Question Why can’t my SSD be partitioned?

[Ralston18]

@Kdio

Take a few minutes to explore Powershell.

Start with something straightforward and relevent. E.g., the "Get-Disk" cmdlet.

"Get-...." cmdlets only provide information (lots of it sometimes) and do not change anything.

Basically, you are getting data/information directly via Microsoft/Powershell with many options available that you can directly control and manage.

Actually many 3rd party tools, apps, etc. do much the same with added code for user friendliness and cosmetics. For a price....

"Get-" cmdlets are just a starting point. Powershell has more cmdlets with more power and detailed end results.

One way to discover more about Powershell is to google "Powershell, Get, and then a few descriptive words about what subject you wish to find and learn more about.

FYI:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/storage/get-partition?view=windowsserver2022-ps

Use the cmdlets to get another view about what Windows is "seeing" on your system with respect to disk drives, partitions, etc..

No harm in looking.

 

[Kdio]

@Kdio

Take a few minutes to explore Powershell.

Start with something straightforward and relevent. E.g., the "Get-Disk" cmdlet.

"Get-...." cmdlets only provide information (lots of it sometimes) and do not change anything.

Basically, you are getting data/information directly via Microsoft/Powershell with many options available that you can directly control and manage.

Actually many 3rd party tools, apps, etc. do much the same with added code for user friendliness and cosmetics. For a price....

"Get-" cmdlets are just a starting point. Powershell has more cmdlets with more power and detailed end results.

One way to discover more about Powershell is to google "Powershell, Get, and then a few descriptive words about what subject you wish to find and learn more about.

FYI:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/storage/get-partition?view=windowsserver2022-ps

Use the cmdlets to get another view about what Windows is "seeing" on your system with respect to disk drives, partitions, etc..

No harm in looking.

Thanks a lot Ralston18

As soon I get home will do and post here my findings.

I've only thought that the information gathered (and already posted) by CrystalDiskInfo and GSmartDrive would be sufficient to provide an deeper look onto the issue.

From my feeble point of view the above tools provides a realy profound detailed overview.

Best regards

 

[Kdio]

@Kdio

Take a few minutes to explore Powershell.

Start with something straightforward and relevent. E.g., the "Get-Disk" cmdlet.

"Get-...." cmdlets only provide information (lots of it sometimes) and do not change anything.

Basically, you are getting data/information directly via Microsoft/Powershell with many options available that you can directly control and manage.

Actually many 3rd party tools, apps, etc. do much the same with added code for user friendliness and cosmetics. For a price....

"Get-" cmdlets are just a starting point. Powershell has more cmdlets with more power and detailed end results.

One way to discover more about Powershell is to google "Powershell, Get, and then a few descriptive words about what subject you wish to find and learn more about.

FYI:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/storage/get-partition?view=windowsserver2022-ps

Use the cmdlets to get another view about what Windows is "seeing" on your system with respect to disk drives, partitions, etc..

No harm in looking.

Hi @Ralston18

Here is the result on trying to delete partition via PowerShell

Spoiler: PowerShell

PS X:\windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0> Get-Partition


   DiskPath: \\?\scsi#disk&ven_to_exter&prod_nal_usb_3.0#6&2af651e1&0&000000#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}

PartitionNumber  DriveLetter Offset                                        Size Type
---------------  ----------- ------                                        ---- ----
1                C           1048576                                     500 MB IFS
2                D           525336576                                237.47 GB IFS
3                E           255509659648                                523 MB Unknown

PS X:\windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0> Remove-Partition -DriveLetter C

Confirm
Are you sure you want to perform this action?
This will erase all data on disk 1 partition 1.
[Y] Yes  [A] Yes to All  [N] No  [L] No to All  [S] Suspend  [?] Help (default is "Y"): y

PS X:\windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0> Remove-Partition -DriveLetter D

Confirm
Are you sure you want to perform this action?
This will erase all data on disk 1 partition 2.
[Y] Yes  [A] Yes to All  [N] No  [L] No to All  [S] Suspend  [?] Help (default is "Y"): y

PS X:\windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0> Remove-Partition -DriveLetter E

