"D: system" partition

[Anderson2]

I have a new laptop that came with pre-installed Windows 7 home premium 64 bit. It had 2 partitions when it arrived:

1) a large partition labeled "C: Local Disk"
2) a small 200 mb partition labeled "D: System"

Looking at the contents of D: I see it contains the following folders:
a) recycle.bin
b) Boot (which seems to contain language files)
c) System Volume (which I cannot access)
and a file "bootmgr"

Questions:
Why does this partition (that contains the bootmgr and boot file) have a drive letter? Would it not be safer if it did _not_ have a drive letter = to avoid accidental injury?

If I remove its drive letter, will the laptop still boot correctly?

Is this what used to be called the mbr hidden partition?

Thanks.

 

[gregrocker]

Look in Disk Mgmt to see if D is marked Active.

Post back a full DMgmt drive map and listings screenshot using Snipping Tool in Start Menu, attach file with paper clip in Reply Box.

 

[woebetide]

Questions:
Why does this partition (that contains the bootmgr and boot file) have a drive letter? Would it not be safer if it did _not_ have a drive letter = to avoid accidental injury?

Just hide the partition!

 

[Saltgrass]

It isn't really hidden without a drive letter, but you can remove it if you wish.

 

[Anderson2]

Thanks Gregrocker. I attached the image.
As you will see, I've added a data partition F:, so I know my way around disk partitioning.

The partition I am curious about is the small 200MB D: partition (which came with the pre-installed laptop) of which 166 MB is free. It is not a problem but because I am new to W 7 I am trying to understand. It does not seem to make sense to me that a mbr partition should have its own drive letter where someone might inadvertently write to it. (Trying to learn without losing the ability to reboot the laptop!).

 

[Wishmaster]

it is normal for Win7 to create a small partition like that for system files.

However, it usualy hidden (except from certain programs like defragmenters and Acronis that see it)
and has no drive letter.

Bit odd.

 

[Anderson2]

I thought so too. It's a HP laptop.

 

[computersplus]

I would not delete that partition if you do it may not boot correctly

 

[SIW2]

To get rid of the letter, open an elevated cmd, type:

Diskpart

sel vol d

remove

exi.

 

[gregrocker]

It looks right to me. Just the System Active MBR partition with possibly some extra files (drivers?).

Unhide System and Hidden files in Control Panel>Folder Options>view tab to see if anything else is in there.

You're right, however, about the problem with a drive letter enabling Backup or other files to write there. We see this problem a lot here.

We can of course help you remove it to recover it's space and System active MBR into Win7.

However with all the space you have there, I'd just follow SIW2's commands above to remove the drive letter.

 

[Anderson2]

That is what I was leaning towards: removing the drive letter. Just hope the laptop will still boot after I do that.

 

[Anderson2]

Feedback for anyone else in my situation:
I removed the D: letter and the PC rebooted normally. (Ooph! That is what I was concerned about)
Even better, none of the other partitions (F: or the CD drive E: ) changed their letter designations. So everything works correctly.

Now I feel better. Thanks for the hand holding.