On 2022-02-24 3:22 p.m., Rene Lamontagne wrote:
> On 2022-02-24 12:07 a.m., Paul wrote:
>> On 2/24/2022 12:38 AM, ...w¡ñ§±¤ñ wrote:
>>> Rene Lamontagne wrote:
>>>> On 2022-02-23 10:42 p.m., Rene Lamontagne wrote:
>>>>> On 2022-02-23 3:30 p.m., ...w¡ñ§±¤ñ wrote:
>>>>>> Rene Lamontagne wrote:
>>>>>>> On 2022-02-14 1:39 a.m., ...w¡ñ§±¤ñ wrote:
>>>>>>>> Rene Lamontagne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Not enough room to create the EFI partition, I have about 65GB
>>>>>>>>> free on C: and 300GB of unallocated room on the drive so I am
>>>>>>>>> thinking this space needs to be before C:\
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> My Son then needed the use of the machine so will continue next
>>>>>>>>> week and create another unallocated 8GB in front of C: maybe
>>>>>>>>> that will do it.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Rene
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> GPT partiton order on disk
>>>>>>>> 1st EFI
>>>>>>>> 2nd MSR
>>>>>>>> 3rd Windows
>>>>>>>> 4th Recovery
>>>>>>>> 5th and later - anything else
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> EFI 100 MB
>>>>>>>> MSR 16 MB
>>>>>>>> Windows - optional
>>>>>>>> Recovery 500 MB(1 GB is better)
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Yes some were missing so tried the mbr2gpt  thing again today,
>>>>>>> Now it says 'operation failed, could not shrink Windcows partion C,'
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Now why in hell did it want to do that?  C: is 100GB and there is
>>>>>>> over 350GB of unallocated space on the disk, tried again, same
>>>>>>> results
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Well to see what would happen I resized Windows to 120GB and
>>>>>>> tried again,
>>>>>>> A minor miracle happened and mbr2gpt came back with  'Operation
>>>>>>> successful'.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Now that drive shows up as GPT at last, Next I ran Macrium
>>>>>>> reflect 'Repair windows boot problems and that brought back all
>>>>>>> the missing partitions on the disk.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Whynot11 now shows all 11 blocks Green and Windows update shows
>>>>>>> computer is compatible with Windows 11, So Sunday I will install
>>>>>>> 11, Well, That that was a bit of a struggle, Thanks to all for
>>>>>>> your help.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Rene
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> Progess. Congratulations.
>>>>>>   Revisit my post on the partition order for GPT.
>>>>>>   - that order is the usual(and recommended) order.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Looking back at your earlier error messages, in hindsight it may
>>>>>> have helped to include or link to a picture of the partitions on
>>>>>> the disk which showed their position and size.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Even now it still might be appropriate to see a picture or the end
>>>>>> result to determine if those GPT partitions are in the recommended
>>>>>> order.
>>>>>>   Why..in some cases after conversion the order isn't exactly as
>>>>>> recommended. MSFT fixed a problem with the Recovery being created
>>>>>> at the beginning of the disk and the EFI after the Windows which
>>>>>> is contrary to the recommended GPT order(System-EFI, MSR, Windows,
>>>>>> Recovery).
>>>>>> - With the Recovery at the beginning, if the size of the Recovery
>>>>>> is insufficient, it can not be resized larger thus an additional
>>>>>> and the new current Recovery will be created in the recommended
>>>>>> position(after the Windows) by shrinking the Windows partition -
>>>>>> typically done if necessary with a feature update or o/s
>>>>>> change(e.g. later 10 version/build and/or 10 to 11 o/s upgrade).
>>>>>> Second, if a new EFI is created elswhere on the disk(after the
>>>>>> Windows) then the end result could be a disk with a no longer user
>>>>>> older System partiton(remnant of MBR at the beginning of the disk)
>>>>>> and an extra an no longer used/necessary Recovery partition(at
>>>>>> beginning or end of disk.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> With the partitions in the recommended order(System, MSR, Windows,
>>>>>> Recovery - whenever the Recovery needs more space, by design
>>>>>> Windows will shrink the Windows allowing the Recovery(adjacent and
>>>>>> to right of Windows parition) to be resized larger preventing the
>>>>>> recreation of a new Recovery partition.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If you've time - Post or link to a picture or elaborate further on
>>>>>> the partitions and order.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> OK as i rememberit .can'yt accss till next week
>>>>>
>>>>> 1.  8GB unallocated
>>>>> 2. 16GB other
>>>>> 3. 100MB EFI
>>>>
>>>> 4. Windows C: 120GB
>>>>
>>>>> 5. 616MB recovery
