I'm running XP Home SP3 and Win7 Pro 32 bit in a dual-boot setup. I use Macrium Reflect to image the entire boot drive.
Looking at the graphic for Disk Management in both XP and Win7 (shown), I don't see the 100MB System Reserved partition, even though the numbers add up as shown. Shouldn't that 100MB partition be visible? Where would it be located? Between the two main partitions D: and C: ?
My Computer
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Self-Built
OS
Win10 Pro 64-bit
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Motherboard
Gigabyte X570 UD
Memory
32 GB Kingston DDR4-2666
Graphics Card(s)
MSI nVidia GT 710 (2GB)
Sound Card
Creative Audigy FX 5.1
Monitor(s) Displays
ViewSonic VG2439Smh 24"
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
3xWD1TB; 1xSeagate 1TB... all spinning rust
PSU
EVGA 100-W1-0500-KR (500w)
Case
SilverStone PS10 (modified)
Cooling
CPU:AMD Wraith Prism. Case:3x Noctua 120mm
Keyboard
Compaq Professional PS/2
Mouse
Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse 2.0
Internet Speed
Fiber 1Gbit/sec down/up
Antivirus
Avast Free
Browser
FF, Chrome
Other Info
2x LG GH24NSC0 DVD burners, Mackie CR3 monitor speakers
If the drive was already partitoned when you installed Windows 7, it will not create a Reserved partiton.
It will put the boot data, etc. on the first partition it sees.
My Computer
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom Built
OS
Windows 10 Pro x64, Windows 8.1 Pro x64, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1,
CPU
INTEL i9-7920X LGA 2066
Motherboard
Gigabyte X299-WU8 F3
Memory
64 GB (4 X 16 GB) G-Skill V Series DDR4 3200 Quad Channel
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GTX 1060 SC 3 GB
Sound Card
Realtek Onboard ALC1220
Monitor(s) Displays
2 x Samsung S27E310
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
Samsung 2 x 970 EVO Plus 500 GB NVMe
1 x 6TB WD 6003FZBX SATA
1 x 6TB WD 60EFRX SATA
12 x 3TB WD 30EFRX SATA
As pbcopter says, it will only create a System Reserved partition on an unpartitioned drive.
Through past experiences (and headaches) it's no big loss. While it can be handy to have the boot files on a separate drive it can cause problems. It can get filled up and cause errors when trying to create a System Image. I had to extend mine to 300mb to get around the issue. Why Microsoft made it 100mb I'll never understand. It was 200mb in the Windows 7 Beta and they should have kept it at that size.
As long as you have a System Repair Disc or Install Disc then you won't really need it.
My Computer
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom Build
OS
Win 7 Ultimate, Win 8.1 Pro, Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon (All 64-Bit)
CPU
Intel i5 4690K
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H
Memory
Corsair Vengeance LP 32GB DDR3
Graphics Card(s)
MSI GTX 1060 GAMING X 6GB
Sound Card
Onboard
Hard Drives
Samsung 850 EVO 250GB SSD (x2)
Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SSD (x2)
Crucial MX300 525GB SSD
WD Blue 2TB 5400rpm Intellipark Disabled (x2)
PSU
Corsair HX750i
Case
Phanteks Enthoo Pro
Cooling
CM Hyper 212 EVO on CPU, Noctua Redux NF-P14S 1500rpm (x6)
Keyboard
Corsair K70 RGB LUX
Mouse
Corsair Sabre RGB
Antivirus
Avast Free, MalwareBytes, SAS & CryptoPrevent
Browser
Chrome
Other Info
StarTech PEXESAT322I 2 Port PCI-E SATA Card
ASUS PCE-AC56 Dual-band AC1300 Wireless Card
Akasa FC.Six Manual Fan Controller
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree!
