The default C drive is too small. How to make Windows boot from D drive

I have a FlexBook13 with two physical drives:

My problem is that there is not enough space on Disk 1 (28GB) to install all Windows 10 updates.

I've tried to install other programs on D drive, but it didn't help. There is not enough space. Disk 1 has 3 factory set up partitions (C -the main system and two other for the recovery purposes).

Is it possible to make Disk 0 (currently mapped as D drive) to become C, and visible as the boot partition? Is it possible to i.e merge the two physical drives to be visible as one single C drive?

Dean

Posted 2019-12-16T09:08:12.867

Reputation: 119

It looks like that system is designed to have the user put in a m.2 SSD and not actually use the MMC for anything but the OS. Fwiw, Windows should be able to update itself (albeit much more slowly) with only 1 Gib of free space. So something else might be going wrong. – MooseBoys – 2019-12-17T08:11:24.680

Oh, I completely forgot to mention, the Recovery partition on C is a default Windows 10 partition. It contains tools to recover a windows installation. It does not contain a factory preset image. Its more like the ability to reset windows considering its still working, and that kind of thing. – LPChip – 2019-12-17T21:13:47.003

Have you run out of free space due to installed applications, or user data? If it's the latter, move every user's user data directories (%UserProfile%\Documents, %UserProfile%\Downloads, etc.) to a different drive via each directory's Directory Properties > Location tab > enter new path > OK. There's 13 user data directories that can be moved, however the %UserProfile%\OneDrive directory will need to be moved via the OneDrive application (you may have to sign out of the OneDrive application, then re-configure it manually to store the OneDrive directory on a different drive). – JW0914 – 2020-01-01T13:25:56.683

Answers

Is it possible to make Disk 0 (currently mapped as D drive) to become C, and visible as the boot partition? Is it possible to i.e merge the two physical drives to be visible as one single C drive?

No, this is not possible unless you reinstall Windows.

A 32GB drive simply is not big enough to run Windows 10 nowadays. Technically speaking it is enough, but indeed, you will not be able to run everything.

It is possible to construct something to move data from C to D, but it can literally break Windows.

You can move folders from C to D, then recreate junctions using mklink /j.

You definitely cannot move the Windows folder, and program files is another one you cannot move. The Users folder is possible, but may break things if not done correctly. Folders inside a users folder can be moved though.

My suggestion is to buy a bigger drive. I recommend 128 Gig minimum, and clone the disk to that drive and then replace it.

LPChip

Posted 2019-12-16T09:08:12.867

Reputation: 42 190

It is ok to reinstall windows if necessary. The original windows installation, I think, is stored on the Recovery section on Drive 1. – Dean – 2019-12-16T10:47:06.280

5Then you can run the windows installer to install windows, and select the D partition to install Windows to. – LPChip – 2019-12-16T10:49:01.337

I personally would reinstall Windows to the new drive. The UEFI system partition can stay where it is, and the remainder of the eMMC can be ignored or repurposed. – Michael Hampton – 2019-12-16T22:41:25.153

Or clone the 32GB drive onto a bigger drive, expand it to use up the whole drive, and go from there, but it does require some technical know-how. – Nelson – 2019-12-18T03:05:44.737

C:\Users cannot be moved due to the vast amount of hardlinks contained within every user's %UserProfile% (even if this was possible, hardlinks cannot exist across drives). @Dean : The WinRE partition contains only WinRE, not a PBR [Push Button Reset] image (on a larger drive, the OEM would likely have created a PBR, but there's no point doing so on a 32GB eMMC due to size constaints). – JW0914 – 2020-01-01T13:15:25.727

If choosing to clone drive 1, it would be recommended to use Windows' native DISM to image the three partitions (see imaging section), not a 3rd party cloning application to clone the drive, as it's inefficient (requires more steps) and almost always ends in configuration issues (~1 question a week pops up on SuperUser alone due to this)

– JW0914 – 2020-01-01T13:27:17.410

@JW0914 not true. I clone disks on a daily basis with Acronis True Image at work. Works really well and is effortless. Also the free tool AIOMEI Partition Manager does a good job in cloning a drive right from within Windows, its just not as fast as Acronis, but it is free and is also effortless. – LPChip – 2020-01-01T17:13:12.487

@LPChip I'm unsure what you're referring to as untrue... 3rd party cloning tools often create configuration issues, require additional steps when cloning a full disk to a disk not of equal size, often create boot issues, many use non-standard image formats (IIRC, Acronis uses a non-standard image format - i.e. not a WIM or ESD), use Linux tools for the cloning of system disks, and often require a non-standard boot media (i.e. not WinPE), creating a dependency. There's usually ~1 issue a week regarding a 3rd party cloning tool creating a configuration or boot issue posted to SuperUser. – JW0914 – 2020-01-01T17:41:19.797

@JW0914 fair enough. I don't have trouble at all with cloning, nor do I see a ~1 issue a week here, but its true that if cloning is done with the wrong tools or improperly, it will indeed cause issues. So far both Acronis and AIOMEI have never failed me. True for Acronis I need to perform the clone outside of the windows OS, but AIOMEI is a matter of just installing it, select the task and reboot. – LPChip – 2020-01-01T18:25:33.780

