Copy Windows Recovery Partition to new SSD?

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I just installed a new SSD to be replace my HDD C: drive. The HDD only held my Operating System (OS), Win10-Post Anniversary Update Edition. I used EaseUS Partition Master to migrate the OS from the HDD to the SSD. All is working well but I noticed that the Windows Recovery Partition (450MB) did not migrate along with the OS partition. Can I simply copy the Windows Recovery Partition to my SSD as well? (EaseUS has the ability to copy a single partition)

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I probably would have created a System Repair disk and a system image onto an external HDD and then booted up with the repair disk to restore from the image.

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I agree with your process suggestion but since I didn’t, that’s why I’m asking if I can copy the Windows Recovery Partition, instead of having to go back and redo everything.

BTW, my HDD is partitioned into C: for the OS and D: for Data. The new SSD didn’t have enough space for both and if I just imaged C:, I wasn’t sure the Windows Recovery Partition would be part of the image too. Lot’s of what if’s so that’s why I took the least effort method and now asking about the functionality of simply copying the Windows Recovery Partition to the SSD.

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An image is just that.

With an OEM machine that has a recovery partition as D: – that isn’t always default included, at least not on a Toshiba but can be included.

When I create a system image on this Win 10 upgraded laptop, all volumes are default included, which includes the 450MB partition.

As you said you only had the OS on the HDD and if you haven’t installed a rake of other stuff, to avoid any possible complications then perhaps it would be best to redo the op.

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I just installed a new SSD to be replace my HDD C: drive. The HDD only held my Operating System (OS), Win10-Post Anniversary Update Edition. I used EaseUS Partition Master to migrate the OS from the HDD to the SSD. All is working well but I noticed that the Windows Recovery Partition (450MB) did not migrate along with the OS partition. Can I simply copy the Windows Recovery Partition to my SSD as well? (EaseUS has the ability to copy a single partition)

You say your system is working well since you migrated your OS from your HDD to your new SSD. Just why are you worried about the “Windows Recovery Partition (450MB)”?

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Yes, everything is working fine now. But when things AREN’T working right, you need access to the Windows Recovery Partition to fix things! Right now, when I left click Start/ Settings/ Update & Security/ Recovery/ Reset this PC, I get the error message: “Could not find the Recovery Environment”. This partition is needed to repair/reset the OS.

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You say your system is working well since you migrated your OS from your HDD to your new SSD. Just why are you worried about the “Windows Recovery Partition (450MB)”?

Yes, everything is working fine now. But when things AREN’T working right, you need access to the Windows Recovery Partition to fix things! Right now, when I left click Start/ Settings/ Update & Security/ Recovery/ Reset this PC, I get the error message: “Could not find the Recovery Environment”. This partition is needed to repair/reset the OS.

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If you copied it across there are no guarantees that it would even be recognised as a recovery partition if your system failed to boot.

I would just create a recovery drive and move on.

46250-2016-12-17

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One can make a full image of the source HD recovery partition and restore that image onto a target HD. One cannot copy a partition from source to target. And, if Windows assigns it a drive letter, it is best to remove that drive letter assignment.

"Take care of thy backups and thy restores shall take care of thee." Ben Franklin, revisted

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to avoid any possible complications then perhaps it would be best to redo the op

IMO, Sudo’s suggestion is probably the right one. I highly doubt that just copying over the Recovery will work in your favor.

Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does
All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

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In short:
— make full images of each partition, in their order on the original HD onto external media
— then, from that external media, restore each partition, in the original order on the original HD, onto the 2nd HD
Macrium Reflect or anything similar should be just fine for making and restoring full images of the partitions in question.

"Take care of thy backups and thy restores shall take care of thee." Ben Franklin, revisted

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I’ll be lazy & just tell my experience, which is something like Stan’s. I did the same thing & then added the Restore partition & had a copied Restore partition which had a drive letter & probably not functional.

Instead of a partition copy, one needs to do a DISK copy and copy all partitions at once. However, copying the boot disk & having it work right means the disk ID must be also copied by the copy software. When this is done, the PC will be confused if it tries to start with 2 disks with identical ID’s, so the PC should shut down/be shut down immediately after the copy. The copied disk should be installed in the old disk’s place. I guess one could connect the old disk later via USB without problems & reformat it – I have multiple PC’s & never had to try that.

Also messy if one has more files on the old disk than the new one (an SSD?) can hold.

Instead of having a restore partition, one can make an install disk:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

As I understand it, MS updates the inet install image regularly, so it isn’t static. A pain to do, but one could make a new one every 6 months or so… Don’t know if a recovery partition is static or updated at intervals – does anyone know?

… and also one can make a disk image (you currently have to use the Win 7 control panel backup option for that) at regular intervals – it’s fast & easy & disk space is cheap. Also currently, Win 10 shuts off System Restore by default & depends on the flakey Refresh, which often wants to throw one’s programs away, so I think System Images are the way to go.

Sorry, for the barebones explanation, the rest is left as an exercise for the reader, as they say.

Kerry

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