How to Prevent Windows 7 from Creating a Hidden /Recovery /System Reserved Partition during Installation
When you are installing Windows 7 in a fresh hard disk that has unallocated space, the setup will create a hidden partition at the starting of the hard disk drive which will be around 100MB in size. Windows 7 creates this hidden or recovery partition to store system files and bootable files that are required to boot your computer in recovery mode. Below is an example where we can see the system created hidden or recovery partition:
I generally don’t prefer to have a separate small partition at the beginning of my hard drive so here is how to prevent Windows 7 from creating hidden or recovery partition.
How to Prevent Windows 7 from Creating a Hidden or Recovery Partition during Installation
Note: This procedure is applicable only if you are doing a clean install on hard disk that contains unallocated space. Doing this procedure in a hard disk that already contains data will cause data loss.
1. In this case we are going to install the Windows 7 in a hard disk of 30GB capacity i.e with 30720MB. When the partitioning screen is encountered select the Drive options (advanced) to access the partitioning options.
2. Now using the ‘New’ button try to create a partition.
Enter the partition size that you intend to create and apply the settings.
3. Now Windows 7 will prompt a message that reads “To ensure that all Windows features work correctly, Windows might create additional partitions for system files”. Click the OK button, now you will see there are two partitions one is of 100MB in size and other is with 29.9GB in size.
4. Now delete the bigger or second partition using the delete the button option.
Windows will prompt you with the following message, “ The partition might contain recovery files, system files, or important software from your computer manufacturer. If you delete this partition, any data stored on it will be lost.”
After the second partition is deleted it will again go to unallocated state again.
5. In this step we would have to extend the system reserved partition of 100MB
In the extend option enter the partition size of the your choice. Say if you have a 30GB hard disk and wish to have a partition of 20GB and 10GB then enter 20GB and click apply. This will now create a partition of 20GB and remaining 10GB will be in unallocated status. Again use the ‘New’ option to create a partition of 10GB, your partition should look like this.
Though the 20GB partition here is referred to as ‘System Reserved’, Windows 7 will be able to install in this partition due to the free space availability. If you want to use the entire disk then in the extend options enter the size of entire remaining free space and you will use the entire disk and it would look like this:
In case of any questions please post it in comment section.
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Very helpful explanation, saved me some space on my eee901!
Windows 7 – System Reserved Partition…
When installing Windows 7 to an unused drive the setup program creates a separate 100MB sized partition out of the space you allocate for the new system partition.
I discovered that deleting the second partition comprising the bulk of the used space…
Thanks a lot! nice guide to avoid that annoying partition.
Works like a charm, thanks :]
I’ll be sure to remember these sequences of steps if I ever waste my time to install this vista turd of an OS.. what were they thinking!?! or don’t they! bloody idiots!
was it too much to just add into the hdd setup a checkbox for add-recovery partition-that-is-not-worth-bothering-with-anyway
that’s pretty dumb, and risky.. you should be able to easily partition your drive the way you want without some stupid hidden 100mb being added.. easily!!! so face it, Win7 is screw up from top to bottom right from the crappy setup, the XP setup is better than this shit considering the age difference.
Where is the fucking progress Microsuck?
Thanks alot
I think that an easier way to get rid of this System reserved partition thingy in Win7 is to use Hiren’s BootCD and using Partition Magic or any other partitioning tool for that matter to create first paritions and then inserting Win7 DVD and going through the install steps without touching partitions with Windows 7 DVD. I have not tried it ,but I think that it should work like a charm. I really don’t want that System reserved partition in the beginning of the disk.
Thanks alot!
Hmmmm,
Seems some of you want to blow off this partition without even knowing what its used for. I read its for bitlocker a win 7 disk encryption. This is a great improvement to add this now during setup rather than reload later to have this function. I love Crunch’s comments above………You need to get a MAC.
If it is for bitlocker then having any of the Windows 7 versions under the Ultimate means that you don’t need the seperate partition. It makes sense to me to put it with the OS partition. As to the comment about Windows 7 sucks, I don’t agree. It’s one hell of an improvement to Vista. But of course, if there is another OS your used to working with, then I can see why you would rather work with what your comfortable with. Windows 7 is still new and needs to work out whatever bugs there are, but overall I have not had any problems and the speed of it is so much better than that crappy Vista. There for a while I had both Vista and 7 on my laptop to compare the to…….Windows 7 crushes Vista. I do have to add that I work with XP all the time and I personally like Windows 7 better. Each to their own of course.
hello to all
i have a really wondering question concerning to this problem, effectively about partition within windows 7. why can’t we delete the partition systeme reserved after extending ?
if we install windows 7 on the reserved systeme, windows will get error writing that on this reserved systeme is not programmed to install windows!and another problem appeare many times when i install windows normally in unpartition, it works but if i install any softwares in it, it can’t boot the next start. i don’t know what going on exactly with this new windows 7!
It also stops you from generating a system recovery image like Gigabyte Express Recovery 2, as GER2 will only do the first partition to the unallocated space at the backend of your HDD
excellent tip! thank you.
windows 7 home premium 64-bit full oem still had an unallocated space of 0.0 mb, but after installation is complete it doesn’t create any phantom drive that i can find.
don’t forget to rename the drive from ‘reserved space’ lol.
i have installed win7 with the presence of hidden recovery partition
what happen if i accidentally deleted the hidden recovery partition??
is that causing any big problem?
hai everybody…
Hidden partition is for system backup (and not for encryption)
[practically windows backup does not help you to recover from a system crash; AND if it do, the system will be deadly slow]
This technique works perfectly…
*** One Question; if installing on a 30 GB partition of 160 GB hard disk, does the installation on system reserve space results in using the next partition (for installation)??
This article explains what all of the different partitions types in Windows 7 are used for:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd799232(WS.10).aspx
Wow my hero. This is going to help a lot with our imaging process at work. I have been beating my head against the wall trying to get win7 to image. Just keep imaging the recovery partition instead. thanks bro.
I noticed that if you click the Format button for the drive, before clicking Next, it removes the “System Reserved” name and you can still install Windows to it. Not sure if it makes any real difference but I figured I would mention it.
this System Reserved partition also contains the activation history and serial keys you have used on a single computer.