Windows 8 Upgrading from Win 8 to 8.1 created a new 472MB recovery partition?

[dusf]

Hi

Before upgrading I had 4 partitions for my UEFI Windows 8 install, the main partition for the system, and the three others it created during install. After upgrading to Windows 8.1 it has reduced the main Windows partition by 472MB and created a new 472MB recovery partition.

I have not yet run any Windows 8.1 updates as the drivers for my laptop are tricky and to make everything work as it should I need to install them before running updates. What I have run is Disk Cleanup, which I had remove the old Windows install.

Is it normal for Windows 8.1 upgrade to create this new recovery partition and is it going to delete it or the old recovery partition and merge it with the main Windows 8.1 partition?

 

[Saltgrass]

It is normal for an 8.1 update to make a new recovery partition. If yours is 472 MB, then Microsoft has modified the process to allow for an install that needs more room than the 350 MB they were doing earlier.

It will not delete the Old recovery partition since in may be necessary to Reset your system back to the Factory condition from the OEM install.

My theory is that some OEM installs used a large Recovery Tools partition, maybe 400-1000MB, and were causing problems when a 350 MB partition was used to replace it. So perhaps the update is now making a partition large enough to hold what is required. If you can create a System Image Backup without getting a VSS error, you should be in good shape.

 

[dusf]

Thanks for the info. I am not using OEM software. I installed Windows 8 from the CD I ordered from MS and then upgraded online using my upgrade product key.

Once everything is as it should be that was my main concern, that said, it seems messy to have two recovery partitions, especially with one of them to the right of the main Windows partition because if I want to resize that by shrinking my data partition that was supposed to be next to it this would mean deleting the new Windows 8.1 recovery partition. Is there a way around this?

I called Microsoft, told them I had an upgrade key that I paid for but I would like access to Windows 8.1 image so I can install it without installing Windows 8 first. They directed me to a Microsoft page where there was an option to 'Install Windows 8.1' but it would not take my recovery key, so I am guessing it needs a full product key - stupid seeing as how we should all end up with the same product. Is there anyway around this?

I know there are less legitimate places online one could download Windows 8.1 but I fear they may have been tampered with and contain malware.

 

[Saltgrass]

You could try moving the partition by using third party software... Such an operation can always be dangerous.

There is a trick to download the 8.1 .iso file where you go to the Microsoft site to download the 8.0 .iso and then stop the operation and select the 8.1 file instead. I have not tried it, but you can check the net, or maybe in this forum to see how it works. You will still need an 8.1 License key to install and I am not sure if the general ones still work or not.

You may want to wait to do anything since the update to Windows 8.1 is almost out. I think this one is going to be like the SPs in Windows 7, but not certain. I assume it will at least not mess with the Recovery partitions like the 8.1 update did.

 

[dusf]

You could try moving the partition by using third party software... Such an operation can always be dangerous.

Yes, moving partitions is messy.

There is a trick to download the 8.1 .iso file where you go to the Microsoft site to download the 8.0 .iso and then stop the operation and select the 8.1 file instead. I have not tried it, but you can check the net, or maybe in this forum to see how it works. You will still need an 8.1 License key to install and I am not sure if the general ones still work or not.

Thank you. I can confirm that trick is still working. I used my own key to start the Windows 8.0 download, paused the download, closed the program, and then opened the Windows 8.1 download program - this gives an error but when you close it and reopen it downloads Windows 8.1

I can confirm you must use the generic Windows 8.1 key to install but you can then activate using your upgrade key.

I now have a single recovery partition, the whole drive imaged with clonezilla, and I am ready to install drivers, apply Windows updates, and see if I can make Intel Rapid Storage Technology, Intel Rapid Start Technology, and Expresscache work properly together to bring the boot time to or below the 15/16/17s I had when properly setup using the Windows 8.1 upgrade.

You may want to wait to do anything since the update to Windows 8.1 is almost out. I think this one is going to be like the SPs in Windows 7, but not certain. I assume it will at least not mess with the Recovery partitions like the 8.1 update did.

If it is just going to be a service pack I can restore the Clonezilla partition image I am going to make, apply the service pack and then make a new Clonezilla image. If it does involve messing with partitions I will probably restore the whole disk and have to reinstall the other OS I am putting on it. Have you a link for info on the update? Google for 8.1 update just shows a lot about 8.1