Update failed: Cumulative Update for Windows 11, version 25H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5070773) (26200.6901)

[ChatGPT]

You’re right — that uninstaller “did nothing” can happen for a few reasons. Short version: don’t worry — you can stop Edge from taking everything immediately (safe), and then try one final uninstall attempt (or just remove the shortcuts). Below are two safe paths (recommended order) plus exact PowerShell commands you can run now or tomorrow. I’ll keep it short and clear.
Why the setup.exe sometimes appears to “do nothing”

• The uninstaller may be blocked by running Edge processes or by update services.
• The setup.exe may run but return a non‑zero exit code (silent failure) — we need the exit code or the installer log to know why. You already told me the exact Edge Installer folder path earlier (C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\141.0.3537.92\Installer).

What I recommend (two-step, safe)
1) Stop Edge from opening everything (do this first — easiest, reversible)

• Set another browser as default (this immediately stops links and .url files launching Edge):
  • Settings → Apps → Default apps → choose Chrome (or Firefox) → set for HTTP, HTTPS, .htm, .html.
  • Or open this from PowerShell: Start-Process ms-settings:defaultapps
• Unpin Edge from Taskbar / Start (right‑click → Unpin).

If you only want to stop Edge opening links, that’s all you need.
2) One last, reliable uninstall attempt (PowerShell — admin)
Run these exact commands in an elevated PowerShell (copy/paste). They stop Edge processes/services, run the installer uninstaller and print the exit code and logs so we can see what happened.
a) Stop Edge services/processes
Stop-Service -Name "edgeupdate" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Stop-Service -Name "edgeupdatem" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Get-Process -Name msedge -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
b) Run the exact setup.exe you showed and capture the exit code
$setup = 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\141.0.3537.92\Installer\setup.exe'
if (Test-Path $setup) {
$p = Start-Process -FilePath $setup -ArgumentList '--uninstall','--system-level','--force-uninstall','--verbose-logging' -Wait -PassThru
Write-Host "Edge uninstaller exit code:" $p.ExitCode
} else {
Write-Host "setup.exe not found at $setup"
}

• If the ExitCode is 0 → uninstaller succeeded. Check the folder:
  Test-Path 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge'
• If ExitCode ≠ 0 or you see errors, do the next step.

c) Find the uninstaller logs (so we can read why it failed)
Get-ChildItem 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\141.0.3537.92\Installer' -Filter '*.log' | Select-Object Name,LastWriteTime

• If you want, copy the most recent log file to your Desktop and paste its last ~50 lines here (I’ll read it and tell you the single fix):
  Get-Content '<full-log-path-from-above>' -Tail 50

If the above still fails or setup.exe is absent, fallback options
A — winget uninstall (if winget present)
winget uninstall --id Microsoft.Edge -e
B — Rename the Edge program folder (safe workaround)

• This prevents Edge from running as before; you can reinstall later:
  Rename-Item 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge' 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge.removed' -Force
  

  If you rename, also remove Edge shortcuts from Taskbar/Start and set defaults as above.​

C — If shortcuts are URL shortcuts (.url)

• Fix one example: right‑click the desktop icon → Properties → Change… → choose your browser → Always use this.
• If many .url files, setting default browser for HTTP/HTTPS handles them.

If you want me to parse the reason the uninstaller “did nothing”

• Run the Stop + Start-Process block above and paste the ExitCode.
• Copy the most recent Edge installer log and paste the last ~50 lines. I’ll read it and give a single command to finish the uninstall (or the exact folder rename command if that’s simplest).

If you prefer to postpone until tomorrow (you were exhausted before)

• Do just the safe step: set a different default browser now and unpin Edge. That fixes the immediate annoyance. Run the uninstall + log steps when you’re fresh and I’ll parse them immediately.

References

• I previously suggested the same Stop → run setup.exe → check logs sequence and the default-app fix.

What do you want to do now?

• “Try the uninstall” — I’ll wait for the ExitCode and log lines.
• “Just set defaults” — I’ll guide you step‑by‑step to set Chrome/Firefox as default and unpin Edge.
• “Rename folder” — I’ll give the exact rename command and clean‑up steps.

Rest up if you’re tired — I’ll be here when you’re ready.

 

[Distorted Vision]

I meant to post this.

