Windows 10 Recovery Environment

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AGH1965
Posts: 85
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2016 1:36 pm
Location: Netherlands

Windows 10 Recovery Environment

Post by AGH1965 »

When I use BIBM to install Windows 10 on a new partition, it always installs completely on that partition incuding the recovery stuff. However, it happened several times that after a major Windows update the original partition appeared to be split and one part had become a separate Windows Recovery Environment partition. Is it possible to install Windows 10 in that way right from the start? How? When doing the installation I only select the partition where I want to install Windows on. I have never seen an option to select a separate partition for Windows Recovery Environment as well.
TeraByte Support(PP)
Posts: 1644
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:51 am

Re: Windows 10 Recovery Environment

Post by TeraByte Support(PP) »

You generally have to let Windows handle all the partitioning to get the "normal" layout with the WinRE partition (installing to a drive, for example, instead of a partition). However, this shouldn't be allowed if using unlimited primary partitions since Windows is not aware of the other partitions and may overwrite or corrupt them (make sure to have a good backup first). Most users tend to not want the separate partitions (System Reserved and WinRE/Recovery) and try to avoid letting Windows create them (fill up partition slots, for example, so no additional partitions can be created).

This is an issue on GPT also since almost every Windows 10 update will slice off a part of the Windows partition and create a new WinRE partition.
CyberSimian
Posts: 137
Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2016 12:13 pm

Re: Windows 10 Recovery Environment

Post by CyberSimian »

AGH1965 wrote:
> When I use BIBM to install Windows 10 on a new partition, it always
> installs completely on that partition incuding the recovery stuff.

That is how I like Windows to install. :D But the version of Windows 10 that I have (1607) creates two additional partitions ("MS Reserved" and "Recovery") if there are free entries in the MBR. Possibly current versions of Windows 10 behave differently. :?

Obviously, if you want Windows 10 to create these additional partitions, you need to have two unused entries in the MBR. If you DO have these unused entries in the MBR, I don't know of any way to force the Windows installer to use them.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK
AGH1965
Posts: 85
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2016 1:36 pm
Location: Netherlands

Re: Windows 10 Recovery Environment

Post by AGH1965 »

TeraByte Support(PP) wrote:
> Most users tend to not want the separate partitions (System
> Reserved and WinRE/Recovery) and try to avoid letting Windows create them
> (fill up partition slots, for example, so no additional partitions can be
> created).

I have never filled up free partition slots of my EMBR disk. Windows always installed itself completely in the selected partition, and when Windows later created a separate Recovery Environment partition, it did that always by shrinking the original installation partition. So fortunately no adjacent partitions that I hided for Windows were overwritten.

Maybe I should ask the opposite from what I asked before: Is there a way to prevent Windows creating a separate Recovery Environment partition when it was initially installed completely in one partition?
TeraByte Support(PP)
Posts: 1644
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:51 am

Re: Windows 10 Recovery Environment

Post by TeraByte Support(PP) »

If you don't want the additional partition created you have to make sure there is no room to create one (fill the partition slots). Also, don't count on "Windows always did... whatever" since they change things quite often.
AGH1965
Posts: 85
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2016 1:36 pm
Location: Netherlands

Re: Windows 10 Recovery Environment

Post by AGH1965 »

Ah, now I think I understand. Do you mean that Windows has no opportunity to split the original installation partition if I fill all 4 slots of the MBR myself? Normally I only fill 2 slots: a Windows installation partition and a data partition. So all I have to do is add 2 (tiny) partitions to the MBR? Does it matter if there are no partitions directly surrounding the installation partition? I don't want Windows to increase the size of the original installation partition without asking me. So far Windows never did, but your warning scared me a bit.
Brian K
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Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:11 am
Location: NSW, Australia

Re: Windows 10 Recovery Environment

Post by Brian K »

AGH1965 wrote:
> When I use BIBM to install Windows 10 on a new partition, it always
> installs completely on that partition incuding the recovery stuff.

AGH1965,

That's been my experience too. A single partition install with no added partitions. (EMBR install with BIBM) What comes later, after a Windows Update, is as you described. I just accept the RE partition now. I used to move the RE data back into the Win10 partition but I no longer bother. Once you start using Win10 installed in UEFI mode, you get used to having multiple partitions associated with Win10.
Last edited by Brian K on Tue Apr 30, 2019 8:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
TeraByte Support(PP)
Posts: 1644
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:51 am

Re: Windows 10 Recovery Environment

Post by TeraByte Support(PP) »

AGH1965 wrote:
> Ah, now I think I understand. Do you mean that Windows has no opportunity
> to split the original installation partition if I fill all 4 slots of the
> MBR myself?

Correct.

> So all I have to do is add 2 (tiny) partitions to the
> MBR? Does it matter if there are no partitions directly surrounding the
> installation partition?

Yes. The partitions can be whatever you want as long as the slots are filled. It shouldn't matter if they are surrounding the installation partition, but if you want to be really sure you could do that if it's easy to do. Having a current backup before starting is highly recommended as it allows you to easily try again if it doesn't go as expected.
AGH1965
Posts: 85
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2016 1:36 pm
Location: Netherlands

Re: Windows 10 Recovery Environment

Post by AGH1965 »

Thanks for the replies. Another question popped up. Maybe someone tried. Therefore I just ask.

What will happen if I create an empty 1 GB Windows RE partition with BIBM, fill one of the MBR slots with it and then install Windows 10 in an empty NTFS partition? Will Windows make use of the Windows RE partition or will Windows ignore it?
TeraByte Support(PP)
Posts: 1644
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:51 am

Re: Windows 10 Recovery Environment

Post by TeraByte Support(PP) »

I haven't tried that scenario. It may use it if its type/position/whatever is such that it decides to. Note that there have been many cases (most, probably) when there is already an existing WinRE partition that could be used and it still creates a new one. It may also make the existing partition larger by taking space from the Windows partition and not creating an additional partition.
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