How Many Partitions Does Windows 10 Create

Standard Windows 10 Partitions for MBR/GPT Disks

Introduction

The purpose of this article is to help with understanding the standard partitions for Windows x installations on both MBR and GPT disks. Note that there are many possible configurations and they tin change depending on a number of factors. OEM installations may also have additional OEM tool and/or recovery partitions.

Standard Windows 10 Partitions for GPT Disks (UEFI booting)

The post-obit partitions exist in a normal clean Windows 10 installation to a GPT disk:

Partition i: Recovery partition, 450MB - (WinRE)
Partition 2: EFI System, 100MB
Partition 3: Microsoft reserved partition, 16MB (not visible in Windows Disk Management)
Partition four: Windows (size depends on bulldoze)

Disk Management details for the disk:

The following OEM layout has custom sizes for the partitions and includes an boosted recovery (OEM, not WinRE) partition:

Partition i: EFI Organisation, 260MB
Partition ii: Microsoft reserved partitioning, 16MB (not visible in Windows Disk Management)
Partition 3: Windows, 465GB - (Windows 10)
Partition 4: Recovery Partition, 980MB - (WinRE)
Partition 5: RECOVERY, 10GB - (OEM Recovery)

Disk Management details for the disk:

The following layout started as an before Windows OEM installation and changed into its current configuration as a upshot of multiple Windows upgrades:

Partition 1: Recovery sectionalization, 1GB - (original Windows WinRE)
Partition 2: EFI System, 100MB
Sectionalization 3: Microsoft reserved partition, 128MB (not visible in Windows Disk Management)
Partition 4: TI10672700E, 223GB - (Windows x)
Division 5: Recovery partitioning, 500MB - (current Windows 10 WinRE)
Segmentation half-dozen: Recovery sectionalisation, 8GB - (OEM Recovery)

Deejay Management details for the disk:

Standard Windows 10 Partitions for MBR Disks (Legacy booting)

The following partitions exist in a normal clean Windows 10 installation to an empty MBR disk:

Partition 1: System Reserved, 500MB - (booting files, WinRE)
Partitioning ii: Windows (size depends on drive)

Disk Direction details for the disk:

The following partitions exist in a normal clean Windows 10 installation to an existing 500GB agile master partition:

Sectionalization ane: Windows, 500GB - (booting files, WinRE, Windows 10)

Deejay Management details for the disk:

The same system as above afterward upgrading Windows 10:

Partitioning 1: Windows, 499GB - (booting files, Windows 10)
Partition 2: Recovery, 450MB - (WinRE, new partition created with upgrade)

Deejay Management details for the deejay:

The Windows Recovery (WinRE) Partition and Windows Upgrades

When Windows x is upgraded to a new version (1511, 1607, 1703, etc.) it may create a new WinRE partition. This tin can occur even if the new WinRE files would have fit on the existing WinRE sectionalization or the WinRE files exist on the Windows partition. As part of the upgrade, the Windows division will be resized smaller and a new segmentation volition be created (commonly 450MB, but might be larger). This tin crusade issues since information technology changes the partition layout on the deejay (fill-in paradigm bondage based on the Windows partition would demand to be restarted, for example). It as well requires manual cleanup or you finish up with multiple useless partitions on the disk.

The partition changes are especially undesired when using multi-booting on an EMBR deejay with unlimited primary partitions since Windows may not be aware of existing partitions not loaded into the MBR. Currently, the only method to avoid this issue is to brand sure the partition table is total (4 primary partitions be on the deejay and are loaded into the MBR) before upgrading. Doing this prevents the Windows installer from creating a new sectionalization every bit there is no available sectionalization tabular array slot for it. Otherwise, if a new WinRE partition gets created and y'all want to move the files to the Windows partition yous can refer to the following KB article: Removing the Windows 10 Recovery (WinRE) Partition

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