Solved Separate partitions for software and content files?

Ghot said:

@TonyCzar

I use Macrium to deal with the Windows backups, and Karen's Replicator to deal with Disks 1 and 2.

Click to expand...

I still use Karen's Replicator as well. Been using it since back in the Windows Magazine days and it still works as good as it did in win 98. It's almost as easy to use as Lucky Backup in linux.

Friends: After all this learning, I've decided to leave OS, apps, and files on Disk 1:



To avoid backing up everything on the disk each time, now I use FreeFileSync to mirror my content folders and then use Todo Backup for the whole disk excluding typical conent file types (.docx, .mp3, .mp4, etc). This is working well, although it hasn't yet been through the acid test of restoring Disk 1.

I have Partition Master on this computer (homemade) and am going to clean up the structure of Disk 1. Obviously, will increase the size of the EFI System Partiion. Is there a reason to keep any of that unallocated disk space after C:?

Tony, curious as to why the last two partitions aren’t labeled, meaning have no descriptions (I don’t mean drive letters)
I don’t know that it matters, but curious.

Quick image search just as an example

antspants said:

Tony, curious as to why the last two partitions aren’t labeled

Click to expand...

I didn't set it up.

TonyCzar said:

I didn't set it up.

Click to expand...

What do you mean, you didn’t setup the computer?

By default, when installing Windows, those descriptions on the recovery partitions are identified. It isn’t something that is done normally as a manual process

Again, I don’t know if it matters I’ve just never seen it.

i have 2 systems set up the same.

internal 1TB M2 type SSD partitioned.
250GB C: Drive, Windows, user files, desktop.
750GB D: Home, all personal folders, documents, downloads, music, etc.
with this setup i can reinstall Windows and all personal files are separate and remain as is.

external USB caddy 1. 500GB HDD used for C: drive by Windows 7 backup and restore on a monthly schedule.
external USB caddy 2. 1TB HDD used for D: drive. all personal folder backup done manually every month.

this works for me. best of luck, Steve ..

antspants said:

What do you mean, you didn’t setup the computer?

Click to expand...

This was a high-end gaming computer (a few years ago) that I had built for me (.nfo file avaiable on GDrive). While I've been into operating systems, software, and hardware for years, I don't think I ever even looked at a disk structure until I joined this Forum a few months back.

well,

it's by Windows install. Recovery partition.

When Tony first time install OS on the disk, it created 1st Recovery partition, most right one on the disk.
When Tony run in-place install (from 23H2 to 24H2), this created 2nd Recovery partition, the one closer to OS partition.
If Tony runs in-place install again, it will create 3rd Recovery partition.

and so-on,
, , , , , ,

You can delete them and keep only one. even delete all of them, OS will still run. but no Recovery partition, in case if needed.

antspants said:

What do you mean, you didn’t setup the computer?

By default, when installing Windows, those descriptions on the recovery partitions are identified. It isn’t something that is done normally as a manual process

Again, I don’t know if it matters I’ve just never seen it.

Click to expand...

siliconbeaver said:

well,

it's by Windows install. Recovery partition.

When Tony first time install OS on the disk, it created 1st Recovery partition, most right one on the disk.
When Tony run in-place install (from 23H2 to 24H2), this created 2nd Recovery partition, the one closer to OS partition.
If Tony runs in-place install again, it will create 3rd Recovery partition.

and so-on,
You can delete them and keep only one. even delete all of them,. OS will still run. but no Recovery partition, in case if needed.

Click to expand...

Was not what I asked though, actually not even remotely.
I know how it works.
What I have never seen is the labels under the recovery partition sizes not being present.

Tonys Partitions



Example Partitions

TonyCzar said:

This was a high-end gaming computer (a few years ago) that I had built for me (.nfo file avaiable on GDrive). While I've been into operating systems, software, and hardware for years, I don't think I ever even looked at a disk structure until I joined this Forum a few months back.

Click to expand...

I don’t think those to blank partitions on the end of your Disk Management image have the correct attributes for recovery partitions?

I still don’t understand so I am not saying it is a bad thing, because I simply don’t know.

Is that C:drive a clone of an old drive, did you clone an old drive at any point to an upgraded drive at all, TonyCzar?

I’ve since learned that at one point (if not still) AOMEI Clone software couldn’t copy recovery attributes.
I’m obviously interested, curious.

antspants said:

Is that C:drive a clone of an old drive, did you clone an old drive at any point to an upgraded drive at all, @TonyCzar?

