax and try to "go with the flow".

If you go back through all the 1000's of posts on here and on TenForums, you'll see that we all went through similar anxiety.

Here's a good example. This was about 2 weeks after I first installed Win 10 on an MBR disk...

I want to delete the system reserved partition - Windows 10 Help Forums

Ok, on the 3rd install of Windows 10 Home (after many tweaking accidents on the first two installs), I ended up with a system reserved partition. :/ I want to remove it, to make my backup software happier. I really don't want to install Windows 10... agai
www.tenforums.com www.tenforums.com
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26100.3194 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦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 4702)
    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 13 years?
Ghot said:
The convenience is not just for Windows installation media.
When I had an MBR disk and UEFI Bios, I needed to use the non-UEFI Corsair USB stick.
When I switched to GPT disk(s), I had to use the UEFI version.

Microsoft made a LOT of changes in a very short time. It will take some time to get used to them.
Best advice I can give, is to relax and try to "go with the flow".

If you go back through all the 1000's of posts on here and on TenForums, you'll see that we all went through similar anxiety.

Here's a good example. This was about 2 weeks after I first installed Win 10 on an MBR disk...

I want to delete the system reserved partition - Windows 10 Help Forums

Ok, on the 3rd install of Windows 10 Home (after many tweaking accidents on the first two installs), I ended up with a system reserved partition. :/ I want to remove it, to make my backup software happier. I really don't want to install Windows 10... agai
www.tenforums.com www.tenforums.com
Click to expand...

But for those who only use it to install Windows 11, it's inconvenient and confusing, hence all my questions regarding this subject. I still don't know why do I have an error when choosing the second entry and why the screen looks distorted after doing it.

Windows has becoming increasingly harder to understand since Windows 10, in my opinion. It seems both Windows 10 and Windows 11 are unfinished OSs and are in constant change, not to mention Microsoft said Windows 10 would be the last Windows version.
 
Last edited:

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:
Windows has becoming increasingly harder to understand since Windows 10, in my opinion. It seems both Windows 10 and Windows 11 are unfinished OSs and are always changing, not to mention Microsoft said Windows 10 would be the last Windows version.
Click to expand...


Yep... we've all been there, and all complained about it. I even made pictures...


Microsoft vs Eleven Forum.png
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26100.3194 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦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 4702)
    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 13 years?
Let's summarize:

For Windows installation media, creating installation media with 2 partitions is common practice. There are a few of reasons for this:

1) There are many systems that will refuse to boot a USB flash drive that is formatted with NTFS. For such systems, a dual partition installation media works because the initial boot takes place using the small FAT32 partition.

2) By splitting the install disk into 2 partitions we have the ability to store large files on the NTFS partition. Since modern versions of Windows have an install.wim that is larger than 4GB in size, this is helpful since we can store it on the 2nd partition (the NTFS partition) without the need to split it into pieces. Yes, you can split the install.wim, but this method of creating the installation media negates the need to do so.

3) This arrangement will work on all systems: Legacy BIOS based systems, UEFI based systems, systems that can boot from NTFS flash drives, systems that cannot boot from NTFS flash drives. So, you can create a disk that you can be confident will work on anything.

As for Windows itself, legacy BIOS based systems installed Windows onto a drive with only 2 partitions while UEFI based systems use 4 partitions:


Partitions on MBR / Legacy BIOS Based Systems

System Reserved Partition
Windows


Partitions on GPT / UEFI Based Systems

EFI Partition
MSR (Microsoft Reserved) Partition
Windows
Win RE (Recovery Environment) Partition

Note that the MSR partition is present on all GPT drives, not only Windows drives. Disk management hides the MSR partitions, but diskpart will show you those partitions.
 

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
hsehestedt said:
Let's summarize:

For Windows installation media, creating installation media with 2 partitions is common practice. There are a few of reasons for this:

1) There are many systems that will refuse to boot a USB flash drive that is formatted with NTFS. For such systems, a dual partition installation media works because the initial boot takes place using the small FAT32 partition.

2) By splitting the install disk into 2 partitions we have the ability to store large files on the NTFS partition. Since modern versions of Windows have an install.wim that is larger than 4GB in size, this is helpful since we can store it on the 2nd partition (the NTFS partition) without the need to split it into pieces. Yes, you can split the install.wim, but this method of creating the installation media negates the need to do so.

3) This arrangement will work on all systems: Legacy BIOS based systems, UEFI based systems, systems that can boot from NTFS flash drives, systems that cannot boot from NTFS flash drives. So, you can create a disk that you can be confident will work on anything.

As for Windows itself, legacy BIOS based systems installed Windows onto a drive with only 2 partitions while UEFI based systems use 4 partitions:


Partitions on MBR / Legacy BIOS Based Systems

System Reserved Partition
Windows


Partitions on GPT / UEFI Based Systems

EFI Partition
MSR (Microsoft Reserved) Partition
Windows
Win RE (Recovery Environment) Partition

Note that the MSR partition is present on all GPT drives, not only Windows drives. Disk management hides the MSR partitions, but diskpart will show you those partitions.
Click to expand...

OK, but my 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.

In the previous PC, only a single entry appeared.
 

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:
OK, but my 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.

In the previous PC, only a single entry appeared.
Click to expand...
In that scenario, only the first partition is bootable. It will automatically pull the files needed from the 2nd partition during installation. There is no reason to EVER attempt to boot from the 2nd partition as only partition 1 is bootable. Not all PCs will show both partitions as a selection during boot. Some systems are smart enough to realize that only partition 1 is bootable.
 

