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I initially installed W10 Home on a new home build a few months back. The box uses a 512GB Evo Pro and a 1TB WD HDD both of which were fully connected at time of first install. I let the install DVD do it's thing with only basic input on my part.
When I later started to upgrade the BIOS I found that the install had setup both drives with MBR. Some info I read stated that in order to flash the BIOS I needed to be using UEFI, which requires GPT. (Per that info anyway. I don't know if it is possible to use UEFI on an MBR partitioned drive. In fairness I didn't check if I was already using UEFI). I have a UEFI capable motherboard and had intended to run with a UEFI/GPT scheme. I missed, if any, the install prompt that would have let me do this. But I also assumed that with a modern motherboard, W10 would have "chosen wisely" (fool that I am).
I researched and found info about MBR2GPT. Before I got down to using it, an apparent problem with a W10 update caused issues with my machine. I think this was the lost start menu issue but it could have just been malware. I decided on a clean reinstall using the original media which would then let me do the GPT partioning. During this install I disconnected SATA to the HDD, which I have since reconnected. Upon checking disk status afterwards, I realized this had left the HDD with MBR partioning.
So now as to this post's title. Disk 1 (C) is GPT and contains a 477GB boot partition and a 100MB EFI SYS partition. Disk 0 (E), which was disconnected during install, has a 549MB SYS Reserved partition and a 931GB unallocated partition and is formatted MBR. Both drives are setup as Basic/Simple.
Q1 - HITF did the SYS Reserved partition wind up on the disconnected HDD?
Q 2- Is there any way to convert the HDD to GPT (preferred)? (I know MBR2GPT won't work due to it's requirement to see the system on the intended drive.)
Q3 - Are there any issues with converting? Not converting? (system issues)
Q 4- Where should the SYS Reserved partition actually be?
Q5 - If it should be on the same drive as the boot partition, can I move it there?
Q6 - If it doesn't matter, should I move it there anyway?
I am totally open to doing another clean install to fully correct this if it's going to have any repurcussions. I'm still close enough to my initial build phase that I don't mind the time to get it right/preferred. BTW, I am booting from UEFI.
Bonus round. I obviously want to boot from the SSD. My Asrock Taichi Ultimate isn't labeled in a way that let me be sure which SATA socket to plug in my desired drive (i.e. SSD as Disk0). Now that I know it's opposite what I wanted:
Q7 - Does it matter?
Q8 - If I want to anyway would it be as simple as swapping the plugs/sockets? Or would that cause system recognition problems?
TIA
When I later started to upgrade the BIOS I found that the install had setup both drives with MBR. Some info I read stated that in order to flash the BIOS I needed to be using UEFI, which requires GPT. (Per that info anyway. I don't know if it is possible to use UEFI on an MBR partitioned drive. In fairness I didn't check if I was already using UEFI). I have a UEFI capable motherboard and had intended to run with a UEFI/GPT scheme. I missed, if any, the install prompt that would have let me do this. But I also assumed that with a modern motherboard, W10 would have "chosen wisely" (fool that I am).
I researched and found info about MBR2GPT. Before I got down to using it, an apparent problem with a W10 update caused issues with my machine. I think this was the lost start menu issue but it could have just been malware. I decided on a clean reinstall using the original media which would then let me do the GPT partioning. During this install I disconnected SATA to the HDD, which I have since reconnected. Upon checking disk status afterwards, I realized this had left the HDD with MBR partioning.
So now as to this post's title. Disk 1 (C) is GPT and contains a 477GB boot partition and a 100MB EFI SYS partition. Disk 0 (E), which was disconnected during install, has a 549MB SYS Reserved partition and a 931GB unallocated partition and is formatted MBR. Both drives are setup as Basic/Simple.
Q1 - HITF did the SYS Reserved partition wind up on the disconnected HDD?
Q 2- Is there any way to convert the HDD to GPT (preferred)? (I know MBR2GPT won't work due to it's requirement to see the system on the intended drive.)
Q3 - Are there any issues with converting? Not converting? (system issues)
Q 4- Where should the SYS Reserved partition actually be?
Q5 - If it should be on the same drive as the boot partition, can I move it there?
Q6 - If it doesn't matter, should I move it there anyway?
I am totally open to doing another clean install to fully correct this if it's going to have any repurcussions. I'm still close enough to my initial build phase that I don't mind the time to get it right/preferred. BTW, I am booting from UEFI.
Bonus round. I obviously want to boot from the SSD. My Asrock Taichi Ultimate isn't labeled in a way that let me be sure which SATA socket to plug in my desired drive (i.e. SSD as Disk0). Now that I know it's opposite what I wanted:
Q7 - Does it matter?
Q8 - If I want to anyway would it be as simple as swapping the plugs/sockets? Or would that cause system recognition problems?
TIA
