Is it possible to install RC1 without the 100mb bitlocker partition?
- Is it possible to install RC1 without creating the 100mb partition for bitlocker? I will probably try using a USB flash drive this time, so if there is a file that needs to be edited I should be able to do this. I think this partition may be causing me speed problems so I want to try and install everything onto a single large (32GB) partition.
I do not remember any way to set this in the installer, but maybe I missed something.
Answers
- Yes you can, but MS does not make it easy...
During Setup, if you create a new partition on a clean HDD (no partitions), or delete all partitions and then create a new one - from the Partition screen in Setup, Win7 will create the 100MB boot partition, and you can't stop it/cancel it. If you want to install Win7 to a clean HDD, but don't want the boot partition do this:
At the first setup screen (Language, Keyboard, etc.) press SHIFT+F10. This will open a command prompt window. Enter the following diskpart commands to create a partition.
- Diskpart
- List disk
(this command is important. It will show you what disk drives you have. Most likely your hard drive will be will be Disk 0, but you need to check it first.)
- select disk 0
- clean
- create partition primary size=60000
(this creates a partition 60GB in size. If you want to use the whole hard drive, just leave off the size=number)
- select partition 1
- active
- format fs=ntfs quick
Type Exit to leave Diskpart. Type Exit to close the command prompt. Now continue with the install. When you get to the partition screen, highlight the partition you just created and click Next. Windows will install to the partition you created and not create the 100MB boot partition. Instead, you will see a C:\Boot folder when the install is finished (like Vista has).- Marked As Answer byGreg_999 Tuesday, May 12, 2009 2:02 AM
All Replies
- I guess not
- Unproposed As Answer byLawrence GarvinMVP, AnswererMonday, May 11, 2009 6:53 PM
- Proposed As Answer byUkonCornelias Monday, May 11, 2009 6:52 PM
- Yes you can, but MS does not make it easy...
During Setup, if you create a new partition on a clean HDD (no partitions), or delete all partitions and then create a new one - from the Partition screen in Setup, Win7 will create the 100MB boot partition, and you can't stop it/cancel it. If you want to install Win7 to a clean HDD, but don't want the boot partition do this:
At the first setup screen (Language, Keyboard, etc.) press SHIFT+F10. This will open a command prompt window. Enter the following diskpart commands to create a partition.
- Diskpart
- List disk
(this command is important. It will show you what disk drives you have. Most likely your hard drive will be will be Disk 0, but you need to check it first.)
- select disk 0
- clean
- create partition primary size=60000
(this creates a partition 60GB in size. If you want to use the whole hard drive, just leave off the size=number)
- select partition 1
- active
- format fs=ntfs quick
Type Exit to leave Diskpart. Type Exit to close the command prompt. Now continue with the install. When you get to the partition screen, highlight the partition you just created and click Next. Windows will install to the partition you created and not create the 100MB boot partition. Instead, you will see a C:\Boot folder when the install is finished (like Vista has).- Marked As Answer byGreg_999 Tuesday, May 12, 2009 2:02 AM
- On a fresh installation of Windows 7, the installer will create the Bitlocker partition. If you do not intent to use Bitlocker, this partition can be subsequently removed.
On machines that have other existing partitions, the Bitlocker partition will not be created.
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCITP:EA, MCDBA
Principal/CTO, Onsite Technology Solutions, Houston, Texas
Microsoft MVP - Software Distribution (2005-2009)- Marked As Answer byLawrence GarvinMVP, AnswererMonday, May 11, 2009 6:55 PM
- Unmarked As Answer byGreg_999 Tuesday, May 12, 2009 2:02 AM
- But You can delete this partition after the installation,
if You have no intention to use the bitlocker file encription option.
It is switched off by default, so I do not think it can cause
any speed problems. Even if the bitlocker partition is present. - Why is this not documented, or better yet part of the installer GUI? A simple check box in the drive partition tool of the GUI - "Do you want to use the Bitlocker security feature? (if Bitlocker is installed the system may create an additional partition for the files needed for Bitlocker)."
Removing the partition afterwords isn't going to fix the issues it may create on wear leveling SSD's. The partitions seem to mess with the wear leveling on some forms of solid state drives, this slows them down considerably.
Hopefully this will cure my ills and I'll actually be able to test this OS. I'll know more in about an hour when the files are done expanding. So far it looks slightly faster - Since BitLocker is only available on Ultimate Edition - which is the only edition being used for the beta/RC -- this issue is only going to affect those using Ultimate Edition. For those using Home or Business editions, Bitlocker isn't a feature, and this installation scenario won't even happen.
