How to create the hidden system partition or force Windows to install there ??

skan

Member
Hello.

How can I manually get that Windows7 or 8 install the boot files onto the "system" partition? (typically 150MB and shown by partition tools as hidden, system and boot)?


I cannot use the automated windows installation to do it because my Windows is located on an external USB disk and common installation methods refuse to install there. The same for the Windows repair disk.
(I got to install Windows8 with an alternative method: I created a primary partition manually, leaving 200MB of unallocated space, used bcdboot and then I installed Windows with the deployment tool imagex.exe.
I also needed to use EasyBCD to properly boot from the external disk (deploy option to the external primary partition).
Now it works right but Windows hasn't created the System reserved partition. Everything has been installed on to the C: partition instead.


How can I manually create that partition or how can I get Windows to use the unallocated space for it?
I cannot see the option to "tag" a partition as "system" or "boot" on diskpart or Easeus partition master.
I don't know if I first need to create a primary partition and the change its type or if I have to leave the unallocated space or tag it.


On the Easeus forum I've been advised to post my doubts here. They have told me that Easeus only deals with partitions and not with operating systems.


Thanks
 
"system" and "boot" ( In MS Disk Management) are virtual flags, not physical tags on the partition.
The only physical flag (a bit in the MBR partition table) is "active".
That tells the MBR IPL which partition's boot sector to search.
The other flags are effectively status indicators reported back to you by the OS


"boot" = "this is the system you're running"
"system" = "this is where I found the boot files for the currently running system"
"active" (on the first HDD in the BIOS boot sequence) = "this is where I started the search for the boot files"
"active" (on subsequent HDDs in the BIOS boot sequence) ="this is where I will look if I don't find something in the MBR on the first HDD"

This causes endless confusion, especially to those used to Linux.
In Linux "boot" = "what MS calls active"

The only point of the "System Reserved" partition containing the boot files is if you wish to encrypt the OS, in which case the boot files must be outside the encrypted zone.
You can use
Changing the Boot Partition - EasyBCD - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki
to copy the boot files if you really need to.
It will set the target partition active.
 
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Sorry for the confusion.

Then, How can I get that Windows leave the boot files on the "system" hidden partition, and make it bootable from there (*)?
I have left an unallocated space on the disk to do so.

At the moment the boot files are visible and located on the C: drive on a primary partition, sharing space with user files.

(*) As you usually get when you install Windows to a unformated internal hard disk.
 
You'll have to create a partition and give it a letter.
You can remove the letter after you've finished if you wish.
 
You'll have to create a partition and give it a letter.
You can remove the letter after you've finished if you wish.

Thanks, I'll try.
I guess you mean a primary partition?
I'll also try to hide it later.

The problem is that I "loose" one partition out of the four possible partitions.
 
Like I said, you don't need to move the boot files to their own partition (yes it has to be primary). They're perfectly OK in C as long as you don't want to encrypt it.
 
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