Reserved Partition Error - Fix Doesn't Work

[jimlau]

I entered the key to my windows 10 copy and got the error, couldn't update the system reserve partition.

The solution calls for:

• Select Change Drive Letter and Paths.
• Choose Add.
• Enter Y for the drive letter.

But when I click, Add, the choice to give a drive letter is blocked, and I can only click on Mount On The Following NTFS Empty Folder.

Any ideas why?

Btw, my drive is MBR.

 

[Wolfie]

Hi jimlau,

it may be that the drive letter you are choosing is already assigned?, open disk management and right click the drive you want to change and select from the available letters from the list!. You are trying this on a fully installed system aren't you?.

 

[jimlau]

Hi jimlau,

it may be that the drive letter you are choosing is already assigned?, open disk management and right click the drive you want to change and select from the available letters from the list!. You are trying this on a fully installed system aren't you?.

View attachment 8168

no, it doesn't let me pick any letter. That option is greyed out and thus inaccessible.

 

[Norton]

The reserved partition was created by MS. As such, you may be denied access to modify, assign a drive letter, increase or decrease its size.

 

[jimlau]

The reserved partition was created by MS. As such, you may be denied access to modify, assign a drive letter, increase or decrease its size.

so no way to fix this without a clean install?

 

[Norton]

If you are installing Windows 10 for the first time on your PC? Personally, I would definitely do a clean install. When asked during the install select "Keep nothing"
There's nothing like a fresh clean install. If possible, create an backup image, and or, copy all your important personal data over to an external USB drive(s) so you can copy (drag/drop them back over to the new appropriate library folders.

 

[jimlau]

this disk is not new. it was my boot drive in another computer, but moved it to my new computer as a second boot. i think i lost the license by doing that, so i bought another. that's when i got the error, when windows was trying to download updates. i'd really prefer not to clean install if possible. i see other very long instructions, but i could not get by the above error.

 

[Saltgrass]

A system reserved partition is normally just in front of the OS partition. If you want to try to fix your current install, get a third party partition manager and move the leading edge of C over and expand the System Reserved partition into that space.

The Windows Disk Management will not do this for you.

A picture of your Disk Management window would help. You can use the snipping tool to take the picture and attach to your post.

 

[jimlau]

here are some photos of my disks. i have 2 boot disks, Intel being the 1 i've booted with here.

 

[Saltgrass]

You seem to have two different installs, one is UEFI and one is Legacy. You have one drive (E) which shows an active partition so you might think about removing that property. It does not show as being involved in your current Legacy boot.

The end of the legacy install shows 449 MB unallocated. You could move the C partition into that space then extend the System reserved partition.

It is always dangerous to alter partitions, to take precautions..

 

[jimlau]

You seem to have two different installs, one is UEFI and one is Legacy. You have one drive (E) which shows an active partition so you might think about removing that property. It does not show as being involved in your current Legacy boot.

The end of the legacy install shows 449 MB unallocated. You could move the C partition into that space then extend the System reserved partition.

It is always dangerous to alter partitions, to take precautions..

Drive E is a data drive, so can't erase that. I have 2 boot drives, essentially a back-up drive that had been used on my other computer, which died.

How do I move the C partition into the unallocated space then extend the System reserved partition?

 

[Saltgrass]

I said remove the active status, not erase.... Use Diskpart to do that and make sure you are not looking at the correct drive..

 

[jimlau]

I said remove the active status, not erase.... Use Diskpart to do that and make sure you are not looking at the correct drive..

oops. thanks. So how do I move the C partition into the unallocated space then extend the System reserved partition?

 

[Saltgrass]

That should work. You know the install/update having the problem is looking at the Legacy installed OS? Since the System Reserved partition is only 100 MB, perhaps it was brought along with a Win 7 install?

I have a Dual boot system but my Win 7 install is also UEFI. It will not do secure boot but does use the UEFI configuration.

 

[jimlau]

That should work. You know the install/update having the problem is looking at the Legacy installed OS? Since the System Reserved partition is only 100 MB, perhaps it was brought along with a Win 7 install?

I have a Dual boot system but my Win 7 install is also UEFI. It will not do secure boot but does use the UEFI configuration.

Tried to use Minitool to expand the reserve, but now can't boot. This boot drive is not my C drive. That 1 is of M.2 type and would be a pain to remove. Can I repair or fresh install on Drive G with my M.2 C drive still in?

 

[Saltgrass]

The attachment you provided shows the boot files in the System drive for the C partition. So you are or were booting to Disk 2.

Try undoing the minitool changes. Which disk is your m.2 drive, disk 3? You may need to check the Bios and make sure Disk 2 is set as primary to boot to it. Dual boot systems can get a little complicated.

The listing of the SATA drives is determined by the SATA port connections. You can set a priority drive in the Bios. Doing some install with a second drive installed can result in problems as to where the actual install is done. The Active partition on Disk 0 would have been the first place a Legacy boot would check had that drive been set as primary.

UEFI installs work a little differently.

 

[jimlau]

The attachment you provided shows the boot files in the System drive for the C partition. So you are or were booting to Disk 2.

Try undoing the minitool changes. Which disk is your m.2 drive, disk 3? You may need to check the Bios and make sure Disk 2 is set as primary to boot to it. Dual boot systems can get a little complicated.

The listing of the SATA drives is determined by the SATA port connections. You can set a priority drive in the Bios. Doing some install with a second drive installed can result in problems as to where the actual install is done. The Active partition on Disk 0 would have been the first place a Legacy boot would check had that drive been set as primary.

UEFI installs work a little differently.

After trying things, I wound up having to wipe clean the second hard drive. It does not show up in BIOS as an option to prioritize. Only my M.2 drive shows up.

Yes, disk 3 is my M.2 drive.

So, back to being stuck.

 

[Saltgrass]

Maybe you could clear some things up. You are wanting to do a Legacy install of Win 7 on your Disk 2?

Any chance you would do a UEFI install of Win 7?

 

[jimlau]

Maybe you could clear some things up. You are wanting to do a Legacy install of Win 7 on your Disk 2?

Any chance you would do a UEFI install of Win 7?

No, I am trying to do a simple clean W10 install from my USB drive. I think I originally had W7 and then an upgrade to W10 on that disk, but it has now been cleaned. Don't know what UEFI is.

 

[Saltgrass]

Your M.2 drive has a UEFI install. You can tell by the EFI system partition.

If you want to do another install of Win 10, boot the install media to the UEFI and install. The boot files will be put in the other EFI partition and the OS will go on the drive you designate.

Do you ever boot into your other install on the M.2 drive?