I have two "Healthy (Recovery Partition)"s and a "Healthy (EFI System Partition)" that were not there when I got my laptop and that I cannot delete. I have a Windows 8 laptop (recently updated to 8.1) and about a week ago I decided to dual boot "Ubuntu 13.04". I only gave it a small 18.55GB partition of my hard drive as I wanted to use Windows as my main OS and Ubuntu simply to make and Linux versions of games that I create. I noticed after doing so that it added a "Healthy (Recovery Partition)" to the beginning of the drive (the first one listed).

I could never get it to be added to the Windows boot loader correctly with EasyBCD and I had to keep going to the boot options to pick the GRUB2 and then Ubuntu. I really didn't want to keep doing this and I was having some problems with Ubuntu video drivers as well. I figured that I would just use a different computer for Ubuntu so I took it off of my laptop and formatted the partition it was on. It worked okay but there was still that first "Healthy (Recovery Partition)" that I couldn't delete but I just ignored it.

After updating to Windows 8.1, I thought that maybe the boot loader would work so I tried partitioning and installing Ubuntu again (I know, mistake) but it still didn't work and I could even get it load up correctly. So I finally gave up and have completely decided that I will never dual boot a Linux with Windows again as Linux has too many problems and complications for me. The only way I'm using Linux again is by itself on a computer (I think it's kind of nice to have both, but I'd take Windows over it any day). Anyway, I decided to delete it again.

When I went to delete it, I noticed that there were two more partitions listed that were not there before and I cannot delete them. I wouldn't mind leaving them there too much (as they only take up a small amount of space themselves though if I can I'd like to), but the second "Healthy (Recovery Partition)" is keeping me from increasing my Windows partition to fill up the 18.55GB left from the Ubuntu partition.

I cannot delete them and the only option it gives me is the "Help" option which does not really give me any info on this. All three of the partitions only give me the "Help" option and I cannot delete any of them and it's strange that they are all listed as "100% Free" for space. I'd like to just have the "(C:)" and "(D:)" partitions as drive C: is my Windows partition and D: is my real Recovery "Healthy (OEM Partition)" that was there when I got the laptop.

I'm not really even sure how that second "Healthy (Recovery Partition)" got there because it is in-between the Windows partition and where the "Ubuntu" partition was and it was there before I even formatted that partition. I'll put a screenshot of the "Windows Disk Management" so that you can see what is going on. It also started listing the "Healthy (OEM Partition)" twice, but I think that is because it contains both Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 if I am correct. Any advice on how to get rid of those extra partitions would be great.

Hi,

According to your description, I suggest you try using Diskpart command to force-delete it.

Please perform the following steps:

1. Open a command prompt as administrator.

2. Run Diskpart application by typing Diskpart in the command prompt.

3. In the Diskpart prompt, enter rescan command and press Enter key to re-scan all partitions, volumes and drives available.

4. Then type in list disk and press Enter key to show all hard disk drive available.

5. Select the disk that contains the partition you want to remove. Normally, with just 1 hard disk, it will be disk 0. So the command will be:

Select disk 0

Finish by Enter key.

6. Type list partition and press Enter key to show all available and created partition in the disk selected.

7. Select the partition that wanted to be deleted by using the following command, followed by Enter key:

Select partition x

Where x is the number of the recovery partition to be removed and unlocked its space. Be careful with the number of this partition, as wrong number may get data wipes off.

8. Finally, type in delete partition override and press Enter key.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Gimli, I also suggest you take a look at this thread on the same forums here titled "Strange new Drive appeared after 8.1 update" as there are many others now with the same weird new drive that can't be explained and we don't know what it is for (sorry I can't link.....I had to create a new MS account to get my 8.1 update to work, and now the forum thinks I'm a new user).  I'm afraid to delete it then not have the computer start correctly.  I wish there was a way to tell which of these "recovery" drives is for Win 8 and which one is for Win 8.1 (if that is what is happening).  I had this issue before and deleted one of the recovery drives, then my laptop would not start because the BIOS or something in the startup was looking for the recovery drive.  This is what bothers me about these updates.  There should be a prompt to ask "Do you want to create another recovery drive for this update" or "Do you want to leave the original Windows 8 recovery drive only."

Yeah, I'm not too sure about the first two partitions, but they weren't really the ones bothering me as much because they take up such a small space. It was the partition blocking me from extending my primary partition which I was able to delete.

I took a look at the forum that you mentioned and I think I might just leave those two alone for now. Like you said, I don't want to delete it and mess up my computer.