>>>>> 6. other data partitions
>>>>>
>>>>> I think that is fairly accurate, The 8GB came about when I moved
>>>>> Windows over, so I think i will leave it alone,  I don't need the
>>>>> space.
>>>>>
>>>>> Rene
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Screwed that up, Windows should have been 4.
>>>>
>>>> Rene
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> I thought the Windows partition might show up eventually :)
>>> As intended, The EFI was created before Windows.
>>>   - also if one looks at that disks partitions in diskpart or a 3rd
>>> party utility like Easus Partition Master or similar utility, the
>>> 16MB MSR might exist between the EFI and Windows partitions.
>>>
>>> And Recovery sits in the right place(after Windows).
>>>   - Interesting size too.
>>>
>>> The oddballs are those at front
>>>   8 GB unallocated(understandable you moved Windows, though if that
>>> was the case and Windows was first in the devices earlier days, with
>>> MBR the System and Windows could have been the same partition.
>>> The other odd ball is 16 GB of something.
>>>
>>> Imo, if working then best left alone. Recapturing that 24 GB and
>>> moving the EFI with 3rd party tools or intermingling with Diskpart
>>> and 3rd party tools can get messy.
>>>   -lol..it might actually be easier to backup the data to external,
>>> wipe to bear metal, diskpart for GPT(EFI, MSR, Windows, Recovery and
>>> data partitions then clean install Windows to the Windows partition.
>>>
>>> Paul may have ideas too.
>>
>> Depending on what is in those "other" partitions, they may be
>> getting auto-assigned drive letters, or they may receive fixed
>> letters by the user.
>>
>> If for any reason, some software that happened to run in there, was
>> addressed by letter, you could break something by moving them.
>>
>> I think I was screwing around here recently (with several backups
>> available on
>> the 6TB scratch), and I noticed a Windows partition change from
>> C: to D: and I took that as a bad omen (the OS was not running
>> at the time). The hardware discovery process plus the auto-assignment
>> of letters, occasionally leads to surprises, and you have to be careful
>> to not move too much stuff around.
>>
>> *******
>>
>> As for the 16MB partition, that little pecker is a menace.
>>
>> The MSR or Microsoft System Reserved, is merely a buffer space.
>> It has no valid partition inside.
>>
>> If I use a tool like Paragon on it, as soon as no recognized partition
>> is located inside, it's treated as if it is "corrupted". Lots of
>> tools run CHKDSK as part of their routine, and that cannot end well.
>> I think Paragon and Gparted, gave me a hard time. My operation would
>> not complete.
>>
>> To move the MSR, you can use Macrium. Back up the MSR to a .mrimg,
>> then drag and drop into the correct "space" in your partition lineup.
>>
>> I have been redoing ("cleaning") a 3TB drive here by hand, and that's
>> how I
>> handled the MSR. Drag and drop restore. The only reason the MSR
>> needed to be moved, is there was some space to consolidate by
>> moving C: to the left. And the MSR had to be moved left-ward and
>> stop acting as a "barrier" to my partition management techniques.
>> I went from 24 partitions, to 7 partitions.
>>
>> The MSR does not show up in all tools. And that's part of the fun.
>>
>> In Linux, you can use
>>
>>     sudo gdisk /dev/sdb
>>     p
>>     q
>>
>> and print out the partitions on your GPT disk. For a legacy MSDOS
>> partitioned disk, you can try this (when Gdisk patiently explains to
>> you that it is not a GPT disk).
>>
>>     sudo fdisk /dev/sdb
>>     p
>>     q
>>
>> Do not start typing too quick in Gdisk, as it can throw up a prompt
>> after you start it, and the prompt needs to be answered. Most of the
>> time there is no prompt, and you could be in a rush to type p for
>> "print".
>> Fdisk leaves fewer manhole covers off the holes :-) It's a more reliable
>> friend.
>>
>> The gdisk is a great design, and a help. I don't have a problem with the
>> service it provides. I also don't see a good way of handling the
>> prompt issue.
>> I don't know how I'd fix that, if I was editing the source.
>>
>>     Paul
>
> Thanks Winston and Paul for all the help and advice.
>
> If it was my own machine I would probably try moving stuff around at my
> leisure, But seeing it is my Sons and I have only limited time on it and
> he depends quite heavily on its use, I think I will leave it be as it is
> now working quite well,
> If it were to act up badly again I would then do the nuke and pave game
> with a fresh start.
>
> Rene
>

Last Lap, first thing, Macrium image backup of Windows 10, Then to
update where message was do you want to install Windows 11 on this
machine? YES.

One hour later it was all done, everything seems Fine, Then another
Macrium image back up of Windows 11 system.

All Done, End of Story. :-)

Rene