System Reserved Partition (F)

TheMystic · Nov 17, 2021

AddRAM said:
A System Reserved Partition has always been a 100 MB Partition, that`s what size the installer makes on a MBR/Legacy install.
It`s useless to keep it and he wants it added to C, regardless of its size.

You are confusing the EFI (or System) partition with Microsoft System Reserved (MSR) partition. EFI is usually 100 MB and MSR is usually 16 MB.

AddRAM · Nov 17, 2021

No, you are confusing yourself. You are not paying attention, it use to be a MBR/Legacy install.
A clean MBR/Legacy install makes a 100 MB System Reserved Partition, and the rest of the drive is for C Windows.
He converted to GPT/UEFI, that`s why there is a 50MB System Reserved partition at the beginning of his drive, which he no longer needs.

I just converted my MBR/Legacy install of W10 on my Z170 to GPT/UEFI last night. This is all that`s needed. Conversions will never look like a clean GPT/UEFI install unless you add the extra partitions yourself, but you don`t need them. Make a backup with Macrium and you`re set. I extended my EFI System partition to 500 MB myself.

TheMystic · Nov 17, 2021

AddRAM said:
No, you are confusing yourself. You are not paying attention, it use to be a MBR/Legacy install.

AddRAM said:
A clean install is always best if you want to :)

View attachment 13859 View attachment 13860

The 'Other' in your post #19 above is the MSR partition, size 16 MB.

AddRAM · Nov 17, 2021

Right, the installer makes that 16MB Partition on a clean UEFI install.
He did not do a clean install, he did a conversion.
My W11 install on the X299 looks normal because I clean installed 11 on a new 980 Pro.
I would post a shot, but I`m using the Z170 right now.

TheMystic · Nov 17, 2021

AddRAM said:
Right, the installer makes that 16MB Partition on a clean UEFI install.
He did not do a clean install, he did a conversion.

I did a clean install of stock image last year. A 'Fresh Start' from Windows Settings.

That 16 MB (partition 2 called Reserved) is MSR partition. 99 MB (partition 1 called System) is EFI partition.

This is my current system.

AddRAM · Nov 17, 2021

It`s also called a System Reserved partition on a MBR/Legacy install.
A 100 MB System Reserved partition is made to the left on a MBR/Legacy install.
It has nothing to do with a GPT/UEFI install.

TheMystic · Nov 17, 2021

AddRAM said:
It`s also called a System Reserved partition on a MBR/Legacy install.

Why did the stock installer create that on my GPT disk? This is Windows 10 which isn't Legacy.

AddRAM · Nov 17, 2021

Because that`s how the installer sets up the drive when doing a clean GPT/UEFI install.
You are just confusing yourself with the terminology used with a MBR/Legacy install and a GPT/UEFI install.

TheMystic · Nov 17, 2021

AddRAM said:
Because that`s how the installer sets up the drive when doing a clean GPT/UEFI install.
You are just confusing yourself with the terminology used with a MBR/Legacy install and a GPT/UEFI install.

The installer sets it up like that to support booting from either mode: GPT/UEFI or MBR/BIOS.

jimbo45 · Nov 17, 2021

Hi there
@kuyenmotdivad

To make system re-bootable again - probably the easiest is to boot a stand alone version of Macrium and run the "Fix Windows problems".

Otherwise boot a Windows recovery media (winpe / W11 or even a W10 install media) into command mode then :

1) diskpart
2) list disk
3) select disk xxx where xxx is the disk on which the Windows system is mounted
4) list vol
5) select vol yyy where yyy is the UEFI partition number
6) assign letter=H
so now assume C is the main Windows system and H is the UEFI system partition.
7) exit (come out of diskpart)
8) cd C:\
9) cd C:\windows\system32
10 bcdboot c:\windows /s H: /f UEFI
11) reboot

Q.E.D

Cheers
jimbo

NavyLCDR · Nov 17, 2021

TheMystic said:
The installer sets it up like that to support booting from either mode: GPT/UEFI or MBR/BIOS.

NO, it does not. You cannot boot a GPT partitioned drive in legacy BIOS (CSM) mode. Again, you are confusing the Microsoft System Reserved partition created on a GPT partitioned drive which can only be booted in UEFI mode with the System Reserved partition that is created on an MBR partitioned drive booting in legacy BIOS (CSM) mode.

NavyLCDR · Nov 17, 2021

jimbo45 said:
Hi there
@kuyenmotdivad

To make system re-bootable again - probably the easiest is to boot a stand alone version of Macrium and run the "Fix Windows problems".

Otherwise boot a Windows recovery media (winpe / W11 or even a W10 install media) into command mode then :

1) diskpart
2) list disk
3) select disk xxx where xxx is the disk on which the Windows system is mounted
4) list vol
5) select vol yyy where yyy is the UEFI partition number
6) assign letter=H
so now assume C is the main Windows system and H is the UEFI system partition.
7) exit (come out of diskpart)
8) cd C:\
9) cd C:\windows\system32
10 bcdboot c:\windows /s H: /f UEFI
11) reboot

Q.E.D

Cheers
jimbo

Nobody is having a failure to boot in this thread. Read post #14.