Click to expand...

Yes. In fact, what is now Disk 0 (DATA) used to be the only disk. I had a SAMSUNG 990 PRO SSD 1TB added and made the C: drive.

TonyCzar said:

Yes. In fact, what is now Disk 0 (DATA) used to be the only disk. I had a SAMSUNG 990 PRO SSD 1TB added and made the C: drive.

Click to expand...

Well some stuff I read says it doesn't matter, some stuff I read said the attributes for a recovery partition are important.

What I do know is that those partitions can be deleted and another one created in their place. I just couldn’t tell you how as I have never done it. I have read about people doing it in this forum

Anyway, thanks Tony.

antspants said:

I’ve since learned that at one point (if not still) AOMEI Clone software could copy recovery attributes

Click to expand...

That should of read “Couldn’t

SlicEnDicE said:

I use Inateck external 2.5" enclosures for this purpose. I repurpose old SSDs. The Inateck enclosures support UASP over USB3 so you get full SSD speeds too.

They cost about $15-30 and are really good. I use the tool-less model. Just pop it open, insert drive, close it and connect. DONE. Can't be simpler than that.

Click to expand...

Which model enclosures do you use? I may be interested in purchasing some.

@TonyCzar I's 6 in the morning, I'm an insomniac, and have the time since you seem like an above average guy who wants to understand how it all works.. I'll throw some reading at you as to the why of it, my real world experience of it and cautions. In this thread see @hsehestedt who explains well the why more than one recovery partition is created. post #5.

As @antspants said, it is not normal for those partitions to be without a label. IMO there's a possibility that neither is a working recovery partition but you can check with the command below to find the one marked ENABLED.

Also, never assume that the active recovery partition is the one closest to the OS without checking first.
You can find the recovery partition currently being used by the system by running this command in elevated PowerShell.
reagentc /info

But to actually know partition numbers you have to look at diskpart (or use a 3rd party tool). Just looking at Disk management is deceiving. Once one identifies which partition # is the active recovery partition using the reagentc command, Any unused recovery partition should be removed using diskpart (or a 3rd party tool), NOT disk management..

Here is disk management for a virgin install of Windows 11 I did last week. It looks exactly as one would expect, at the end of my drive which if you eyeball it appears to be partition 3. It's not. There's a 16 MB Reserved partition that is hidden even from disk management. That recovery partition is actually partition #4 However, if I use a 3rd party partition manager (Easeus Partition Master or Minitool) I DO see that 16 MB partition and the partition numbers agree with diskpart.




When I run the powershell command, it says my active recovery partition is disk 1 partition 4 and enabled.



When I run diskpart and list partitions on drive 1, I see that hidden partition. The points I'm trying to make here is never assume, and 3rd party tools are better for managing partitions than disk management if one wants an intuitive interface (or use diskpart for something not quite as intuitive to a normal user.). For some things, disk management doesn't cut the mustard.

cheaterslick said:

Which model enclosures do you use? I may be interested in purchasing some.

Click to expand...

I use this one: eBay - Inateck Hard Drive Enclosure USB 3.0 External Enclosure 2.5-Inch SATA SSD HDD FE2005

I would also post the Inateck main site link but for me the page seems to have issues loading fully at the moment. (Will try a bit later)

SlicEnDicE said:

I use this one: eBay - Inateck Hard Drive Enclosure USB 3.0 External Enclosure 2.5-Inch SATA SSD HDD FE2005

I would also post the Inateck main site link but for me the page seems to have issues loading fully at the moment. (Will try a bit later)

Click to expand...

Would appreciate that since I don't really shop on ebay anymore. It also might help others who may be interested in what you use.

Thanks!

cheaterslick said:

Would appreciate that since I don't really shop on ebay anymore. It also might help others who may be interested in what you use.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Go to : Inateck US
The site will automatically redirect you to European site (German) if you're in EU or Asian site if near Japan.

For HDD Enclosures: Inateck US - Enclosures

SlicEnDicE said:

Go to : Inateck US
The site will automatically redirect you to European site (German) if you're in EU or Asian site if near Japan.

For HDD Enclosures: Inateck US - Enclosures

Click to expand...

Yeah, I have two Window 7 laptops with Samsung SSDs in them that I am recycling. One has a SATA connector, while the other one uses a M.2 NVMe stick.

Don't know the SSD model numbers offhand but I am thinking about erasing them and using them for something else. I'm thinking about external enclosures for them and am looking for suggestions.