Can't delete "System Reserved" partition on 2nd HDD!?!?!?

Quick background:
Purchased new laptop with a single 500GB HDD installed.
Moved HDD to 2nd drive bay, installed 256GB SSD in first bay.
Clean install of Windows 7 onto SSD.

I was able to format one partition on the 500GB HDD but am stuck with another 100MB partition on the HDD called "System Reserved". I can't format it, can't delete it. I used a 3rd party program to delete the partition, but then couldn't boot the laptop and had to reinstall Windows. And once again, I'm stuck with this 100MB partition.

This is driving me absolutely bonkers....help please?

I have run into that problem a time or two. Download a Live cd of your favorite Linux Distro (for these kind of fixes I like Puppy Linux because it's small and fast). It has a partition utility called G-Parted. I used it to delete the partitions, then created either a fat32 or ntfs partition in the unpartitioned space. It works every time.

Well, thats essentially what I did, but after the delete, the system wouldn't boot. I've read some scattered comments about the "System Reserved" partition containing the boot files (MBR???) and that it might work if I disconnect the 2nd HDD during another reinstall of Windows on the new SSD, then reconnect the 2nd HDD. Maybe then I could delete the System Reserved partition without it stalling the laptop during boot up?

Just wish I could get somebody to confirm this so I don't spend the next 2 hours doing all this for nothing for the 3rd time.

I found this on the Windows 7 Forums Here Looks like it's a pita to do but I found that answer in several places.

The small 100MB partition is there because of how the drive was initially set up. If you let windows install without any guidance, it will create a 100MB partition called "System Reserved". If you are doing a clean install, here is what I have done.
I will partition the drive the way that I want it by putting it in an external USB enclosure. Once the drive is partitioned, you can install your OS and should not have the 100MB "System Reserved" partition. Make sure you tell windows which partition you want the OS on...

Hope this helps,

110yd

I had a simular problem once and I inserted the Windows 7 install disk and did a "system repair". It installed the MBR on the new hard drive and I was up and running. I would disconnect your old hard drive first to be sure it puts the MBR on your new hard drive.

yep..pages of info on this topic on google

mannetti21 wrote in post #14836690
Quick background:
Purchased new laptop with a single 500GB HDD installed.
Moved HDD to 2nd drive bay, installed 256GB SSD in first bay.
Clean install of Windows 7 onto SSD.

I was able to format one partition on the 500GB HDD but am stuck with another 100MB partition on the HDD called "System Reserved". I can't format it, can't delete it. I used a 3rd party program to delete the partition, but then couldn't boot the laptop and had to reinstall Windows. And once again, I'm stuck with this 100MB partition.

This is driving me absolutely bonkers....help please?

You can't delete that 100mb because that is essentially windows 7 system files, you are best off getting an 1Tb drive either internal or externally, or even a NAS drive, they are so dirt cheap, it would make this thread pointless

I have run into this problem each time I added an SSD to my three PC's(including a dual drive laptop). I noticed during the first install when I couldn't delete the partition from my older drive. I can confirm that if you disconnect all other drives the reserved partition will default to that drive when windows is installed, you can then delete the partition from the old drive with no problems. Once the system reserved partition is made on the SSD you will not have that problem again if you do a clean install in the future unless you delete all partitions on the SSD.

This procedure worked without fault on each of my three PC's. Will have to do it again this weekend when I upgrade an older SSD in one of those PC's. I find I have less problems when installing windows to a new drive if it's the only drive connected until the installation is done.

In the scheme of things, a 'wasted' 100Mb partition on a 500Gb HDD is absolutely not worth getting worked-up about
I'd just pull the blinkers over my eyes and pretend it's not there!

It won't even hold 4 images out of my 7D