How to Move Windows 10 Recovery Partition without Data Loss?

What is the recovery partition?

Many people find that after upgrading to Windows 10, it has created a 450MB recovery partition behind the C: drive. So, what is the recovery partition?

A recovery partition is a small partition on your hard drive that can assist in the restoration of Windows or the resolution of system-related issues. Windows 11/10/8/7 may display two types of recovery partitions.

▶ Microsoft recovery partition

Windows creates a system reserved partition when Windows Setup creates a new partition on an MBR disk. Windows creates an EFI system partition and a recovery partition without a drive letter on GPT disks. The Windows 10 recovery partition uses 450MB, Windows 8/8.1 200MB, and Windows 7 100MB. This recovery partition contains WinRE, which can be accessed by manually assigning a drive letter. Deleting this partition disables Windows Recovery.

If you create Windows 10 recovery disk, Windows will give you an option to remove the recovery partition. And if you install Windows on a multi-partitioned hard disk, Windows will save the WinRE in a Recovery folder in the root directory of your system drive (C: drive) without leaving a recovery partition.

▶ OEM recovery partition

Original recovery partition Lenovo and Dell may create a recovery partition in addition to Windows'. These manufacturers' computers have a 7–20 GB OEM recovery partition with WinRE and Factory Installation files. WinRE and the factory installation are kept independently on some PCs, thus you may see two OEM partitions.

This OEM partition lets you run Recovery Environment using a key. This feature lets you reset Windows to factory settings without a CD. Having a copy of Windows allows you to erase the OEM partition to increase disk space.

Can I move Windows 10 recovery partition?

Sometimes it's necessary to move the recovery partition, especially when you want to extend the system partition, but the recovery partition is located in the middle of the system partition and unallocated space. 

As you may know, the Windows Disk Management tool allows you to extend a partition when there is contiguous unallocated space behind it. While the Windows recovery partition is located there, you will not be able to extend the system partition. So, you might wonder whether it is safe to delete the recovery partition? Generally speaking, it is not a wise choice since you may need to use the Windows recovery options in the future. So, many users are searching for a way to move Windows 10 recovery partition to end of disk, and then extend the C: drive with unallocated space successfully.

Easily move the recovery partition in Windows 10/11 with a tool

In order to move a (recovery) partition without losing data, it is recommended to use specialist third-party software: AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional.  Before we move the recovery partition, you must ensure that there is some unallocated space after the recovery partition. If there is no unallocated space on the hard drive, you can shrink or delete a partition to generate some. First download this powerful partition manager to get started.

1. Open AOMEI Partition Assistant. It’s compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7.

2. If the recovery partition is between the partition you want to extend and the unallocated space, right-click on the recovery partition and select Resize/Move Partition.

3. In the Move Partition screen, click and hold to drag the recovery partition towards the right hand side and then click OK.

4. Now you can preview the partition layout after moving recovery partition in Windows 10. If there is no problem, click Apply to save the changes.

If you need to add the unallocated space to the C: drive, you can right-click on the C: drive and select Resize Partition to successfully extend system drive.  Besides, you can make use of "Merge Partitions" of AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard to directly combine the avilable unallocated space into another partition.

Further reading: How to move recovery partition to USB

If you want to remove the recovery partition but still have the recovery options, you can move the Windows recovery partition to a USB flash drive and delete the recovery partition. In Windows 10, there is a built-in feature called Create a Recovery Drive, allowing you to troubleshoot and fix problems with your PC, even when it’s unable to boot. You can backup the system files to the recovery drive and you will then be able to use it to reinstall Windows when needed.

To create a recovery drive in Windows 11 as example:

▪Connect a USB drive to your PC and make sure it is detected successfully.

▪In the search box on the task bar, search for Create a recovery drive and then select it. 

▪When the tool opens, select Back up system files to the recovery drive and then Next.

▪Select the inserted USB drive and then click on Next.

▪Select Create. Many files will be copied to the recovery drive, so this might take a while.

In the final step of creating the recovery drive, you will be given the option to delete the Windows recovery partition. Since you have just created a recovery drive that has all of the complete recovery options, you can safely delete the recovery partition.

Summary

So, in this post, we tell how to move recovery partition in Windows 10 to extend another partition successfully. Besides, it is also illustrated to move recovery partition to USB drive and then delete the original recovery partition on the disk. Follow the steps above and you will be able to safely move it without losing data.

Plus, if you use the powerful partition management software we mentioned you will be able to directly add unallocated space to system partition when the recovery partition is preventing you from extending your partition. You can also enjoy more advanced features like migrating OS to SSD, transfering one partition's free space to another partition, moving applications from one drive to another.

FAQs about "Move recovery partition"

1. Can moving the recovery partition affect my system's performance?

Moving the recovery partition typically does not affect system performance. However, if done incorrectly, it could result in data loss or the inability to use recovery tools.

2. Is it safe to move the recovery partition on my own?

While it is possible to move the recovery partition on your own, it carries risks. Incorrectly moving or resizing partitions can lead to data loss or system issues. If you're not confident in doing it yourself, consider seeking help from a professional.

3. Will moving the recovery partition delete my recovery data?

If done correctly, moving the recovery partition should not delete your recovery data. Always ensure you have a complete backup before starting the process to prevent potential data loss.

4. Can I move the recovery partition to an external drive?

Yes, you can move the recovery partition to an external drive, but this might require more advanced tools and steps. Ensure the external drive is reliable and has enough space to store the recovery partition.