- System Reserved Partition is hidden in Windows and crucial for booting up the system, housing key startup files like Boot Manager and BCD.
- Deleting or losing the System Reserved Partition can lead to Windows update failures or prevent startup, necessitating reinstallation or system partition rebuild.
- Methods to fix missing System Reserved Partition include reinstalling Windows, rebuilding the system partition, and increasing the partition size using third-party tools.
A unique partition in Windows, known as the System Reserved Partition, is hidden from all users, even admin users. Only a disc partition tool may be used to view it because no drive letter has been assigned. This post will assist you in resolving the issue if you see errors stating that Windows 11/10’s System Reserved partition is missing or that there is no System Reserved Partition.
What is the System Reserved Partition used for?
You may need to be familiar with the partition and its purpose before learning about the missing System Reserved partition. Since Windows 7, when you install Windows on a blank disc, the system drive and any other required drives will be created first, followed by a partition with the name System Reserved and size of roughly 100MB.
In Windows 8 and Windows 10, the standard size of the System Reserved partition is 350 MB and 500 MB, respectively. You can expand the System Reserved partition as needed. Because Windows doesn’t give the System Reserved partition a drive letter, Disk Management just shows it. It won’t appear in File Explorer to avoid accidental file deletion or modification as other drives do. The split is composed of two components in general.
Boot manager and BCD file During computer startup, the Windows Boot Manager loads data from the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store before launching the operating System from the system drive. Typically, it has two folders—Boot and System Volume Information—and two files — bootmgr and BOOTSECT.BAK. Because of this, if a partition is missing, your computer won’t start.
The startup files for BitLocker Drive Encryption. If you need to encrypt your hard drive using BitLocker, Windows will start from the files stored on the unencrypted System Reserved partition if you need to. Decrypting the system drive next assures a successful boot.
You can comprehend this context more easily after you are aware of the significance of the System Reserved partition and the role that it plays.
Issues with the System Reserved Partition Missing
Things will get serious if you erase the System Reserved partition. You might have backup failure in your scheduled chores while the situation is not too dire. If everything goes wrong, Windows 10 won’t be able to be updated to the most recent version and will display the message “Windows 10 couldn’t be installed.” The System Reserved partition was inaccessible for updating. If worse comes to worst, Windows won’t even start up, displaying the warning “Operating System not found” on the screen.
The most frequent cause of System Reserved partition issues is error deletion, however, you can find that it vanishes after copying from one drive to another. The partition might not be cloned throughout the procedure, or the cloning software might rename or modify the partition.
Whatever the source, you can eventually find a solution to this issue.
Fix System Reserved Partition Missing in Windows 10/11
Reinstall Windows
- Press Windows key + Q to launch Windows search. Reset this PC is what you type.
- Select Reset this PC System Settings from the alternatives that are offered. and then select Open.
- Select Reset PC from the Recovery options menu in System Recovery.
- Choose whether to keep your files or Remove everything.
- To finish the task, adhere to the instructions on the screen.
System Partition Rebuild
To use this procedure and access the advanced recovery, you’ll need a Windows bootable USB device. Once you have it, plug it into your computer or laptop, then launch the BIOS or UEFI. To avoid using a standard SSD or HDD as the first bootable device, use a USB drive instead. The standard installation screen should appear after the computer has restarted.
- Search for the option to “Repair your computer” in the bottom left corner of the Install Windows screen.
- When you click on it, a blue screen will appear with a number of alternatives.
- To access the Advanced Options, click Troubleshoot.
- Choose Startup Repair.
- Once finished, restart the computer and see if it starts up normally. If that doesn’t work, you can try to fix it manually. The process is largely the same.
Choose Command Prompt rather than the Startup Repair option.
Enter the following commands as you type them.
- Use the Windows Installer to start your PC. To open the Command Prompt, press Shift + F10 when asked “Where do you wish to install Windows?”
- Type “bcdboot c:windows/s c:” in the prompt to create the boot configuration file on a system drive rather than the System Reserved partition. Press Enter while removing the quotes. You’ll see a return message: “Successful creation of boot files.”
- Enter “bootrec /fixmbr” at the prompt without using quotation marks.
- Restart the computer after you’re finished, then see if the problem has been resolved.
- Additionally, you can scan the operating System using the Bootrec command before rebuilding the BCD or changing the Bootmgr.
If after completion you are still unable to boot, it can be the inactive part. You can manually activate the System Reserved Partition if it isn’t already. Enter each command you type into the command prompt by pressing the Enter key.
diskpart
select disk n
list partition
select part 1
active
exit
If the System Reserved partition is missing, you can rebuild the system partition using the Windows Installation Disc. Partition recovery allows you to restore a partition that was unintentionally deleted or formatted. The suggested tool for rebuilding the MBR part of your computer can also be used to fix your computer.
- Increase space in the System reserved partition system files and boot files on your hard drive are stored separately by Windows. This partition’s capacity can be expanded to 300 MB from its 100 MB default value. You must be an administrator in order to accomplish this.
It is interesting to note that neither the Windows disc management tool nor the Diskpart utility allows you to increase the System reserved volume. Since Windows tools do not support these functions, you will need to utilize third-party partition manager software.
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