Windows XP and SATA hard drives with 4k sector size

[Rod Steel]

On 2/4/2025 at 11:00 PM, Cixert said:

Right now I am confused with the value given in your screenshot:
It says 104424 K OK
What does this value mean, the partition size?

Ok, i finally figured out what this number means, after working with SSD on Windows 7.

This number means size of data space between the start of physical disk and start of logical disk on SSD that you selected in AS SSD.

So if you install windows 7 on empty un-partitioned SSD it will create first 500 MB service logical disc for win 7 needs, and then System C. Thus why you will have number counting in KB this 500MB logical disk before System C.

And if you created, say, 60GB System C, and selected for test logical Disk D in AS SSD - it will show number in KB of "500MB logical disk PLUS System C".

Edited March 19 by Rod Steel

[Karla Sleutel]

11 hours ago, Rod Steel said:

windows 7 on empty un-partitioned SSD it will create first 500 MB service logical disc for win 7 needs

Do you know what is stored on that astonishing 500mb? Log files on you?

[D.Draker]

20 hours ago, Rod Steel said:

if you install windows 7 on empty un-partitioned SSD it will create first 500 MB service logical disc for win 7 needs, and then System C.

A very interesting investigation, no less than the French investigation into Musk! I'd want to add, Win 7 also creates that crappy "logic" partition on your additional HDD installed in the computer at the time of the installation, Unlike XP and Vista.

[Cixert]

On 3/19/2025 at 1:29 AM, Karla Sleutel said:

Do you know what is stored on that astonishing 500mb? Log files on you?

Supposedly, it's the boot partition. Although it is created on both boot and data disks. It also serves to save the decryption of encrypted partitions, so this partition cannot be encrypted.
Before using any disk initialized by the manufacturer or by Windows that created that partition, what I do is erase the entire disk and create new partitions with Eassos Disk Genius.
In both NT 5.x and NT 6-10, I create my own boot partition formatted in FAT32.
(The misnamed version 11 doesn't seem to support it in FAT32.)
In NT 6-10, the partition I created appears hidden without a letter. So I assign it the letter B so I can access it.
If I recall correctly, Windows NT 6-10 can also be booted without that partition. And of course, this can be removed from data disks if these don't have encrypted partitions.

Edited April 9 by Cixert

[modnar]

Windows 7-10 doesn't always make that "System reserved" partition. When there is WinXP installed on E: (second partition on primary disk, secondary disk is D:) and you install Win "7" or "10" on C: or D: (partitions already existing and 4K-aligned) you'll get a normal installation without any hidden partitions created.