Windows 7: 100 MB Partition

I have read on here about the 100 MB partition for the MBR. I don't have one. Things seem fine. What is the partition for and do I need to worry about it? Thanks

The 100 mb partition, when present contains files required for Windows 7 to boot. Its created only when Windows 7 is installed on a disk with unallocated disk space (no partition or volume been defined yet). Its labeled as System Reserved with NTFS file system, and System, Active, Primary partition attribute with no drive letter in Disk Management.

When the 100 mb partition is not created, the boot files sit on the OS partition itself. So, nothing to worry about.

Hello.



If you did have a desire to create it for whatever reason (I'm not suggesting you do) here is a very reliable method out-lined in this tutorial at the link below; the second tutorial is also an excellent option, though I still have some work to finish that one to an acceptable out-come for XP.

System Reserved : Create for Dual Boot

System Reserved : Create Using Disk Management



This second tutorial is now complete.





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Thanks guys for your help. I am a little paranoid these days. I feel like anything could go wrong since a few days ago my water pipe broke in the front yard.

That's the hard way to water-cool the PC isn't it?

If you can spare the 100mb then I'd install to wiped HD (which is a cleaner slate anyway) to get the SysReserved partition - if for no other reason than that it places the Repair My Computer (WinRe) console on the F8 Advanced boot Tools menu. You can repair your laptop in a coffee shop or while traveling without having to have the disk.

Wipe HD: SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation
Install screenshots: Clean Install Windows 7
WinRe options: System Recovery Options

thanks for that greg - i was thinking about deleting mine, but i may well keep it now, especially on my netbook.

Here's some other info on the SysResv I wrote for one of the other tutorials but I didn't use it after all.

   Note

• It adds a link to the WinRe (Windows Recovery Environment) that is seen when the advanced boot options are accessed through the use of the F8 hot-key during system startup that can be used to recover from startup errors if a Windows installation / recovery disk is not available for use.
• The partition is suggested for use with Windows Backup and Restore to function correctly, we're now seeing issues if not enough space is available for WB & R to use and creating a larger (than the default 100MB) SysResv partition may solve these issues.
• It is used by Windows 7 BitLocker to store encryption information and will be created by the BitLocker program if it does not exist.
• It creates a single location for the Windows BCD store that the system boot files are kept in, in a dual / multi boot situation and makes removing one of the installed Windows Operating Systems (OS) in a dual/multi boot very easy to accomplish if the need arises.

If I was going to go to all the trouble of a clean install to get the "System Reserved" partition I'd use the method out-lined in Step Two #3 of this tutorial to make it 200MB instead to lessen the chances of it being too small like the issues THIS guy was having when he wanted to add a second OS for a dual boot setup.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation



We're starting to see a lot of these similar issues with the default SysResv being too small; not to mention the uses listed in the Note in my post above.

click to enlarge

I've just about given up arguing the MBR point living on the 100Mb sys reserved partition. I don't understand why people dig their heals in on this. It is the first physical 512 bytes of the HDD. If you can show me that the MBR is on the 100MB partition please show me.
I'm only aware of the WinRe living in 2 places
(1) Under a system folder called "Recovery" (c:\Recovery) on your Boot, OS partition which is separate when you have the 100MB sys res partition.
(2) On the System repair disk, or Install disks.

The 100MB partition contains it's boot sector (PBR), boot manager, BCD store, a memtest utility and a system volume information folder.
The 100MB partition may play some role in recognising the F8 key stroke (??) but I bet it uses the WinRe under the system recovery folder. Remember WinRe is greater than 160MB itself.