Thanks for the advice.

• Edited by Gimli1357 Friday, October 25, 2013 11:39 AM typo

Yeah, I'm not too sure about the first two partitions, but they weren't really the ones bothering me as much because they take up such a small space. It was the partition blocking me from extending my primary partition which I was able to delete.

I took a look at the forum that you mentioned and I think I might just leave those two alone for now. Like you said, I don't want to delete it and mess up my computer.

Thanks for the advice.

• Edited by Gimli1357 Friday, October 25, 2013 11:39 AM typo

Yeah, I'm not too sure about the first two partitions, but they weren't really the ones bothering me as much because they take up such a small space. It was the partition blocking me from extending my primary partition which I was able to delete.

I took a look at the forum that you mentioned and I think I might just leave those two alone for now. Like you said, I don't want to delete it and mess up my computer.

Thanks for the advice.

• Edited by Gimli1357 Friday, October 25, 2013 11:39 AM typo

Thank you, I was able to delete the fourth partition blocking me from extending to that delicious unallocated partition. I now have partition C: using up that space.

Thanks for the help.

So, Gimli, how did you extend drive C to that extra space after you deleted the fourth partition?  Did you use the Disk Management tool in Windows 8.1?  I was told you can only extend to unallocated space to the right of the partition you want to extend in Disk Management, is that correct?  Any startup or other problems after you deleted the 350MB Healthy Recovery Partition?  I have the same 350MB partition just to the right of my primary drive.  I don't know if it is true or not, but a tech in my home office told me that if I make a recovery CD or memory stick, that when it finished I will be presented with an option to delete the recovery drive on the laptop hard drive, which will automatically delete one of the recovery partitions if I proceed.  I may test that when I have more time this weekend.

The 2nd recovery partition contains the Recovery Environment for Windows 8.1. I have not gotten to seeing if it is different than the one for Windows 8 yet.

The 2nd OEM partition (the 20GB one) is a ghost and does not actually exist. Why Windows sees it is beyond me.

You cannot "extend  to the left" if that is what you are asking. Forcing such a thing will result in an invalid FAT, meaning not only would Windows not be able to boot, but likely all files on that partition would be inaccessable or corrupt.

Thank you very much kelvin_hsu, I had the same problem and thanks to your solution I managed to fix it.

Thanks, i was having the same issue... you just save my day...

Kelvin - I get a I/O device error message.  Please help!  

This worked perfectly. I had a Windows 8 boot drive from a Toshiba that kept trying to repair itself and I wanted to wipe it and start over. It even tried to boot my desktop, over-riding my C:\ - I had to specifically disable the boot capability on the Toshiba drive's SATA port in my desktop's BIOS, then I was able to boot in Windows 7. With the Toshiba drive as a 2nd drive, I deleted the partitions using your method, now I will be able to install a clean O/S. Thank you, Kelvin_Hsu.

Hi Kelvi _Hsu,

    I had a problem with windows 8.1 when i tried to change registry settings. and when restarted OS couldnt reload. it suggested me to refresh, troubleshoot and i refreshed my PC which installed windows 8.0 back removing windows8.1. When i tried to install the saved registies of windows8.1, again it got problem so i chose to use restore point which again installed windows 8.

Later i found my F: drive of 215GB (showing 179GB free) was gone and when i checked in disc management it was showing as OEM partition. I want my datas in that drive and use it as a seperate drive.

Please Help.

If it is possible to recover windows8.1 also please instruct.

Thanks in advance...

Best Answer thanks

Thank you Kelvin_Hsu,

     This instruction set for the windows cmd provided a clear solution to wiping out all un-editable partitions. Kooooooodos!

Many thanks.  Worked perfectly

thanks.. very very big help.. but i cant extend the volume... the it seem to be unallocated.. i have 2 different partition (1 gb each) unallocated.. i want to extend it to D.. its how suppoed to be what i wanted to happen.. need help.. PLEASE :(

.meesage me: yocuizon94@gmail.com

• Edited by misteryo Saturday, January 10, 2015 1:56 PM

thanks.. very very big help.. but i cant extend the volume... the it seem to be unallocated.. i have 2 different partition (1 gb each) unallocated.. i want to extend it to D.. its how suppoed to be what i wanted to happen.. need help.. PLEASE :(

.meesage me: yocuizon94@gmail.com

• Edited by misteryo Saturday, January 10, 2015 1:56 PM

thanks.. very very big help.. but i cant extend the volume... the it seem to be unallocated.. i have 2 different partition (1 gb each) unallocated.. i want to extend it to D.. its how suppoed to be what i wanted to happen.. need help.. PLEASE :(

.meesage me: yocuizon94@gmail.com

• Edited by misteryo Saturday, January 10, 2015 1:56 PM

thanks alot for to post the help on Diskpart command

i tried it and it worked good

good for peoples likes you

Hi,

I am getting the following error when trying this. How can I delete the partition?