AddRAM · Nov 17, 2021

No it doesn`t, you can`t Boot a MBR/Legacy install in GPT/UEFI Mode
And you can`t boot a GPT/UEFI install in MBR/Legacy Mode.

You beat me to it Navy :)

AddRAM · Nov 17, 2021

NavyLCDR said:
NO, it does not. You cannot boot a GPT partitioned drive in legacy BIOS (CSM) mode. Again, you are confusing the Microsoft System Reserved partition created on a GPT partitioned drive which can only be booted in UEFI mode with the System Reserved partition that is created on an MBR partitioned drive booting in legacy BIOS (CSM) mode.

Thank You :)

NavyLCDR · Nov 17, 2021

It is possible to boot an MBR/Legacy install in GPT/UEFI mode, the system partition must be formatted according to the requirements of the motherboard - some motherboards allow booting in GPT/UEFI mode from NTFS partitions, and some require FAT32. So long as the system partition filesystem is compatible with the motherboard, and it contains the EFI file structure for booting in EFI mode, an MBR disk can be booted in UEFI mode. That is the entire reason why there is an /f ALL option for the BCDBOOT command:

bcdboot <source> [/l <locale>] [/s <volume-letter> [/f <firmware>]] [/v]
[/vbcd] [/m [{OS Loader ID}]] [/addlast] [/p] [/c]

/f Used with the /s command, specifies the firmware type of the
target system partition. Options for <firmware> are 'UEFI',
'BIOS', or 'ALL'.

HOWEVER BOOTING IN UEFI MODE FROM AN MBR DRIVE IS NOT NORMAL (except USB flash drives).

AddRAM · Nov 17, 2021

21H2 has just come out :)

TheMystic · Nov 17, 2021

This is what you said:

AddRAM said:
He has a 50 MB System Reserved Partition because it use to be a MBR/Legacy system that he converted to GPT/UEFI, so he no longer needs it.
It should have been 100 MB, no clue as to why the installer made a 50 MB SR Partition. He added the letter F to the System Reserved partition, so he could have somehow shrunk it to 50 MB by mistake. A System Reserved partition on a MBR/Legacy install should never have a letter.
Re Read reply #13

AddRAM said:
A System Reserved Partition has always been a 100 MB Partition, that`s what size the installer makes it on a MBR/Legacy install, going way back to W7.
It`s useless to keep it and he wants it added to C, regardless of its size.

AddRAM said:
He converted to GPT/UEFI, that`s why there is a 50MB System Reserved partition at the beginning of his drive, which he no longer needs.

I just converted my MBR/Legacy install of W10 on my Z170 to GPT/UEFI last night. This is all that`s needed. Conversions will never look like a clean GPT/UEFI install unless you add the extra partitions yourself, but you don`t need them.

View attachment 13861

AddRAM said:
Because that`s how the installer sets up the drive when doing a clean GPT/UEFI install.

This is what I asked:

TheMystic said:
I did a clean install of stock image last year. A 'Fresh Start' from Windows Settings.

View attachment 13864

That 16 MB (partition 2 called Reserved) is MSR partition. 99 MB (partition 1 called System) is EFI partition.

This is my current system.

TheMystic said:
Why did the stock installer create that on my GPT disk? This is Windows 10 which isn't Legacy.

You conveniently ignored my question.

First you say that the 50 MB System Reserved Partition is there only because he converted from MBR/Legacy to GPT/UEFI disk, and not done a clean install. But I did a clean install using the built-in 'Fresh Start' feature. My disk is GPT and BIOS mode is UEFI. Windows 10 is NOT legacy. Why did the installer create that 16 MB partition on my disk?

Then you say that's how the installer sets up the drive when doing a clean install?

These are contradicting statements. You should explain it first before calling others confused.

TheMystic · Nov 17, 2021

NavyLCDR said:
NO, it does not. You cannot boot a GPT partitioned drive in legacy BIOS (CSM) mode. Again, you are confusing the Microsoft System Reserved partition created on a GPT partitioned drive which can only be booted in UEFI mode with the System Reserved partition that is created on an MBR partitioned drive booting in legacy BIOS (CSM) mode.

What is the MSR partition created by the installer on a GPT disk? Isn't it there to support Legacy boot?

@AddRAM says it is unnecessary and can be safely removed.

AddRAM · Nov 17, 2021

And I told you, that is how the installer sets up the partitions on a clean UEFI install.
The 50 MB partition on the left was created when Windows was installed in MBR/Legacy mode
And it was carried over when he converted the drive to GPT/UEFI
I told you it has nothing to do with his newly converted GPT/UEFI system, so it can be deleted.

Once again, he did not do a clean install, he converted windows from MBR to GPT

You are not even trying to understand any of this, go get some sleep.

AddRAM · Nov 17, 2021

TheMystic said:
What is the MSR partition created by the installer on a GPT disk? Isn't it there to support Legacy boot?

And we keep telling you no, it`s not.
You`d have to ask Microsoft why it`s created.

System Reserved Partition (F)

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