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hidden partition

About this tag
Hidden partitions are common in Windows systems, often created during OS installation for boot files, recovery, or system utilities. Users encounter hidden partitions when troubleshooting boot issues, dual-booting multiple Windows versions, or replacing drives. For example, a hidden EFI system partition may contain the boot manager, and its absence or corruption can cause 'Boot Manager not found' errors. Some laptops include a hidden recovery partition with the original Windows installation. Users sometimes seek to remove or hide these partitions to simplify disk layouts or enable dual-booting with Linux. However, hidden partitions are not always present; Windows 7 may not create one depending on the installation method. Managing hidden partitions requires careful attention to avoid breaking system boot functionality.
  1. P

    Windows 10 Boot Manager Not Found after secondary drive replaced

    I did a fresh install of Windows 10 on a new Samsung SSD drive several months ago. I have a second drive in my system which is my data drive. I've had no issues for several months. Yesterday I decided to replace my secondary drive with a bigger drive. When I powered up my computer I get a...
    • Pool player
    • Thread
    • bcdboot boot issues boot manager data drive disk management efi partition guid hard drive hidden partition installation issues partition recovery partition ssd startup system repair system restore troubleshooting windows 10 windows installation
    • Replies: 7
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  2. T

    Windows 10 Issue Dual-Booting and Installing 2nd Windows 10

    I have been running Windows 10 on a desktop I built using a 120GB SSD. PC running great but needed more space. Had an extra HDD (750GB) from a Toshiba laptop. Wiped, formatted, bought W10 key, and installed as secondary drive. To be clear I know have one PC tower with 2 drives that each have...
  3. O

    Windows 7 Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem...

    windows 7 error by Ognjen posted Feb 8, 2016 at 8:48 PM My problem is that i have installed Windows xp on my second hdd(that im not using now),and i alredy haved windows 7 installed on my first hdd witch i use now(i connected my second hdd to my pc,installed xp and disconnected it).I cannot...
    • Ognjen
    • Thread
    • boot issues drive configuration error message hbcd hdd hidden partition recovery windows 7 windows xp
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  4. Brandon Near

    Windows 8 Asus R500A Laptop Windows 8 Recovery Woes

    The laptop is an Asus R500A with Windows 8 (not 8.1) that I just purchased from a guy on Kijiji. I got the thing home and did the recovery on it, all went as it should have and I was able to boot straight to the desktop where I went about performing the usual new Windows OS tasks; updates and...
    • Brandon Near
    • Thread
    • asus automatic repair command prompt diskpart drivers error message file recovery hidden partition laptop oem disk oem key r500a recovery recovery partition reinstall windows ssd system restore troubleshooting troubleshooting tools windows 8
    • Replies: 6
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  5. sammytruck

    Windows 8 Removing hidden partition with Windows 8 on it...

    My Acer-V5 laptop has a hidden partition with Windows 8 on it. I ran Jelly-Bean Finder and got my 25 digit serial number. Could I get/download a copy of Windows 8, use MY serial number, and wipe the whole drive? Then install Windows 8, without any hidden partition? I want to do all this...
  6. M

    Windows 7 Windows 7 Hidden Partition

    Hi. I don't see any hidden partitions neither in "Disk Manager" nor in "MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition". It turns Windows 7 may don't create a hidden partiton? And use for BOOT, bootmgr and System Volume Information the same partition as for Windows dir? And what does it depend: create...
    • minvg
    • Thread
    • boot options bootmgr disk management disk usage hidden partition installation partition wizard storage system volume windows 7
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows Upgrade and Installation
  7. snokey

    Windows 7 7 does not see D:\drive

    Hi All, After installing 7 32bit over Vista, 250GB HDD, 7 does now not recognise,patition3 which was "ACERDATA-D" 107GB + "ACER-C" O/S 111GB. Windows tools allow me to do nothing,however i have found a program that can find and mount "non visible Partitions" I have tried formating this...
    • snokey
    • Thread
    • acer computer issues data recovery disk management drive file system formatting hdd hidden partition installation mounting non-visible partition recovery tech support windows 7 write protection
    • Replies: 4
    • Forum: Windows Hardware
  8. P

    Windows 7 How to edit/rename boot menu entries? Hide other Win7 primary partitions?