P!

DISKPART> list partition

  Partition ###  Type              Size     Offset
  -------------  ----------------  -------  -------
  Partition 1    System             260 MB  1024 KB
  Partition 2    Reserved           128 MB   261 MB
  Partition 3    Primary             21 GB   389 MB
  Partition 4    Recovery          7720 MB    21 GB

DISKPART> select partition 4

Partition 4 is now the selected partition.

DISKPART> delete partition override

Virtual Disk Service error:
Delete is not allowed on the current boot, system, pagefile,
crashdump or hibernation volume.

DISKPART>

thaaaaanks... worked perfectly

Well, my question has been answered.  Just wondering how much more is going to be added when we get our free Windows 10 upgrade!

virtual disk service error :

delete is not allowed on the current boot, system, pagefile, crashdump or hibernation volume.

:(

Hi waddat, did u get the solution? i have same error executing diskpart.

• Edited by bisdaku 17 hours 23 minutes ago

Hi waddat, did u get the solution? i have same error executing diskpart.

• Edited by bisdaku Saturday, March 28, 2015 1:57 PM

Hi waddat, did u get the solution? i have same error executing diskpart.

• Edited by bisdaku Saturday, March 28, 2015 1:57 PM

So if I can't delete the recovery partitions, and I have upgraded from 8 to 8.1 pro, and the recovery partitions are still windows 8, how do update them?

If we are forced to have recovery partitions, why is there not a way to update them in disk management - instead of going into a cmd dos format?

Thanks,

This was nice and useful information over here.

Cheers!

hi thanks

this does also work on windows 10 and i fiksed my problem ty man

Hi, i also tried this method and it seems be working with the dos commands, but when i go back to the disk management, the Factory Hidden Partition shows as 16GB unallocated space. and no size increase shown on my C: drive. I was wondering if there's any way to get rid of the Factory Hidden partition and free up 16GB space on my drive? i tried some disk management software but no success. when i am using the recovery restoration procedure, it gives me the option to delete/format the HDD, in this case the total hard drive size shows 256GB. but when i restore the machine using recovery DVD (comes in 3 disks, Boot Disc, Recovery Disc 1, Recovery Disc 2), it restores back to its original factory hidden partition. i have the feeling that even if i managed to delete the recovery partition it wouldn't do any good if the recovery process will restore the OS to its factory default. During the recovery process the progress status shows that it's building the hidden recovery partition. it couldn't be any clearer that the Recovery DVDs contains the Hidden partition.  How do you get around this dilemma? after formatting the drive i tried to install a clean windows 7 pro OEM version that i had previously, but it wouldn't allow me to. Does this mean that Fujitsu has encrypted the HDD for its proprietary use or what?  The machine is a Fujitsu Lifebook T935, came with windows 7 Pro preloaded and Windows 8.1 pro Recovery DVDs in the box. I created recovery DVDs for W7 and it works when i do the recovery from those DVDs.

in the disk management section i tried to delete the 16GB unallocated drive but couldn't. although i followed some common instructions learned from youtube tips. any advise please?

thank you very much.

Hi, as i followed instructions in the dos prompt in the following order: diskpart > rescan > list disk, it showed only the main partition lettered as Disk 0, Size 238 GB, but doesn't show the 16 GB hidden partition. However, the 16 GB hidden partition shows in the disk management properties. does that mean i can do nothing about it because it's a hidden partition? 

thank.

Hi, sorry to bother you, but i think i found a solution. the reason that the list disk wasn't showing the Hidden partition because it had no assigned letter, but rather was assigned to a volume 2. so instead of typing List Disk, i typed List Volume, then it showed the hidden partition 16GB assigned to Volume 2. so i typed SELECT VOLUME 2 then ASSIGN. this procedure assigned a letter D to this hidden partition then i typed DELETE PARTITION OVERRIDE. then i want back to the disk management from where i managed to created a volume and formatted. now i have the 16GB available for my personal use. music, family photos, etc. of course i'd prefer to solidify this partition as part of the primary partition if i could find a solution. i'd welcome any help/advice.

thanks again. a bright day for me today.

