reserved partition deleted on 1tb hdd, now ssd won't work [SOLVED]

tcon

Reputable
Mar 2, 2014
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4,510
i just got an ssd and installed a clean copy of windows on it. booted up in the ssd, deleted the 1tb hdd but there was a partition marked reserved. i couldn't delete/format it. i loaded up windows and deleted it from there. i was under the impression that the reserved partition would also be located on the ssd but was hidden because i was booted in it and that deleting it from a drive that i wasn't going to boot from wouldn't have been a problem.

well, it was. i have since then found out that i can't boot into the ssd, so i put windows back onto the hdd and am now at 931gb of space available.

my question is this: how do i get back the full tb without the missing partition when/if i can get the ssd back and how do i go about getting the ssd back?

the whole ordeal has been very confusing for me

EDIT: also, i have everything on the hdd and it can all be saved if i can get the sdd back and working and can transfer files, so i guess that's important. the only thing i have on the sdd right now is my browser profile which is going to be unholy to fiddle around long enough to actually get back.
 
Solution
OK

1. Installing Windows on the SSD while the other drive is still connected results in the 'System Reserved' partition (boot info) ending up on the other drive.
You deleted it, and now not booting.

2. 931GB on a 1 TB drive is absolutely normal. It has to do with how the actual space is measured. 931GB is standard.

3. To fix the situation:
Connect only the SSD and the DVD
Install Windows
Once the OS is up and running, verify the boot order does not have the HDD in it
Connect the HDD, and blow away everything on it.

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
OK

1. Installing Windows on the SSD while the other drive is still connected results in the 'System Reserved' partition (boot info) ending up on the other drive.
You deleted it, and now not booting.

2. 931GB on a 1 TB drive is absolutely normal. It has to do with how the actual space is measured. 931GB is standard.

3. To fix the situation:
Connect only the SSD and the DVD
Install Windows
Once the OS is up and running, verify the boot order does not have the HDD in it
Connect the HDD, and blow away everything on it.
 
Solution

tcon

Reputable
Mar 2, 2014
10
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4,510
Okay. Am in the SSD.

I actually just did a repair through the Windows disc and that got it working and isn't asking me if I want to start in the HDD.

I have 48GB transferred so far but the SSD is saying I have 116GB of 223GB free. Is that odd or no? It's over 100GB gone and I'm only actually using half of it.
 

tcon

Reputable
Mar 2, 2014
10
0
4,510
Where would the Windows.old folder be? What is hibernation? How would I know if the pagefile is at default?

I'm fairly new to this and wouldn't like to be this incompetent in the future so any answers will help make me not the very dumbs.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


Windows.old
Open Windows explorer. If its there, you'll see it. If it exists, you can get rid of it in Disk Cleanup.

Hibernation is a function in Windows one level deeper than 'sleep'. It writes the current contents of RAM to the HDD. And as such reserves space equal to the amount of installed RAM.
To turn it off:
Open a Elevated Command Prompt.
In the elevated command prompt, type powercfg -h off and press Enter.

Poof....drive space recovered.

Pagefile:
Control panel
Advanced System settings
Advanced
Performance
Virtual Memory - change as desired. I use 1024MB min and max. Have seen no performance issues having it that small.