 

[ChatGPT]

Thanks — that's helpful. Exit code 93 means the Edge uninstaller tried to run but failed (non‑zero exit). We need the installer log to know why; if you prefer, we can skip straight to a safe fallback (rename/remove Edge files so it can’t run). Below are two safe options (recommended order) and the exact PowerShell commands to run. I’ll wait for whichever you pick.
Option A — Try the uninstaller once more and show the installer log (diagnose)
This is the clean approach: re‑run the setup.exe uninstaller, capture the exit code, and paste the log tail so I can read the error.
Run these commands in an elevated PowerShell (copy/paste each block and wait for it to finish):
1) Kill Edge processes and stop Edge update services
Stop-Service -Name "edgeupdate" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Stop-Service -Name "edgeupdatem" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Get-Process -Name msedge -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
2) Re-run the Edge uninstaller and print the ExitCode
$setup = 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\141.0.3537.92\Installer\setup.exe'
if (Test-Path $setup) {
$p = Start-Process -FilePath $setup -ArgumentList '--uninstall','--system-level','--force-uninstall','--verbose-logging' -Wait -PassThru
Write-Host "Edge uninstaller exit code:" $p.ExitCode
} else {
Write-Host "setup.exe not found at $setup"
}
3) Show the newest installer log (paste the output here)
Get-ChildItem 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\141.0.3537.92\Installer' -Filter '*.log' | Sort-Object LastWriteTime -Descending | Select-Object -First 1 | ForEach-Object { Get-Content $_.FullName -Tail 120 }
Paste the ExitCode and the last ~120 lines of that log here. I’ll read it and give a single next command to finish the uninstall or fix the cause.
Option B — Quick safe fallback (remove Edge from the system now)
If you’re tired or just want Edge gone immediately, rename the Edge program folder and delete the update services. That’s reversible (you can reinstall Edge later) and immediately stops Edge running or being the default.
Run these commands as Administrator:
1) Rename the program folder (safe, non‑destructive):
Rename-Item 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge' 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge.removed' -Force
2) Stop & delete the Edge update services:
Stop-Service -Name "edgeupdate" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Stop-Service -Name "edgeupdatem" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
sc.exe delete edgeupdate
sc.exe delete edgeupdatem
3) Remove any remaining Start / Taskbar pins manually:

• Right‑click Edge on Taskbar → Unpin.
• Start → right‑click Edge → Unpin.

4) Set your preferred browser as default (GUI):
Settings → Apps → Default apps → choose Chrome/Firefox → set for HTTP/HTTPS and .htm/.html.
If you want to later completely remove leftover registry entries / scheduled tasks I can give those commands, but renaming + deleting the services is usually enough and easy to undo by reinstalling Edge.
Which do you want to do now?

• “Try uninstaller + show log” — I’ll wait for the ExitCode and the log tail you paste.
• “Rename now (fallback)” — I’ll wait while you run the rename & sc.exe delete commands and report success.

If you’re tired, the fallback (rename) will immediately stop Edge behavior and is safe — we can fully tidy up tomorrow.

 

[Distorted Vision]

This didn't seem to work either unless it requires a reboot?

 

[ChatGPT]

Thanks — that screenshot shows the uninstaller returning ExitCode 93 and your Rename-Item completed (no error). A couple of points and a safe, final cleanup sequence you can run now (or after a reboot) to remove Edge behavior.
Short explanation

• ExitCode 93 = the uninstaller failed for some reason (installer log would explain).
• Rename-Item succeeded (you renamed the folder). But while Edge processes, services, scheduled tasks or pinned shortcuts remain, you may still see Edge behaviour until you reboot or stop those services/processes. A reboot usually finishes the rename cleanup; if you don’t want to reboot now, stop Edge processes/services and remove the update services and scheduled tasks — then remove the folder.

Two simple choices (pick one)
A — Easiest / immediate: reboot now

• Reboot the PC. After boot Windows will no longer be able to run Edge from the original path and the rename will take effect. That is the simplest, least‑risky option. After reboot:
  • Set your default browser (Settings → Apps → Default apps) if needed.
  • If any Edge files remain, you can remove them then.

B — Do it now without reboot (more steps)

• Run these commands in an elevated PowerShell (copy/paste). They stop Edge processes/services, remove scheduled tasks, delete Edge update services, and remove the renamed folder (if not in use). I’ll show the commands and what each does. If a command fails because a file is in use, a reboot will be required.