 

Thanks kelvin_hsu. Nice clear instructions that told me just what I needed to know. Used your advice on Windows 10 and all worked nicely.

Thanks Kelvin_Hsu. Saved me reformatting a Win10 installation that is coming along nicely and it can now have the whole disk to itself. The recovery partition issue was a new one on me! Thanks for the post.

Thanks, Kelvin_Hsu, I really appreciate the detailed and straightforward reply.  I have a hard drive I removed from a Laptop that had a couple of partitions that disk management wouldn't let me get rid of so I could re-use the drive for storage.  Your solution worked perfectly.

I know this is an old thread, but the solution worked perfect.

Thank you!

Hi, this is not working in my case, I get this message:

Virtual Disk Service error:
Delete is not allowed on the current boot, system, pagefile,
crashdump or hibernation volume.

I performed this on Trio Pro 8 Tablet.

It worked great until I rebooted. Now I get error code 0xc0000225

Your PC needs to be repaired

I will need recovery tools on installation media

Press the windows key for UEFI Firmware settings.

How do I get back?

Thanks my friend. This has been really helpful.

Regards.

Since hidden partitions are not assigned a letter (that's what makes it hidden, because it has not been assigned a letter such as C, D, E, F, Etc.) therefore it won't allow you to delete the hidden partition by simply accessing diskpart > list partitions etc. instead you would have to do in the following order: diskpart, list volume, select volume 1,2,3,4,5 etc., once the desired volume is selected then type ,  ASSIGN, this will assign a letter to that selected volume. then select that volume again and this time type DELETE PARTITON OVERRIDE.Then go back to disk management and look for your hidden partition. right click on it and select the option you wish. delete or create a new volume and free up 15-20 GB space.

this recovery partition crap could be a class action lawsuit if disputed intelligently. you pay for 500 GB hard drive but end up getting only 480 GB. the manufacturers in other words are managing your private preferences. you pay for the machine the full price so you own it. they shouldn't be telling you how to use your machine. they're thieves.

Fantastic! worked very well for me!

It worked like a charm. Thanks a lot for this post.

Dude, this is most excellent. You are to be commended. Clear, concise, and exactly what was needed. Thank you for you time to write this.  

... this recovery partition crap could be a class action lawsuit if disputed intelligently. you pay for 500 GB hard drive but end up getting only 480 GB. the manufacturers in other words are managing your private preferences. ...

The manufacturers are following Microsoft's recommendations for partitioning a hard-drive. On a modern UEFI-based PC, the recommendation is 5 partitions for a disk equipped for System Recovery. It is described in a TechNet article (sorry, my account currently disallows me from posting links or images):

technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744301%28v=ws.10%29.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396

1. WinRE tools
2. System
3. MSR
4. Windows
5. Recovery Image

The following article explains the purpose of each partition:

technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd799232(v=ws.10).aspx

Assuming one has created System Recovery DVDs, the Recovery Image partition could be deleted to create more room for the Windows partition (or for other purposes).

There are free, third-party disk-partitioning tools available that make the job a little easier by "batching" the individual operations. For example, in one shot it will delete the Recovery Image (without having to assign it a drive letter) and merge the Windows partition with the newly unallocated space. Of course, DISKPART gets the job done as well without having to download any software.

• Edited by t2d1 Sunday, August 09, 2015 3:31 PM

... this recovery partition crap could be a class action lawsuit if disputed intelligently. you pay for 500 GB hard drive but end up getting only 480 GB. the manufacturers in other words are managing your private preferences. ...

The manufacturers are following Microsoft's recommendations for partitioning a hard-drive. On a modern UEFI-based PC, the recommendation is 5 partitions for a disk equipped for System Recovery. It is described in a TechNet article (sorry, my account currently disallows me from posting links or images):

technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744301%28v=ws.10%29.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396

1. WinRE tools
2. System
3. MSR
4. Windows
5. Recovery Image

The following article explains the purpose of each partition:

technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd799232(v=ws.10).aspx

Assuming one has created System Recovery DVDs, the Recovery Image partition could be deleted to create more room for the Windows partition (or for other purposes).

There are free, third-party disk-partitioning tools available that make the job a little easier by "batching" the individual operations. For example, in one shot it will delete the Recovery Image (without having to assign it a drive letter) and merge the Windows partition with the newly unallocated space. Of course, DISKPART gets the job done as well without having to download any software.

• Edited by t2d1 15 hours 42 minutes ago