    On my computer I have 3 primary partitions: 1. "System reserve" which contains e.g.the Bootmamanger and MBR 2. First Win 7 installation ("main") 3. Second Win 7 installation ("reserve") When I boot now at first the Bootmanager on the first primary partition is called/started which in...
    • pstein
    • Thread
    • boot boot manager boot menu boot options computer setup disk management drive visibility explorer hidden partition mbr multiple installations partition primary partition rename entries storage system reserve system settings user interface windows 7
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows Upgrade and Installation
  9. Freckles

    Windows 7 Booting from Norton Ghost

    Hello! i am trying to boot the Win 7 with ghost image made on identical computer. When i was making the image, i have seen that there is hidden (2GB if i remember well) system partition, so i made recovery point of that hidden partition (i didnt know for what it is) and C. I am not backing up...
    • Freckles
    • Thread
    • backup boot issues data recovery disk image ghost 15 hidden partition norton recovery points system partition windows 7
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  10. M

    Windows 7 Windows 7 service paritition

    HI, I have bought a Lenovo Y550 IdeaPad with Windows 7 64 bit home premium preinstalled. While creating recovery disc, it fails with error saying "Cannot find service partition". I can also see the service partition, when actually it should be hidden. Is this a laptop issue or Windows 7 issue...
    • mjabade
    • Thread
    • error hidden partition home premium labtop issue lenovo operating system recovery disc service partition windows 7 y550
    • Replies: 2
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  11. T

    Windows 7 Problems loading: c000021a {Fatal System Error} ... status of 0xc000003a

    Hey everybody. So the full error code in blue screen after booting (after win7 loading logo) is: Had the autocheck bad boy as well: Eliminated it via registry. So, pretty much only 0xc000003a is left. Also, autocheck as I understand is just an indicator of a problem rather than a cause...
    • tureklay
    • Thread
    • active drive autocheck bad sectors blue screen boot issues disk check dual boot error fatal error file recovery grub hidden partition linux mbr partition registry repair system restore tech support windows 7
    • Replies: 11
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  12. D

    Windows 7 Win 7 Premium install?

    I was going to install Win7 Premium on an Acer T180 desktop.My 140 gb hdd is partitioned C and D of 70 gbs each.I was going to install Win7 on the D drive but I was afraid it might mess up my E recovery hidden partition.Does this sound like a good plan?I wish I had a way I could burn off my...
  13. A

    Windows 7 Issues with Autochk During ShadowProtect Installation and Endless Reboot Cycle

    I want to install a product named Shadowprotect Desktop (backup software) from Storagecraft. When I do it requires a reboot. When I reboot, I get the message: “Autochk Program not found – skipping Autocheckâ€Â￾. the computer then recycles endlessly. The recovery does not work...
    • alkolkin
    • Thread
    • autochk backup computer issues disk management hidden partition installation loop partition raid reboot issues recovery shadowprotect software issues storagecraft system information troubleshooting windows 7
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  14. C

    Windows 7 Windows 7 multiboot issue

    windows 7 keeps restarting when there is a hidden primary NTFS formatted partition I assume it tries to install it's bootmanager there but is then unable to finish the installation why is it that windows 7 can detect a hidden partition during installation and then decides to use it anyway even...
    • chriske
    • Thread
    • boot boot manager configuration disk management grub hidden partition installation mbr multi-boot ntfs operating system partition restart tech support troubleshooting windows 7
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows Upgrade and Installation
  15. Mike

    Windows Vista Be careful installing Beta 2 on Dell laptops

    As an alert to people who may want to install Beta 2 on Dell laptops or computers with a emergency restore partition: Dell laptops have a hidden partition on the hard drive to restore the original operating system that came with the computer. To activate the emergency restore, you hit CTRL-F11...
    • Mike
    • Thread
    • beta boot record clean install dell emergency restore floppy drive hidden partition installation alert norton operating system partition restore process system restore windows vista windows xp
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
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