Question Default sizes and order of GPT partitions for Windows 10?

[Pimpom]

Can you please list the sizes and order of the GPT/UEFI partitions created as default while installing Windows 10 on a blank disk using Win10 installer media from MS's website?

(I know that variations are possible. If necessary, I'll explain my reason for asking later).

 

[dwd999]

Can you please list the sizes and order of the GPT/UEFI partitions created as default while installing Windows 10 on a blank disk using Win10 installer media from MS's website?

(I know that variations are possible. If necessary, I'll explain my reason for asking later).

The size is dependent on the total size of the disk. Here's an example for a 1TB disk:

1: 100MB
2: 16MB
3: all the space not occupied by 1, 2, and 4
4: 500MB

Note that partition 2 is not normally shown in the windows Disk Management app.

If you're asking because of the problem windows 10 update which won't install because it thinks the 4th partition is too small let us know so we can tell you how to solve that problem.

 

[Pimpom]

Thank you. No, it's not that I'm having a problem with my installation or with updates. This is the background to my question:

When I was about to do my first installation of Windows 10 some years ago, I did some research about GPT and UEFI systems and, not knowing then that Win10 creates its own partitions, made notes about creating them with DiskPart and third-party partitioning software.

The partitioning schemes I used for my own computer and others work but I see variations on different computers, some of them being OEMs (I know the difference between Windows Recovery and OEM Recovery). At the moment I don't have access to a Windows 10 machine installed with default settings.

I've been doing some more reading about manually preparing a disk for Windows 10 and they all seem to say the same thing: 100MB for System, 16MB for MSR and then all remaining space for Windows except a 450MB Recovery partition after the OS partition, saying that the latter can expand backwards into the OS partition as needed.

This is different from what I've been using, based on what I learned earlier, which is -
MSR - 16MB (128MB for Win7) unformatted
System - 100MB FAT32 (more for 7)
Recovery - 500MB NTFS (1000MB for 7)
C: - size as desired
Other partitions - as and if desired.

Whenever I start installing Windows 10 to such a pre- partitioned drive (I've done several), it warns that it may not work, but then proceeds and I haven't encountered any problem so far.

I'm also wondering if the recommended 450MB Recovery partition ever needs to expand while updating.

 

[USAFRet]

Why are you creating those partitions manually?

Just let the OS install build what it needs.

 

[Pimpom]

Call it a quirk of mine - I like to do things manually where practicable - within reasonable limits, of course. It exercises the mind and, in many cases, allows more personal control than is possible with an automated process.

 

[USAFRet]

Call it a quirk of mine - I like to do things manually where practicable - within reasonable limits, of course. It exercises the mind and, in many cases, allows more personal control than is possible with an automated process.

But, the Windows install is going to create those anyway.

 

[dwd999]

Call it a quirk of mine - I like to do things manually where practicable - within reasonable limits, of course. It exercises the mind and, in many cases, allows more personal control than is possible with an automated process.

We all have our quirks. I always recommend just ensuring that the disk has a GPT partition table header, manually creating that if necessary, and that its easiest when all the disk space is unallocated. I've found that this helps make the installation process proceed fastest and easiest since the installer does all the rest. As the recent update problem showed, this is not always fool proof on Microsoft's part since it was found that manual intervention was necessary.

 

[USAFRet]

and that its easiest when all the disk space is unallocated

Absolutely!

 

[SkyNetRising]

I've been doing some more reading about manually preparing a disk for Windows 10 and they all seem to say the same thing: 100MB for System, 16MB for MSR and then all remaining space for Windows except a 450MB Recovery partition after the OS partition, saying that the latter can expand backwards into the OS partition as needed.

Read here:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/w...t-based-hard-drive-partitions?view=windows-11

Generally
System partition is recommended to be 350MB - 500MB
MSR 16MB
C: partition - remaining space
750MB - 1GB - recovery partition (since windows recovery environment security update).

 

[Pimpom]

But, the Windows install is going to create those anyway.

No, it doesn't if the partitions are properly prepared in advance, including setting the correct partition type IDs. E.g., the Recovery partition type ID as "DE94BBA4-06D1-4D40-A16A-BFD50179D6AC"

I agree that it's easier to allocate the whole disk for C: but then I'll have to split and resize it later. No sense in using 1 or 2TB for Windows.

EDIT: Saw SkyNetRisin's post just after posting mine. I see that the link he provided also mentions the need to set the correct recovery partition type ID.

 

[Pimpom]

Read here:

System partition is recommended to be 350MB - 500MB
MSR 16MB
C: partition - remaining space
750MB - 1GB - recovery partition (since windows recovery environment security update).

Thanks.
So the required spaces have increased considerably from 10 to 11. The system partition alone would hold a fully installed Windows 98 comfortably. I wonder how much space Windows 2040 will need....