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCITP:EA, MCDBA
Principal/CTO, Onsite Technology Solutions, Houston, Texas
Microsoft MVP - Software Distribution (2005-2009) - Well I have to say that this did indeed work. Better yet it saved about 5 minutes in the copying files portion (before the first reboot), and saved about half an hour for everything after that point (took me a total of 4 hours the first time, only 3.5 this time). I'm going to try it again tomorrow and try loading a few of the drivers before the install to see if I can get the disk speeds up a little more! Going to mark this as answered since it is clearly the answer I was looking for. I'd like to thank Ukon Cornelias for the information as it can be truly important for some of us.
- The 100MB system/boot partition will be available for Ultimate, Business and Enterprise editions. Also, in addition to being used for BitLocker encryption, it holds the Recovery environment (WinRE) and boot files. It is a good idea, but should be optional. Creating images will be more difficult with 2 partitions too(using imageX, WSIM, that is).
- Interesting, I wonder if this is whats causing me a problem with another program I beta test for. I can install the app but afterwards when I try to activate the program its pops up with an error. According to the people with the company I test for they say the issue is caused somehow with how my drive is partitioned and that its causing some issue with the copy protection routine they are switching to for their next version.
Initially I tought it had to do with the fact I had a multiboot setup so I did a complete reformat, deleted all my partitions on the main drive and then ran a clean install of Win 7 x64 but I still got the extra partition and again when I tried to install and activate the beta program I get the same error as when I was set up as a multi boot.
Supposedly they are working on a fix for the problem now, but I wonder if this is the culprit. Anyway I'm going to send them a link to this thread just in case. I personally have no plans to use the bitlocker stuff but, at least for now I'm not sure I'm up to reformating and reinstalling Win7 x64 for a 6th time in a week LOL - I found a solution,
By clean install:
First, make a new primair partition with a winXP or vista setup disk (with or without extra partitions).
He makes a "allocated partition" of 8 MB after C: (that's normal)
Then after format (when he copy's the windows files), put out the XP/Vista disk (swap the disks) and restart the pc with the W7 disk.
Do not change/Modify the drive.
Then he will install without the 100mb hidden system partition.
Gr- Proposed As Answer byJohan G. Friday, June 12, 2009 2:01 PM
- I like that this doesn't require multiple reboots or other boot media, although I went another route before I found the above tip.
I created a new RAID0 to start.
But anything I tried, as far as a Windows 7 x64 (legit RTM) install, wound up with 100GB hidden partition, even when I followed many tips others had provided for avoiding this.
The gist of the tips were to have a formatted C: drive prior to Windows 7, so that's the route I went, using a WHS Restore CD to then use the Disk Manager function to format the new C: drive. I then rebooted from the Windows 7 x64 install media, and tada, no issue, no 100GB hidden partition this time.
This also meant I was then able to not only able to install the Windows Home Server 64 bit Connector easily (with Power Pack 2, no Power Pack 3 beta necessary), but doing a backup, blowing away RAID0, then creating a new RAID0 was a good disaster test restore scenario. Booted WHS recovery CD and no problem, restored Windows 7 backup I had made, and it then booted up Windows 7 just fine.
So yes, Windows 7 RTM (64 bit) can be both backed up, AND restored, using plain old Windows Home Server with Power Pack 2.
Next time I did this, I used your simple command prompt SHIFT+F10 idea, also seemed to work great, need to test restore to be sure, but like it'll be just fine... - Well - in the RTM version of Win7, MS seems to have ignored many people and did not provide a simple way of canceling the creation of the 100MB "System Reserved" partition during Setup. This is more of an annoyance than anything else, but there will be situations where people don't want this, and will have to use the work around (above).
- I have not done the (command promtp SHIFT+F10) step, but what i could tell you is that is really weird. Since i got an early copy for windows 7 for being a technet subcriber i found out that this 100MB reseve partition is given me a problem to create an image using ghost. I installed the Windows 7 on my machines that i have and i am using the 64bit 32bit. What i found weird was that the 32bit installation has the 100mb reserve partion and the 64bit does not. I first created an image of the 64bit to another drive mounted on the same machine and did not get any problems. When i try making an image of the 32bit i ran into problems. Ghost for some reason freezes up when trying to make the image of the drive with the two partions. I even went ahead told ghost to get a copy of the partition that has the OS installed, but same thing.
What i am guessing is that i will have to reinstall the os and go by the sugestion above (Shift+F10) to actually make the image. It's really sad that i have to reinstall everything all over since i installed also all the programs that i want it..........
I am going to see if maybe using a program to delete a partition will work to make the image before i wack it.
Will post after i have an update. - I noticed this as well. With the beta & RC I had installed both versions, 32 & 64 bit, and I had that 100 meg Partition. Now that I was able to install the retail I chose to only install the x64 flavor and then use the Virtual XPSP3 to run the few programs that are fussy about 64 bit. Going this route I just looked using component manager/storage for the heck of it and I don't seem to have the extra partition anymore. This is fine with me but I thought I'd pass on my observation.
- Hope this works for me too, having the same problem and it's so irritating.