Run these commands (Admin PowerShell)
1) Stop Edge processes and update services
Stop-Process -Name msedge -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Stop-Service -Name edgeupdate -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Stop-Service -Name edgeupdatem -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
2) Remove Edge scheduled tasks (if present)
schtasks /Query /FO LIST | findstr /I "EdgeUpdate"
schtasks /Delete /TN "MicrosoftEdgeUpdateTaskMachineCore" /F 2>$null
schtasks /Delete /TN "MicrosoftEdgeUpdateTaskMachineUA" /F 2>$null
3) Remove Edge update services (if still present)
sc.exe stop edgeupdate 2>$null
sc.exe stop edgeupdatem 2>$null
sc.exe delete edgeupdate 2>$null
sc.exe delete edgeupdatem 2>$null
4) Remove the renamed folder (if accessible)
Remove-Item 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge.removed' -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
5) Confirm Edge is no longer present
Test-Path 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge' ; Test-Path 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge.removed'
If those commands complete without error, Edge will be effectively removed/disabled. If any command reports “in use” or you still see Edge running after this, do a reboot — that will finish the cleanup.
Optional: show the installer log (diagnose)
If you want to know why the uninstaller failed (ExitCode 93), run this to print the last 120 lines of the latest Edge installer log and paste the output here:
Get-ChildItem 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\141.0.3537.92\Installer' -Filter '*.log' | Sort-Object LastWriteTime -Descending | Select-Object -First 1 | ForEach-Object { Get-Content $_.FullName -Tail 120 }
That will show the error messages the Edge setup produced and I can advise a precise fix (if you want a clean uninstall rather than the removal workaround).
Finally — restore defaults so links stop opening in Edge
Before or after the above, set your preferred browser as default:

• Settings → Apps → Default apps → pick Chrome/Firefox → set for HTTP & HTTPS and .htm/.html.

If you’d like, I can wait while you run the “no‑reboot” block above and tell me any errors you see — or I can wait till after you reboot and then confirm Edge is gone and KB5070773 troubleshooting resumes. Which do you want to do now?

 

[Distorted Vision]

Ignore that. It did work!

We're done for tonight. I am exhausted. Will return tomorrow. It seems there is alot of work to be done most of it my own creating.

 

[ChatGPT]

Understood — take a good rest. You’ve done a huge amount of careful troubleshooting tonight; it’s completely reasonable to stop and come back refreshed.
Short recap of what we achieved

• You diagnosed and attempted/followed the correct servicing repairs (DISM RestoreHealth, SSU, mbr2gpt conversion, in‑place repair).
• You extracted the KB package, installed the SSU, converted the disk to GPT, ran the in‑place repair.
• You removed Microsoft Edge (and stopped it from hijacking links).
• The system is booting on EFI/GPT now. Good progress.

When you return (recommended next short plan)
1) Verify KB5070773 is installed (single command, Admin PowerShell):
dism /Online /Get-Packages | findstr /I "KB5070773"

• If it’s listed — we’re done. Re‑enable Kaspersky and test what you need.
• If it’s not listed — run the small log collection (one shot) and attach them so I can give one exact remedial command:
  a) DISM excerpt:
  Select-String -Path "$env:windir\Logs\DISM\dism.log" -Pattern '0x800f0991','Error','Failed' -Context 3,8 | Out-File "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\dism_err_excerpt.txt" -Encoding ascii
  b) Full package list:
  dism /Online /Get-Packages | Out-File "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\Packages_full.txt" -Encoding ascii
  c) CBS excerpt:
  Select-String -Path "$env:windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log" -Pattern 'KB5070773','0x800f0991','error' -Context 3,8 | Out-File "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\CBS_excerpt.txt" -Encoding ascii
  d) WindowsUpdate log (optional but useful):
  Get-WindowsUpdateLog -LogPath "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\WindowsUpdate.log"
  Attach those files and I’ll give the single next command.

2) Recover your apps / settings

• If Windows.old exists and you want to recover personal files quickly, we can run robocopy to restore Desktop/Documents/Pictures. I’ll paste the exact robocopy lines when you’re ready.
• For missing apps (Office, Adobe), the usual approach is to reinstall from vendor accounts (Office via Microsoft account; Adobe via Creative Cloud). I can help with steps and product‑key advice.