@LPChip I understand the point your making - I simply see so many who advocate for 3rd-party cloning solutions and, for whatever reason, I continually and repeatedly see the same help requests from users who have issues with it (I comment on ~1 a week). Perhaps advocates aren't aware Windows has always natively included a superior way to image partitions error-free, in a format immune from corruption, but I have yet to come across anyone on any forum running into boot or configuration issues when using DISM to image, yet issues for 3rd-party solutions are a dime a dozen. – JW0914 – 2020-01-01T20:10:03.203

If this is the product you own then you are sorely out of luck.

This laptop has 32 GB of eMMC (flash) storage which means the storage is literally soldered onto the motherboard and non-upgradable.

~~I am not sure where your "WORK" D:\ drive came from but I am going to assume that it is attached via USB.~~

In theory you can run CloneZilla to transfer your OS onto the D:\ drive and boot from it IF your BIOS even offers the option to boot from an external drive. This option will erase the contents of D:\.

The other option is to offload as many files to the D:\ drive as possible.

Side-note: it should be a crime to sell severely hobbled computers like these in this day and age. You can get a phone with better specs for that kind of money.

Update:

After translating the Amazon product page I see that the description states:

It has a 32GB flash memory expandable with SSD

So, assuming that you have an SSD inside the machine and based on this newfound information you should be able to use CloneZilla to transfer your current Windows install to the D:\ drive. This of course assumes that your BIOS allows you to boot from the SSD.

MonkeyZeus

Posted 2019-12-16T09:08:12.867

Reputation: 7 101

12"It should be a crime to sell severely hobbled computers like these in this day and age." Absolutely. I won't use less than a 256 GB SSD in my builds because you need room for growth. 32 GB is just ridiculous! – Mr Ethernet – 2019-12-16T18:54:13.350

8The price for that hardware is horrendous when you consider what you're actually getting. My goodness, that computer is indeed almost criminal! – T. Sar – 2019-12-16T18:56:58.190

@MrEthernet I think they get away with it because even Microsoft lists 16/20GB as the minimum required for 32/64-bit respectively. I think MS should really update those requirements to reflect the times since people won't be simply installing the OS without updates. If Windows 10 is truly their "final" version of Windows with endless updates then those system requirements will be an exploited loophole forever. Sadly people see "oh this 32 GB is double the minimum 16 so it must be twice as good" – MonkeyZeus – 2019-12-16T19:04:58.740

8@T.Sar-ReinstateMonica All too often it is computers like these that parents will purchase for their nagging tweens for Christmas to get them to shut up about Minecraft, Fortnite, PUBG, etc... and then two months later the child ends up asking their uncle to upgrade it. Go ahead, ask me why my anecdote is so specific. – MonkeyZeus – 2019-12-16T19:07:28.393

@MonkeyZeus Indeed! That said, with a hard drive that small, I can't see the computer holding up Windows plus a single larger game; World of Warcraft alone can take up 50+ GBs of data by itself, and it is a 15-year old game. – T. Sar – 2019-12-16T19:11:11.813

1@T.Sar-ReinstateMonica External drives easily solve the space issue for games assuming you get to choose the install dir. The real "fun" is experienced when the main drive cannot hold the Windows updates so the computer gets stuck in a viscous cycle of downloading, installing, rebooting, and failing to install updates so 95% of the hobbled CPU's power is consumed in perpetuity. – MonkeyZeus – 2019-12-16T19:15:10.063

3another big part of the reason behind the 32gb ultra-budget tier is that the prices MS charges large OEMs for Windows (which has nothing to do with the "OEM" aka System Builder licenses your and I can buy) is tiered by system specs. The last time those hardware tiers leaked the cheapest possible license was (among other things) limited to only 32gb eMMC. – Dan is Fiddling by Firelight – 2019-12-16T20:35:26.987

@DanNeely I'm sorry for whoever falls for those poor excuses for a computational machine but for 30€ less they could have had a competent laptop; I hope the flex and touchscreen was worth the tradeoff.

– MonkeyZeus – 2019-12-16T20:43:12.883

12On a side-note: A system like this is perfect for trying Linux the first time. You may break it, but you cannot really use it as-is – so what is to lose? If it works for you, you gained a functional system. If it does not, you gained experience (in one way or another). – Hermann – 2019-12-16T21:01:44.733

In the old days you could use something like vLite (formerly nLite) to create a slimmed down Windows install, is that still a thing/potential option here? – JMK – 2019-12-17T13:26:08.453

@JMK No clue but if you could research it and make an answer with that option then I think it would be a great advanced answer for this question. – MonkeyZeus – 2019-12-17T13:49:09.317

1@MonkeyZeus Will have a fiddle this evening – JMK – 2019-12-17T13:49:56.507

Windows 10 wants 40GB these days (it "reserves" it) even if it does not actually use it all. 32GB just isn't enough for modern Windows. – Baldrickk – 2019-12-17T14:12:55.950

@Baldrickk You're preaching to the choir. Seek out all of the manufacturers of these hobbled pieces of junk and send them a strong-worded email. – MonkeyZeus – 2019-12-17T14:16:23.247

Assuming there is nothing on the d-drive that you want, or if there is, back it up first to a USB drive (I noticed that the amount of data is not great so it would fit on an 8GB drive), you could clone the disk 1 to the disk 2 in its entirety, and set to boot from that. There are a couple of ways to do that, including in the BIOS, switching the locations of the drives after.