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
hsehestedt said:
In that scenario, only the first partition is bootable. It will automatically pull the files needed from the 2nd partition during installation. There is no reason to EVER attempt to boot from the 2nd partition as only partition 1 is bootable. Not all PCs will show both partitions as a selection during boot. Some systems are smart enough to realize that only partition 1 is bootable.
Click to expand...

I didn't know the second partition was unbootable until I tried it. So, my previous PC was smarter than the new one and there are always 2 partitions but they only appear in some systems whereas in others only a single partitions shows up? Why is the second partition unbootable and why does the OOBE look distorted if booting from it?
 

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:
But in my previous PC (which also had a UEFI and in which I also used the GPT setting in Rufus when burning an Windows 11 ISO), only one entry appeared after installing Windows 11 and on this one two entries 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?
Click to expand...

* But in my previous PC (which also had a UEFI and in which I also used the GPT setting in Rufus when burning an Windows 11 ISO), only one entry appeared when booting from USB to install Windows 11 and on this one two entries appear and both mention UEFI.

EDIT: Sorry, this regards one of the other problems. I confused it with the 4 partitions one.
 

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
cereberus said:
If you create a usb installation drive using the Media Creation tool, the installer uses install.esd instead wich is a super compressed version of install.wim and is less than 4GB so all files fit on a single fat32 partition.
Click to expand...

If you create a Windows 11 23H2 usb installation drive using the Media Creation tool, the installer uses the install.swm and install2.swm files instead.

"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
aubergine said:
If you create a Windows 11 23H2 usb installation drive using the Media Creation tool, the installer uses the install.swm and install2.swm files instead.

"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...

Never heard of install.swm and install2.swm, why would the installer use these files instead of a single install.wim or even install.swm and why would the ISO have install.esd instead of install.swm and install2.swm or even install.wim?
 

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:
Never heard od install.swm and install2.swm and why would the ISO have install.esd instead of install.wim?
Click to expand...
If you use DISM to split a .wim file into multiple parts you make Split Windows iMage files (.swm).

An ISO created by the Media Creation Tool will always have an install.esd file (Electronic Software Distribution), this is a more compact format than a .wim and is usually below the Fat32 4GB file size limit. Sometimes though even an install.esd needs splitting to fit on a Fat32 USB. If you use the MCT to directly create the USB it will split it for you.
 

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 (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    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 the Insider Beta, Dev, Canary, and Release Preview builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • 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 (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    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 the Insider Beta, Dev, Canary, and Release Preview builds as a native boot .vhdx.
Bree said:
If you use DISM to split a .wim file into multiple parts you make Split Windows iMage files (.swm).

An ISO created by the Media Creation Tool will always have an install.esd file (Electronic Software Distribution), this is a more compact format than a .wim.
Click to expand...

But does that tool use DISM?

I know it is but I didn't know it would create it.
 

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:
But does that tool use DISM?

I know it is but I didn't know it would create it.
Click to expand...
Anything that works on a Windows Image will be running the Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool in the background. DISM is the only tool for this job.
learn.microsoft.com

DISM - Deployment Image Servicing and Management

DISM - Deployment Image Servicing and Management
learn.microsoft.com

The MCT will call DISM to create the image file. An install.esd is usually below the Fat32 4GB file size limit. Sometimes though even an install.esd needs splitting to fit on a Fat32 USB. If you use the MCT to directly create the USB it will split it for you.
 

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 (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    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 the Insider Beta, Dev, Canary, and Release Preview builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • 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 (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    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 the Insider Beta, Dev, Canary, and Release Preview builds as a native boot .vhdx.
Apples vs Oranges!!!
A lot of what happens during the install of Windows, any version, is completely dependent on what ISO you're using.

It's obvious to anyone watching, that you're totally tied to MS, where I am not.
I just installed Windows 11, 24H2 to an SSD yesterday, and it made one partition for the OS (Boot Partition) and one partition called "System Reserved" . Honest.....that's it!

With the b'zillion installs I've done, I can't remember ever getting four partitions set up by the Windows Installer.
And, I always let the installer, clean the drive and create all new partitions.

So don't think I'm lying just because my results don't equal your own. Apples & Oranges!

TM :cool:
 

My Computer

System One

TechnoMage2021 said:
Apples vs Oranges!!!
A lot of what happens during the install of Windows, any version, is completely dependent on what ISO you're using.

It's obvious to anyone watching, that you're totally tied to MS, where I am not.
I just installed Windows 11, 24H2 to an SSD yesterday, and it made one partition for the OS (Boot Partition) and one partition called "System Reserved" . Honest.....that's it!

With the b'zillion installs I've done, I can't remember ever getting four partitions set up by the Windows Installer.
And, I always let the installer, clean the drive and create all new partitions.

So don't think I'm lying just because my results don't equal your own. Apples & Oranges!

TM :cool:
Click to expand...

OK.
 

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
TechnoMage2021 said:
I just installed Windows 11, 24H2 to an SSD yesterday, and it made one partition for the OS (Boot Partition) and one partition called "System Reserved" . Honest.....that's it!
Click to expand...
I am NOT saying that you are wrong, but merely out of curiosity, could you do this please?

Open diskpart

Select the OS disk (select disk 0). Note that your OS may not be on disk zero.

list partition

I suspect that you will see more than the two partitions. Disk management does not show all partitions.
 

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
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