3) Re‑enable protections

• After any installs/repairs, re‑enable Kaspersky and any other security tools.

If you want me to wait / resume

• Say “Continue tomorrow” or post the KB verification output when you return and I’ll pick up exactly from that point and give one single command to finish the job.

If you want one last thing before you go

• If you’d like the quick robocopy commands to recover Desktop/Documents from Windows.old, say “Give robocopy” and I’ll post them now so you can run them tomorrow.

Rest well — you did very well getting this far. I’ll be here when you’re ready to continue.

 

[Distorted Vision]

Looks like it worked.

 

[ChatGPT]

Great — glad Edge is gone and you can stop for the night. You did a lot of heavy troubleshooting; rest up and we’ll pick this up fresh tomorrow.
Very short recap (what you’ve done)

• Converted disk to GPT and created EFI boot entry (mbr2gpt).
• Ran in‑place repair.
• Stopped/removed Edge and its update tasks/services.
• KB5070773 still did not commit — we’ll finish that next time.

If you want to do one quick safe thing now (optional)

• If you want to restore personal files from the previous installation (Windows.old) later, use these robocopy commands tomorrow (run as Administrator). They copy Desktop and Documents from Windows.old into your current profile, preserving attributes:

confirm Windows.old exists​

Test-Path C:\Windows.old

copy Desktop​

robocopy "C:\Windows.old\Users\%USERNAME%\Desktop" "C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Desktop" /E /COPYALL /R:1 /W:1

copy Documents​

robocopy "C:\Windows.old\Users\%USERNAME%\Documents" "C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Documents" /E /COPYALL /R:1 /W:1
(If your username contains spaces, wrap the paths in quotes — the above uses %USERNAME% which works in PowerShell/cmd.)
Next steps for KB5070773 (when you’re ready)
1) Quick check whether KB installed (Admin PowerShell):
dism /Online /Get-Packages | findstr /I "KB5070773"
2a) If it’s listed — done. Re‑enable Kaspersky and resume normal use.
2b) If it’s not listed — gather these four tiny diagnostic files and attach them; I’ll parse and give one exact command to finish the install:
Select-String -Path "$env:windir\Logs\DISM\dism.log" -Pattern '0x800f0991','0x80070002','0x80070228','Error','Failed' -Context 3,8 | Out-File "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\dism_err_excerpt.txt" -Encoding ascii
dism /Online /Get-Packages | Out-File "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\Packages_full.txt" -Encoding ascii
Select-String -Path "$env:windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log" -Pattern 'KB5070773','0x800f0991','error' -Context 3,8 | Out-File "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\CBS_excerpt.txt" -Encoding ascii
Get-WindowsUpdateLog -LogPath "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\WindowsUpdate.log"
What I’ll do tomorrow when you post those

• I’ll read the logs and give one single remedial command (apply a CAB, run a DISM command with a specific source, or the minimal next repair step). No more trial‑and‑error.

If you want app recovery help

• I can give step‑by‑step to reinstall Office/Adobe or attempt a partial repair from Windows.old. We can do that tomorrow when you’re rested.

If you want to reinstall Edge later

• Reinstall from Microsoft or run:
  winget install --id Microsoft.Edge -e

Final: rest now

• You’ve earned a break. When you come back, tell me “Verify KB” or attach the small logs above and I’ll finish this with a single command. Sleep well — I’ll be here when you return.

 

[Distorted Vision]

Windows Update is installing KB5070773.

 

[ChatGPT]

Nice — that’s exactly the screen I hoped to see. Good progress.
Quick instructions (short & safe) — let that installer finish, then verify
1) Let Setup finish and reboot

• Do nothing now; allow Windows Update to complete and the PC to restart if it asks. Don’t interrupt power or force shutdown.

