How to remove a System Reserved partition on a data drive?

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  1. Posts : 9
    Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       #1

    How to remove a System Reserved partition on a data drive?


    Hi Everyone
    I recently added another Hard Drive that had a partially installed version of W7 on it (long story!)
    When it booted up, Windows said it was installing software on it, I am thinking maybe because of the Windows files on there it was thinking I wanted a dual boot setup?
    When I looked under My Computer (my-computer.png) it had changed the letter of my removable USB drive and added the new drive (F) along with a System Reserved Drive (E).
    I assume E is a partition on the same drive as F as it shows up under Computer Management as belonging to Disk 1 (hard-drives.png).
    I quick formatted F and rebooted and then tried disconnecting, reconnecting and rebooting but it remains there.
    What I would like to know is:
    1. Is it definitely on the new drive F?
    2. How I can remove it / re-format and just use F solely as a data drive?
    Any help or advice would be much appreciated.
    With thanks and regards
    Harley M Storey
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails How to remove a System Reserved partition on a data drive?-my-computer.png   How to remove a System Reserved partition on a data drive?-hard-drives.png  
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 11,408
    ME/XP/Vista/Win7
       #2
      My Computer

  3.    #3

    The drive is not bootable on its own (System) so you can delete both E and F once the data is moved off, then repartition the drive as you wish.

    If the drive interferes at all I'd wipe it with Diskpart Clean Command to clear the old code from the boot sector, then repartition.
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  4. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #4

    Comment withdrawn to avoid confusion.
    Last edited by whs; 18 Jan 2013 at 22:29.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 11,408
    ME/XP/Vista/Win7
       #5

    The System Reserved is marked System & Active, therefore the boot partition.
      My Computer


  6. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #6

    theog said:
    The System Reserved is marked System & Active, therefore the boot partition.
    You are right. I missed that little detail. Will withdraw my comment.
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  7. Posts : 9
    Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Thanks for your help everyone.
    I have deleted the partitions and reformatted the drive, however when doing so Windows told me that other processes were accessing the partitions and forcing partition delete may cause the system to become unstable.
    Anyone have any ideas what those processes might be in case I run into any future issues?
    Is this what gregrocker meant when he said "If the drive interferes..."?
    thanks and regards
    Harley
      My Computer

  8.    #8

    The warning might have been generated by the presence of the Active flag which signals which partition is to be bootable, but it wasn't independently bootable or there would be a System flag as well.

    The interference I was referring to is if having the drive connected slows boot of C. This might mean that boot code which remains on the HD is interfering and wiping the HD of all boot code (which deleting and formatting doesn't do) may resolve it.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 9
    Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Hi Greg,
    Thanks for the help.
    I checked under Folder Options / View / and selected "Show Hidden files" and unchecked "Hide protected operating system files."
    I couldnt see any files on the disc, does this mean that a clean is uneccessary? - with a 2TB drive it would take a while.
    best
    Harley
      My Computer

  10.    #10

    Well you've already formatted the HD, correct? So it wouldn't show any boot files anyway. What's important that gets cleaned is code in the boot sector which might be interfering, such as the nt60 bootsect code which makes a Win7 drive bootable at one time but remains if the OS is deleted or formatted over.

    Clean
    just take seconds to wipe the boot sector and partition table. It's Clean All that takes a long time and is overkilll for these purposes, only needed to make data unrecoverable.
    Last edited by gregrocker; 21 Jan 2013 at 12:28.
      My Computer


 
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