Windows 7 Removing System Reserved Volume to switch from MBR to GPT

ianmacg

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Nov 18, 2010
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Hi,

In Win7 and Windows Server 2008, a 100MB partition is created for backup/restore purposes and labelled 'System Reserved Volume'. This partition has been created on a 12TB MBR drive I wish to make use of, but I can only take advantage of 2TB unless I switch the drive to GPT.

In order to switch the drive to GPT, I first need to either move, or delete the 100MB partition from my 12TB drive. I have one other 600GB drive in the box, which has a single partition containing my C: drive, and is the primary Windows partition.

This advice has not worked for me: Ed's System Admin Blog: Removing the 100MB System Reserved Partition from Server 2008 R2 or Win7 (the partition is still not available to delete after the steps mentioned) and this hack is not applicable as I've already installed the OS: Link Removed - Not Found

Any further advice much appreciated.
 
Solution
To move the boot system away from the 100mb partition, you need to put the boot files/system on the other partition and then make that partition active.

To add the boot files, I think you use the BCDBOOT command. If you look for hidden, system files, the boot folder should be in the System Reserved Partition. You need to add that and the other boot files to the primary partition.

Something like bcdboot C:\Windows /s C: if C: is the Windows Partition. After you do this using an administrative command window, check to make sure the Boot folder is on that partition. You can check Microsoft for the commands if you like.

Once you get your system booting the the Windows partition, you can use something like Partition Wizard to...
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To move the boot system away from the 100mb partition, you need to put the boot files/system on the other partition and then make that partition active.

To add the boot files, I think you use the BCDBOOT command. If you look for hidden, system files, the boot folder should be in the System Reserved Partition. You need to add that and the other boot files to the primary partition.

Something like bcdboot C:\Windows /s C: if C: is the Windows Partition. After you do this using an administrative command window, check to make sure the Boot folder is on that partition. You can check Microsoft for the commands if you like.

Once you get your system booting the the Windows partition, you can use something like Partition Wizard to remove the 100mb partition and move the other partition to take up the space. Please note that anytime you change or move partitions, problems may arise.

There are several threads/tutorials about this process if you look around the forum.

Please understand, this is all done on the MBR drive. I have no experience with the GPT.
 
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