2) After the reboot — check the update (run one of these, elevated PowerShell)

• Quick check:
  dism /Online /Get-Packages | findstr /I "KB5070773"
• Alternative:
  Get-HotFix | Where-Object { $_.HotFixID -eq 'KB5070773' }

If either shows KB5070773, the install succeeded.
3) If KB5070773 is NOT listed (install still failed)
Collect these small logs (run as Administrator) and attach them — I’ll parse them and tell you the single next command:
Select-String -Path "$env:windir\Logs\DISM\dism.log" -Pattern '0x800f0991','0x80070002','0x80070228','Error','Failed' -CaseSensitive:$false -Context 3,8 | Out-File "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\dism_err_excerpt.txt" -Encoding ascii
dism /Online /Get-Packages | Out-File "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\Packages_full.txt" -Encoding ascii
Select-String -Path "$env:windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log" -Pattern 'KB5070773','0x800f0991','error' -Context 3,8 | Out-File "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\CBS_excerpt.txt" -Encoding ascii
Get-WindowsUpdateLog -LogPath "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\WindowsUpdate.log"
Attach those four files and I’ll give one exact remedial step (no more guessing).
Other small reminders

• Re‑enable Kaspersky after the update completes and you confirm success.
• If the in‑place repair changed apps/settings and you want to recover files next, we can run robocopy from C:\Windows.old — I can paste the commands tomorrow if you want.

Ready when you are

• If you want me to wait while it finishes, say “I’ll post results” and I’ll stand by.
• Otherwise run the verification commands after the reboot and post the result; I’ll take it from there.

 

[Distorted Vision]

I'll post the results. I want to see if KB5070773 installs successfully. It might help me sleep better if it does after all that effort.

 

[ChatGPT]

That sounds good — I’ll wait for your post. Quick, exact checklist you can follow after Setup finishes and the machine reboots (copy/paste these one‑liners from an elevated PowerShell when you’re back).
1) Verify the KB installed (run as Admin)
dism /Online /Get-Packages | findstr /I "KB5070773"
(or)
Get-HotFix | Where-Object { $_.HotFixID -eq 'KB5070773' }
If that returns a package line, KB5070773 installed successfully — congratulate yourself, re‑enable Kaspersky, and get some sleep.
2) If the KB is NOT listed, collect the small diagnostic files (run as Admin and attach them)
Select-String -Path "$env:windir\Logs\DISM\dism.log" -Pattern '0x800f0991','0x80070002','0x80070228','Error','Failed' -Context 3,8 | Out-File "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\dism_err_excerpt.txt" -Encoding ascii
dism /Online /Get-Packages | Out-File "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\Packages_full.txt" -Encoding ascii
Select-String -Path "$env:windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log" -Pattern 'KB5070773','0x800f0991','error' -Context 3,8 | Out-File "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\CBS_excerpt.txt" -Encoding ascii
Get-WindowsUpdateLog -LogPath "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\WindowsUpdate.log"
Attach those four files and I’ll read them and give the single next command — no more guessing.
3) If you want to restore personal files from the previous install (optional, tomorrow)
If C:\Windows.old exists and you want to pull back Desktop and Documents, run (Admin):
robocopy "C:\Windows.old\Users\%USERNAME%\Desktop" "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop" /E /COPYALL
robocopy "C:\Windows.old\Users\%USERNAME%\Documents" "$env:USERPROFILE\Documents" /E /COPYALL
That preserves timestamps and permissions.
I’m here — post the verification output when ready and I’ll take it from there. Sleep well either way; you’ve done excellent, thorough troubleshooting.

 

[Distorted Vision]

I think its installed.

 

[ChatGPT]

Fantastic — that screenshot shows KB5070773 is installed (InstalledOn is today). Well done — you pushed through a complicated sequence and got the update applied. Rest now; below is a short, practical wrap‑up and the exact, safe next steps you can do when you’re ready.
Quick confirmation

• KB5070773 is installed. Good — the main objective of this thread is done.

Immediate actions to finish up (short)
1) Re‑enable security

• Re‑enable Kaspersky and any other security apps you paused. Open Kaspersky and turn protection back on.

2) Restore personal desktop files (if you want)

• If Setup created C:\Windows.old and you want to copy Desktop/Documents back, run (Admin PowerShell — replace %USERNAME% if needed):

robocopy "C:\Windows.old\Users\%USERNAME%\Desktop" "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop" /E /COPYALL /R:1 /W:1
robocopy "C:\Windows.old\Users\%USERNAME%\Documents" "$env:USERPROFILE\Documents" /E /COPYALL /R:1 /W:1
3) Reinstall missing applications

• Reinstall Office from your Microsoft account (or the installer/license you have).
• Reinstall Adobe via Creative Cloud.
• Reinstall Chrome/Firefox if you removed them. (Sign in to each service to restore profile sync if used.)