Lastly, and this would not be my preference, but you can change the location of the Windows Update downloads. It is explained here.

PhishMaster

Posted 2019-12-16T09:08:12.867

Reputation: 131

If you [edit] to include the instructions on how to change the location, your question will not suffer the effects of link-rot – Greenonline – 2019-12-16T11:10:24.890

1Windows upgrades need about 6 to 8 GB of free space to update. Moving the windows update downloads is not going to be the solution here. This is because windows will move old components to C:\Windows.old in order to allow the upgrade to be rolled back. – LPChip – 2019-12-16T12:11:02.150

@LPChip, Sorry disagree. First, again, I said it is not my preferred solution. Second, you are discounting the fact, and I am inferring this, that it has previously been updated, that if it is just running out of space now, moving it will free up that 6-8 GB that you are talking about. In addition, he can use CCleaner and Windows Disk Cleanup (with the system files option) to free up even more. Lastly, and he does not make this clear, but he said "Windows Update", which generally means just the monthly updates, not the twice-yearly build updates, but that does bring up another potential prob. – PhishMaster – 2019-12-16T12:22:35.597

Fair enough. I'm pretty sure most people talk about updates AND upgrades when they use the terminology Windows Updates, and Windows Updates are small and will not complain about the lack of diskspace if 1GB is still remaining wheras upgrades do. So eventually it will become a problem. I did not say your solution is bad, I just pointed out that upgrades will not work because I know people confuse regulare updates and upgrades as both come through the same channel. – LPChip – 2019-12-16T13:19:09.843

@LPChip I am aware that people are not always from the U.S., or other relatively wealthy countries, so I actually left out the option of simply buying a 512GB for cheap. Let's face it, that is the easy solution. :) I was just assuming that the person might not have such options. – PhishMaster – 2019-12-16T13:42:31.873

Not to mention that my answer actually suggests that anyway. But please don't feel offended by my comments. Its not meant as an attack, but given that many visitors read your answer their situation may actually be similar but they are trying to upgrade. Its easier for them to read in the comments that this probably won't work in upgrades (because you did not mention that in your answer) so that they can skip it and try something else instead. – LPChip – 2019-12-16T14:04:43.837

1@PhishMaster Cheap or expensive it does not matter. The computer in question uses eMCC storage which is soldered to the motherboard so upgrading isn't even an option to begin with. However, thank you for the link on how to move your Windows updates dir. Sadly, I may need to use it someday. – MonkeyZeus – 2019-12-16T19:23:20.083

@MonkeyZeus Thank you, I did not know that about that specific model, and thus, did not think to look it up. – PhishMaster – 2019-12-16T19:45:36.200

2No problem. I unfortunately have first-hand experience with these pieces of literal garbage masquerading as laptops... – MonkeyZeus – 2019-12-16T19:48:34.443

It sounded like it. Now, it is not so surprising that it has so little storage. – PhishMaster – 2019-12-16T19:54:32.700

-1

No - Windows does not boot from anything else than C: - you can read "C-Drive" as "Windows-Boot-Drive". You can make another drive the C: drive, but probably not with your setup, as others explained.

If you clean up C: as much as you can, remove hibernate and swap files, and compress the drive, you might be able to squeeze some more months or years of updates/Windows installs out of it, but - as others wrote - sooner or later, you will be at the end with 32 GB.

I am running several (virtual) up-to-date Windows machines in under 32 GB disk space, but it is severly limiting whenever an update comes, as you have to spent a lot of time cleaning it up and squeezing the last bytes out. It is still possible though.

Aganju

Posted 2019-12-16T09:08:12.867

Reputation: 9 103

4nonsense .. you can have the bootcode on C: but the windows directory on D: - has even the advantage that pagefile and hibernation file can be stored on C: too - for fast resume from disk... – eagle275 – 2019-12-17T10:13:50.037

1There's absolutely no requirement for Windows to boot from C: or a C volume to even exist. Not that it helps here since you still have to have the whole install on one drive officially. – Voo – 2019-12-17T13:22:47.210

Compressing a drive should be an absolute last step, as performance will be severely degraded and there's no reason to compress a Windows install on 32GB eMMC storage (simply google Windows 10 eMMC Windows Update)

– JW0914 – 2020-01-01T13:33:58.653

it would be temporary, for the upgrade. and I have done it before, there was no visible impact on performance. – Aganju – 2020-01-01T18:25:33.893