Confirm
Are you sure you want to perform this action?
This will erase all data on disk 1 partition 3.
[Y] Yes  [A] Yes to All  [N] No  [L] No to All  [S] Suspend  [?] Help (default is "Y"):

PS X:\windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0> Get-Partition


   DiskPath: \\?\scsi#disk&ven_to_exter&prod_nal_usb_3.0#6&2af651e1&0&000000#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}

PartitionNumber  DriveLetter Offset                                        Size Type
---------------  ----------- ------                                        ---- ----
1                C           1048576                                     500 MB IFS
2                D           525336576                                237.47 GB IFS
3                E           255509659648                                523 MB Unknown

As previously expected ....

Thanks

 

[Bob.B]

Hi Bob.B

Yep. It's there. As said, it boots and, as you know, all stuff like pagefile.sys and more has to be written on disk.

Thanks

That shows you don't have a write lock out set for the disk.

If you replace this disk does another disk also show this partitioning problem?

 

[Ralston18]

Very much wondering about that drive - seems very "confused" for lack of a expression.

Dual boot by any chance?

The image in Post #1 shows drives Y, U, and V.

Did you assign drive letters?

Disk (0)?

Where is the boot drive C:?

Open Disk Manager again and open the window so all drives and partitions can be fully seen and read. Take a screenshot and post again.

Get-Partition indicates a "C:" (should be the Windows 11 boot drive) as being only 500 MB. Plus there are two other partitions D and E.

Reading back I noted "Just got my hands on a SATA SSD 256Gb..."

Source for that 256 GB SSD? Any knowledge about the drive's past history/use?

Is it possible that someone may have tried to defrag the SSD or perhaps attempted some fix, hack, repair, etc. on the drive?

 

[Kdio]

That shows you don't have a write lock out set for the disk.

Hi Bob.B

Sorry but I didn't understood. Where does it shows a lack of write lock?

If you replace this disk does another disk also show this partitioning problem?

Nope.

Thanks

 

[USAFRet]

Sorry but I didn't understood. Where does it shows a lack of write lock?

If it is able to operate as the OS drive and actually boot, it is not locked for write cycles.

That locking can happen after a drive runs out of write cycles. That generally takes a long time.

 

[Kdio]

Very much wondering about that drive - seems very "confused" for lack of a expression.

Dual boot by any chance?

Hi Ralston18

Didn't try to install an alternate OS.

The image in Post #1 shows drives Y, U, and V.

Did you assign drive letters?

No, I didn't. As explained I've booted with a Hiren's Boot 11 USB and the SSD is plugged via a USB 3 case after boot.

Disk (0)?

Where is the boot drive C:?

Hiren's boots using Y: (or maybe it creates a RAM disk... not sure) but the Y: disk on that screenshot is surely Hiren's one.

Open Disk Manager again and open the window so all drives and partitions can be fully seen and read. Take a screenshot and post again.

It's there all 4 partitions. The above mentioned Y: and the subject SSD below with its 3 partitions.

I may take it again but will be as already seen.

Get-Partition indicates a "C:" (should be the Windows 11 boot drive) as being only 500 MB. Plus there are two other partitions D and E.

Yep. This SSD 256Gb is partitioned in 3 parts as seen on Disk Manager screenshot and the output from Parted (Linux)

Reading back I noted "Just got my hands on a SATA SSD 256Gb..."

Source for that 256 GB SSD? Any knowledge about the drive's past history/use?

It was/is running flawlessly on my father's-in-law notebook that is with me and where I run all the Windows diagnostics. The Linux portions are executed on my personal notebook.

Is it possible that someone may have tried to defrag the SSD or perhaps attempted some fix, hack, repair, etc. on the drive?

Can't dismiss the possibility of any of these attempts but his knowledge doesn't gives much. My personal attempts were only to partition the drive.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Bob.B]

Hi Bob.B

Sorry but I didn't understood. Where does it shows a lack of write lock?


Nope.

Thanks

Write lock = read only.

Grab a copy of partition wizard free and see if you can adjust the partition sizes.

 

[fzabkar]

Is the date/time stamp of pagefile.sys updated when you reboot from the drive?