4) Clean up (optional)

• If you no longer need Windows.old, remove it to free space (Admin PowerShell):
  Remove-Item "C:\Windows.old" -Recurse -Force
• Create a system Restore Point or a disk image now that the system is in the desired state.

Useful verification commands (one‑liners)

• Confirm the KB (one more time):
  dism /Online /Get-Packages | findstr /I "KB5070773"
• Show installed hotfix:
  Get-HotFix | Where-Object { $_.HotFixID -eq 'KB5070773' }

If anything still looks off (next diagnostic step)

• If after re‑enable/reinstall you find further problems, capture the three small logs and attach them and I’ll parse them and give one exact command:
  • DISM excerpt: select DISM log lines mentioning 0x800f0991
  • Packages list (dism /Online /Get-Packages)
  • CBS excerpt lines mentioning KB5070773
    (We used these earlier — they give the exact failure detail if anything reoccurs.)

Notes about the system state

• You converted the disk to GPT and completed the in‑place repair; the system now boots via EFI. Your board doesn’t support Secure Boot / TPM PCR7 (that’s OK — Windows runs).
• The in‑place repair removed some installed apps (Office/Adobe) — you will need to reinstall those. Your personal files are almost certainly intact (and recoverable from Windows.old if present).

If you want, I can:

• Post a short “Resolved — temporary workaround/in‑place repair applied and KB5070773 installed” message for the forum thread you asked to close.
• Walk through recovering your Desktop/Documents from Windows.old step‑by‑step and then help with reinstallation of Office/Adobe.
• Parse any logs if you see an error later.

Would you like:
A) A short resolved post for the forum (I’ll post text you can copy), or
B) I’ll wait and help you recover files + reinstall apps tomorrow?
Get some rest — you earned it. I’ll be here when you return.

 

[Distorted Vision]

Goodnight and speak tomorrow

 

[ChatGPT]

Goodnight — well done today. Rest up.
When you’re back tomorrow I can pick up exactly where we left off — verify anything else, help restore apps/files from Windows.old, or post the short “resolved” message for your thread. Just post here when you’re ready and I’ll jump in.
Sleep well.

 

[Distorted Vision]

Good morning ChatGPT.

Before we proceed with restoring apps / files. There are two issues I would like to address first.

The first issue is the partitions I have:

Can the partition R: be deleted

Also is it possible to hide the System Reserved partition by unassigning a drive letter?

 

[ChatGPT]

Good morning — quick answers up front, then exact safe steps you can run (and what to check first).
Short answers

• Can R: be deleted? — Yes, but only if it’s a recovery partition you no longer need and after you confirm the system doesn’t rely on any files stored there. Deleting it is irreversible for the recovery data; always make a recovery USB / image first. See the safety checklist below.
• Can System Reserved be hidden by removing its drive letter? — Yes. It’s normal and safe to remove the drive letter for the System Reserved / EFI partition so it no longer shows in File Explorer. That does not delete anything. If the System Reserved partition actually still contains boot files that Windows needs, do NOT delete it — just remove the drive letter to hide it.

Why the caution

• The OS boot files and BCD (boot configuration) sometimes live on small “System” / “System Reserved” partitions or on other recovery partitions. If you delete the wrong partition (or remove the wrong files) you can make the system unbootable. The usual safe process is: confirm where the boot files are, make boot/recovery media, then remove the partition (or hide it). Forum posts show people moving boot files with bcdboot and only then deleting the SRP.

Step‑by‑step — what to do now (recommended order)
Do these steps exactly, and stop and paste any output if something looks unexpected. Run from an elevated PowerShell or an Administrator Command Prompt.
A — Safety first (must do)
1) Create a full system backup or image (recommended)

• Use your imaging tool of choice (Macrium Reflect Free, Acronis, etc.) and make a full image of Disk 0. This protects you in case you need to roll back.

2) Create a Windows Recovery USB (recommended)

• Search “Create a recovery drive” in Start and follow the wizard. Alternatively in an admin prompt you can run:
  Start-Process ms-settings:recovery
  (But use the UI wizard — it’s safer for most users.)

B — Confirm what R: actually contains (don’t delete yet)
1) Temporarily assign letter (if not already) and inspect the files

• If R: is currently mounted you can inspect it. If not, assign and inspect:
  diskpart
  list disk
  select disk 0
  list partition
  select partition <#> <-- pick the partition that corresponds to R: from Disk Management
  assign letter=R
  exit
• Then in PowerShell (Admin):
  Get-ChildItem R:\ -Force | Select-Object Name,Length
  Look for folders like RecoveryImage, WindowsRE, \Recovery\WindowsRE\, or an install.wim. If you see an install.wim or RecoveryImage, that partition contains a recovery image you may want to keep or export.

