Windows 10 installation, cannot update the reserved partition

I just thought of something... Probably unrelated but you never know...

Due to some hardware issue I have Dell replace the motherboard of my XPS a month ago.

Could this give an issue with the licence?

Otherwise, is their a possibility to report my issue to Microsoft itself?

It could if they didn't replace it with the proper motherboard. What version of Windows are you currently using?

J W Stuart: http://www.pagestart.com

Eyal,

Open Disk Management and take a screen shot of the disk drive and all partitions. Post it with your reply.

OK, now check the C: partition and see if there is a C:\Boot\BCD folder. If not the temporarily assign a drive letter (Using Disk Management) and use File Explorer to check each of the other partitions for the \Boot\BCD folder. After you check a partition remove the drive letter and move on to the next partition.

J W Stuart: http://www.pagestart.com

C:\Boot\ doesn't exist

In the 750Mb recovery partition I found a boot folder but it's empty

All other partition don't contain a boot nor bcd folder.

The EFI partition I can't get access to eventhough I assign it a letter.

[Window Title]
D:\

[Main Instruction]
You have been denied permission to access this folder.

[Content]
To gain access to this folder you will need to use the security tab.

[Close]

SOLUTION FOUND!!! :-)

The EFI partition contained files that were not supposed to be there!

1) With diskpart I gave the EFI partition a letter (W:)

    diskpart

list drive

select drive 0 

list partition
select partition x:
assign letter=b 

2) impossible to access it, no permission.

    Solution: in cmd: taskkill /im explorer.exe /f

then I open cmd in administrator mode and run explorer.exe

From then on you can open the W: drive you assigned.

There I discover a folder AS-SSD-TEST42 containing a 435Mb file Test.bin

3) I move that folder to the C-drive, just in case.

4) remove the letter assignment

Hello,

back to this subject after some tests.

First , few informations to understand the problem

Upgrade from Win7 or Win8.1 will fail because there is no sufficient free space on boot partition,

i.e. "system reserved partition" or "system partition"

Type in this terms in Microsoft Community search bar or in  your Internet Navigator and you will see numerous users concerned, who have open many posts.

I'll don't explain partitions structure. See the good stuff:

- http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/gg463525.aspx

- http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh824839.aspx

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GUID_Partition_Table

- also "Diskpart" command details

Why no sufficient free space ?

There are numerous reasons

Space in the System Partition (MBR disks) or ESP (GPT disks) is a limited resource reserved for files needed to boot.

Unlucky, many third party softwares writes in this partition:

- Bit Defender

- Samsung migration

- and what else ?

So , many people who cloned HDD on Samsung SSD will have the problem. (i don't know for other brand/software)

Worst: i made a fresh install of Win10 on a HDD and migrate on a Samsung SSD (MBR disks): initial Partition system was 350Mo, final size was 100Mo: Thank's Samsung.

So if you come from Win7 (Partition system 100Mo) and/or migrate to an SSD, or use a non respectful software (versus the Microsoft rules) chances are you cannot upgrade to Win10.

More , MS backups will not work.

Microsoft rules:
- partition < 500Mo --> 50Mo free space minimum

- partition > 500Mo --> 320Mo free space minimum

- partition > 1Go      --> 1Go free space minimum

Solving the problem

The goal is to succeed with Win10 upgrade and activate Windows for your PC.

After that you can:

- stay "as is" until the next problem, or it may run smoothly for long time

- do a fresh install of Win10 and have it activated

I.M.O. there are two methods to solve the problem:

- free space on the concerned partition

Maybe it's not the best approach, because difficulties to find files to eliminate ,

and small partitions can be risky for future OS needs (Win7:100Mo, Win8:300Mo, Win10:350Mo)

- enlarge the concerned partition

this is trivial for MBR disks , but a lot more difficult for GPT disks (mainly UEFI PCs)

Now, the soluces

In any case, you must know what you do and pay attention

SAVE YOUR DATA before proceeding

1/ MBR disks

The solutions for free space or enlarge partition have already been described in this thread.

2/ GPT disks

2-1/ Free space

see the solution given by EyalBenistyI don't know this Test.bin file but i guess there may be other files

2-2 Enlarge the ESP partition

I use MiniTool Partition Wizard V9.1

You can try other software with same procedure

- identify the disk

- select C: partition

- shrink the partition from the left, with the cursor, then adjust the "Unallocated Space Before" to 250MB (for example, if your ESP is 100MB) ; don't bother with the "Unallocated space after"

- copy the MSR partition on the 250MB freed space

- adjust the new MSR partition exactly to her size (128MB) to the right , this will free 250MB-128MB=122MB to the left of the new MSR

- delete the original MSR , this will free 128MB+122MB=250MB between the ESP and the new MSR

- extend the ESP on the right: 100MB+250MB=350MB

- Apply changes

- the PC will reboot to apply changes before full starting of the OS.

DONE !

You can recover your "Unallocated space after"  with MS Disk Management or Mini Tool Partition Wizard.

Alas, there is a new problem:

the new MSR partition is showed as RAW in MS Disk management, and as "unformated" instead of "Other" in Mini Tool Partition Wizard.

Although the system runs smoothly, i don't know consequences , maybe not any if you don't use mirroring on your system disk (MSR must exist on each GPT disk and is used for dynamic disks , but what else ?)

I've tried to correct that .

Mini Tool Partition Wizard doesn't manage partition's flags , but wait.. Linux GParted knows.

So, burn a CD (or USB key but no tried) with GParted, and boot with it.

- select disk

- GParted shows MSR partition with "msftdata" flag and bad name

- set new flag to "msftres" and rename partition to "Microsoft reserved partition"

- apply

Cool! the MSR partition doesn't anymore appear in MS Disk Management , and appear as "Other" like the original

in Mini Tool Partition Wizard.

I hope this will be correct and useful

Oh, and bad temper:

MS disk management is buggy to show free space on non-letter partitions on GPT disks, for years (Win7 or before)

Poor engineering of MS for evolution of basic architecture , and shame on them saying "we have conceived the system , use third party software"

Ok so I followed some advice and downloaded a third party partition program called Partition Master.

http://www.partition-tool.com/download/epm-trial-download.htm

this url should bring you to the download. If not just look it up Worked much easier than the windows software. Just create some space in between your C drive and your system partition about 300 mb and add that to your system partition I changed mine from 100 mb windows 7 previously to 400 mb this way and windows ten is currently installing. good luck all hope this isn't too confusing.