System Reserved Partition - Delete

How to Remove the 100MB "System Reserved" Partition in Windows 7​

   Information

The 100 MB System Reserved partition is included when doing a clean install of Windows 7 on an unallocated disk. The System Reserved partition serves two functions. First, it holds the Boot Manager code and the Boot Configuration Database. Second, it reserves space for the startup files required by the BitLocker Drive Encryption feature. If you ever decide to encrypt your system drive using BitLocker, you won’t have to repartition your system drive to make it possible.

This tutorial will show you how to delete the 100MB System Reserved partition created during the installation of Windows 7.

   Warning

This involves deleting the boot partition, then repairing. Failure to follow these instructions exactly may leave your computer in a non-bootable state.

   Note

• Make sure the C drive is a Primary partition before you begin. Type diskmgmt.msc into the start menu to access the above window.
• You must have a Windows 7 Installation or Repair disc to do this. If you do not have a DVD, you can create a Repair Disc.

EXAMPLE: 100 MB System Reserved Partition


Here's How:

   Note

Press enter between each of these commands.

1. Boot from your installation or repair disc.

2. When you get to the language screen, press Shift+F10.

3. Enter diskpart, then list disk after diskpart is loaded.

4. Enter select disk [Windows disk number].

5. Enter list partition, followed by select partition [100MB partition number].

6. Enter delete partition override.

7. Enter select partition [Windows partition from step 5], then enter active.

8. Close the command prompt.
We have deleted the partition, and Windows will be unable to boot at this point. Now it is time to write a new boot loader and BCD to the Windows partition.
9. Follow the instructions in Brink's tutorial for running a startup repair.
That should do it! If you have any problems, feel free to ask for help below.

Related Tutorials

---

• Create the System Reserved for Dual Boot use
• How to Create the Windows 7 System Reserved Partition after Installation

 

[mjf]

I thought the 1MB indicated a dynamic disk. Unfortunately your disk is dynamic.
It should be made "Basic" again.
See this tutorial
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/26829-convert-dynamic-disk-basic-disk.html
Using free Partition Wizard 4.2 (NOT free 5.2) is the easiest way to convert and retain your data.
Note: Back everything up. Anticipate the worst when you do any partition operation.
PW 4.2 link courtesy JK.
http://cid-24a0e9031e104daf.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/partition%20wizard%204.2%20free.zip

 

[sushmit]

hi guys thanks for this post i have successfully deleted system partition but now after restarting my pc i am getting "ntldr missing" error at boot up..... please help.... i tryied system repair it shows it has repaired th problem but after restart i again get the same error....

 

[Jonathan_King]

Hello sushmit,

Did you remember to mark the main Windows partition as Active?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html

 

[sushmit]

thnX ffrnd now i am in actually i ran system repair three times and it solved the problem....

thnx again....

 

[natewill18]

I deleted the system reserve with acrinis backup and restore CD then I made the windows partition active. I rebooted and got bootmgr missing ctrl alt del

 

[Brink]

Hello Nate, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Deleting the "System Reserved" partition also deletes the bootmgr that was on that partition. Running startup repair at boot on your Windows 7 partition should be able to fix this for you. You may need to run it more than once though.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[natewill18]

\boot\bcd
0xc000000f

I've been using wondershare live boot 2012 after following your instructions. Only because I dont have a windows startup disc. And I've long since lost my installation disc. Any alternatives in wonder share that anybody knows of?

 

[Brink]

If you like, you could use the tutorial below to help create a 64-bit System Repair Disc on any other 64-bit Windows 7 computer to use on yours to do a startup repair with.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html

 

[Maddog59]

Hi Brink,

I purchased an HP Business desktop a few weeks ago. It came with Windows 7 (which I don't really like using) and I have been trying to get a partition for Win XP.

Most of the issues I have come up against have been resolved to a greater or lesser extent within sevenforums - much of it with your tutorials. I had enormous trouble slipstreaming the appropriate SATA drivers into the XP disk, but finally got that sorted out a day or two ago.

I have tried to follow your instructions to delete the 100mb System drive that Win 7 thoughtfully created. I made a Win 7 Repair Disk (DVD) OK, (although I was disappointed to discover here that it's only a repair disk, and not a full recover/reinstall disk). When I re-boot the computer, and select "Boot from CD/DVD" the OS loads OK.

However my "Language" screen which appears looks very different to the one shown on your tutorial, and it won't allow me to get the CMD screen using Shift-F10. Can you help here?

Also, probably not the appropriate thread, but can I get rid of the 100mb HP_Tools drive also?

many thanks for your input.

 

[Brink]

Hello Maddog, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Since this is an HP (OEM) computer, you do not want to delete the 100MB System and 100MB HP_Tools partitions. These are your HP factory recovery partitions used to be able to reinstall Windows back to factory conditions with.

You may be able to use step 2 in OPTION ONE of the tutorial below to open the command prompt with instead.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/682-command-prompt-startup.html

Hope this helps,

Shawn

 

[Maddog59]

Hi Shawn, Thank you so much for your prompt response.

Please excuse me if I ask the obvious....

If I need to keep the 1) System partition, 2) Win7 partition (C 3) HD_Tools partitions, then I don't really need access to the CMD prompt? or is there something else I need it for that I'm missing?

With the above partitions required, to install XP for a dual-boot setup, do I set up XP with its own Recovery partition, or just as a single D: partition for XP. I have Partition Assistant installed

Regards

 

[Brink]

You're welcome.

Correct, you would have no need to open a command prompt if you wanted to keep them as you should.

You would just need to have the single partition for XP.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html

 

[Maddog59]

Shawn,

You're a gem! Clarified all these little things that I just couldn't get sorted out on my own.

Thank you very much for offering your knowledge and precious time to help those of us who need some guidance to get it right.

Andrew

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Andrew. Thank you.

 

[adamvan2000]

Thanks SO much for this guide! It helped me delete the reserved partition and repair my startup successfully! I had NO idea that it might take as many as three times repairing the startup to fully fix it, and I've been repairing Windows PCs for years! Thanks again for the awesome guide!

@JK
That's really a nice tool. But it's shareware and wont let me do my job until i register it.. Cant afford now. Any freeware alternative?
Thanks anyways.

You can also download and boot up a Linux LiveCD/DVD, then use gparted to expand the partition, and shift it to the left if you need to. It's free, and there are tons of guides on Google. :OD

 

[greshoff]

Hi,
Could you clarify that at step 7 of the process the larger partition is selected ie NOT the 100mb one and this partition is marked active.
How many times does one go through the Start up Repair process?

 

[Brink]

Hello Greshoff,

At step 7 you would want to select the partition that Windows 7 is installed on to mark it active, and not the 100MB partition. In the example screenshot, it would be Partition 2.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[greshoff]

Hello Greshoff,

At step 7 you would want to select the partition that Windows 7 is installed on to mark it active, and not the 100MB partition. In the example screenshot, it would be Partition 2.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Thanks. Does one run the Start up Repair process once to repair the start up?

 

[Brink]

Usually running Startup Repair once does the job, but sometimes it may take up to 3 times.

 

[greshoff]

THanks, So to clarify if after running Startup Repair the system does not boot one boots from Windows CD and runs Startup Repair again, retry booting from hard drive, if this does not work run Startup Repair for a 3rd time