C — If you confirm R: is purely an OEM / recovery partition you no longer need
(only proceed if you are OK losing OEM recovery — you have backups / recovery USB)
Option 1 — Remove letter (hide) (if you just want it hidden, not deleted)

• To hide System Reserved (E and recovery (R so they don’t show in Explorer:
  

  Example — replace disk/partition numbers with the correct ones you saw​

  Remove-PartitionAccessPath -DiskNumber 0 -PartitionNumber 2 -AccessPath "E:\"
  Remove-PartitionAccessPath -DiskNumber 0 -PartitionNumber 4 -AccessPath "R:\"
• Or using diskpart:
  diskpart
  select disk 0
  select partition <partitionNumberForE>
  remove letter=E
  select partition <partitionNumberForR>
  remove letter=R
  exit

That makes them hidden but keeps them available if needed later. This is safe and reversible (you can reassign a letter later).
Option 2 — Delete R: (if you want the space reclaimed)
Only do this after you have:

• verified the boot files are on the EFI/System partition (you should see Windows Boot Manager in bcdedit) — you already converted to GPT and showed the EFI entry earlier, so that step is probably OK on your machine, but double‑check; and
• created a recovery USB or full disk image.

Commands (Admin PowerShell or diskpart)

• Use diskpart to delete the partition (this is definitive):

diskpart
list disk
select disk 0
list partition
select partition <N> <-- the 727MB recovery partition (confirm number)
delete partition override
exit
After deleting the partition you’ll have unallocated space. To merge that into C: you generally need to remove any partitions between C: and the unallocated space or use a third‑party partition tool (see below). If the unallocated space is immediately adjacent to C:, you can extend C: in Disk Management.
D — If your goal is to expand C: into that space

• If the unallocated space is NOT directly adjacent to C: (i.e., there are other small partitions between), Windows Disk Management cannot move / merge partitions. Use a trusted third‑party partition tool that can move/resize partitions (example: MiniTool Partition Wizard, AOMEI Partition Assistant, GParted live USB). Many in the forums recommend using GParted or Partition Wizard to move/merge partitions safely — but only after you have a full image backup.

E — Verify boot and recovery afterwards

• If you deleted the recovery partition or removed letters, verify boot works:
  bcdedit /enum ALL
  Get-Disk -Number 0 | Format-List PartitionStyle
  Get-Partition -DiskNumber 0 | Format-Table PartitionNumber,DriveLetter,Size,Type -AutoSize
• If you moved boot files earlier there are documented commands using bcdboot to copy the boot files to C: before deleting the SRP (example: bcdboot C:\Windows /s C — the forum guidance shows this as the standard method before deleting an SRP.

F — If anything goes wrong (immediate recovery)

• Boot from the Windows recovery USB you created and run Startup Repair, or use the command prompt and run:
  bootrec /fixmbr
  bootrec /fixboot
  bcdboot C:\Windows /s <EFIdriveLetter> /f UEFI
  (If you used mbr2gpt earlier you should boot UEFI and use bcdboot accordingly.) Forum threads show using bcdboot and diskpart to repair/replace boot files if you moved or removed partitions.

Summary recommendation for your exact case (based on your screenshots)

• Your disk is now GPT and you already have an EFI System partition and Windows Boot Manager entry (good). That means R: is likely a leftover recovery partition you can remove if you don’t need the OEM recovery image — but do this only after making a full image and creating a Windows recovery USB. If you only want it hidden, remove the drive letter for R: (and for System Reserved/E — that is the safest immediate step. If later you want the space merged into C:, use a partition tool to delete/move partitions and extend C:.

If you want, I can:

• Walk you through the commands step‑by‑step while you run them (I’ll wait at each step), OR
• Provide the exact diskpart commands you need for your current partition numbers (tell me the PartitionNumber for R: and for System Reserved from Disk Management) and I’ll produce the copy‑paste commands.

Which do you prefer — “Hide R: and System Reserved (remove drive letters) now” or “Delete R: now (I have backups and want the space)”?

 

[Distorted Vision]

Please advse about R: