Can anyone help me with this new install issue?

macservice123

New Member
I set up a new PC, with an SSD and a 3tb hard drive and Win 10 Pro.

I put the drives in and installed Win 10 onto the SSD from a USB drive.

After this, I went to set up the HD as a 3tb partition for data. But I found it listed three partitions: a 500mb system reserved partition, a 2tb partition, and a 647gb partition.

I posted this on another forum and got various feedback. One person said I should have installed Win 10 with only the SSD in the system to prevent it having set up the 500mb partition on the HD.

I'm not even clear whether EasyBSD copies the same thing that is the 500mb partition or not.

But I got lots of tips - including on converting the hard drive, but no tools would convert it, presumably because of that 500mb partition.

The OS command said 'this drive cannot be changed - some drives like DVD's cannot be changed'. The Seagate utility to change it said 'pick a partition and hit next'. It listed the partitions but wouldn't allow selecting any.

Finally I decided - before the person had said to leave the 500mb partition on the HD - to run EasyBSD. I did, the only option it allowed for move partition was to C: (SSD) and I did.

I rebooted and then saw that disk manager would allow me to delete the 500mb partition on the HD if I want.

That's where I am.

Totally unclear what to do.

Ideally, I'd have the 500mb system reserved partition where it should be - apparently as a partition on the SSD instead of the HD? - and the 3tb HD as one data partition.

At this point there are various options. One is to simply start over and re-install Windows 10 (should I do it with the HD installed or not? Should that 500mb partition be on the SSD with the OS or on the HD?)

Another is to do a procedure which should allow me to move things and reconfigure them such that I end up with something. Here's that procedure suggested to me:

"1. Shrink partition C: by 500MB;
2. Download Minitool Partition wizard free;
3. Copy system reserved partition from hdd to ssd;
4. Make new partition active;
5. Power down PC;
6. Disconnect hdd;
7. Verify boot order in BIOS;
8. Boot up your pc."

Was running EasyBSD and moving the bootloader to C: (SSD) a mistake? Should I take any corrective action as part of a plan?

This setup seems really basic - SSD and HD and Win 10 - and I'm surprised it seems I need to jump through a lot of hoops (I also apparently need to convert the HD to "GPT" to have a 3tb partition).

Can anyone help?

Thank
Cristiano
 
Is this a UEFI PC ?
Installing Windows to a GPT drive on a UEFI PC (preferable for future proofing your PC) will create the many extra partitions you see in Disk Management (and another invisible even there).
You want the boot files to be on the SSD for fastest boot-up, so if I were you I'd start again from scratch.
It'll only take a few hours and you'll probably spend longer applying first-aid to your current system (with possibly unsatisfactory outcome)
Format the SSD as GPT, reinstall W10 with the HDD disconnected and once you have your pristine UEFI GPT W10 up and running, add the HDD and format it as GPT (2Gb is the physical limit of addressing for an MBR drrive). That way you will have the single large data drive you desire.
 
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