From Newsgroup: alt.comp.os.windows-11
On Sat, 6/27/2026 1:07 PM, Bill Bradshaw wrote:
So I am not sure if Windows 11 needs 2 recoveries. I would like to combine these. Is one of them surplus and not active?
---
<Bill>
Brought to you from Anchorage, Alaska
This depends on the position. In this case, both recover partitions
could be attempts at valid ones.
+----------+---------------------+----------+---------------------+
| Win10 | Recovery Partition | Win11 | Recovery Partition |
+----------+---------------------+----------+---------------------+
In this case, the one closes to the OS is the valid one.
+----------+---------------------------+---------------------------+
| Win10 | 768MB Recovery Partition | 2.0GB Recovery Partition |
+----------+---------------------------+---------------------------+
Created 21H2 --> 22H2 User fixed during 21H2
Can be removed now
But before you remove anything, or for that matter, make any rash moves,
you verify the situation on both OSes.
Admin window
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> reagentc /info
Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) and system reset configuration
Information:
Windows RE status: Enabled
Windows RE location: \\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition4\Recovery\WindowsRE
Boot Configuration Data (BCD) identifier: 497fe39f-30d1-11f1-8a51-e8ea6a0992ff
Recovery image location:
Recovery image index: 0
Custom image location:
Custom image index: 0
Windows RE Version: 10.0.26100.8655
REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.
In diskpart.exe (command line), you check the partitions
DISKPART> list part
Partition ### Type Size Offset
------------- ---------------- ------- -------
Partition 1 System 100 MB 1024 KB
Partition 2 Reserved 16 MB 101 MB <=== Cannot see this in Disk Management
Partition 3 Primary 118 GB 117 MB
Partition 4 Recovery 1024 MB 118 GB <=== This is my "Enabled" partition4.
Partition 5 Primary 128 GB 119 GB
Partition 6 Recovery 1025 MB 248 GB
If there had been a Partition 5 which was also a Recovery Partition, chances are
it can be removed. However, consider my Windows 10. His
reagentc says Partition6 is a Recovery Partition. If I removed a partition somewhere to the left of Partition 5 (Windows 10) then the partition
numbering would change, and the Windows 10 Recovery Partition would
be instantly invalidated and need a PBR (PushButtonReset).
Summary: While it is fun to pretend you are in charge of your machine,
you are merely a disinterested audience member. Doing a job
properly will take more time than it's worth. Like, if the scheme
had been designed *properly*, would it have these sorts of glaring issues ?
Imagine, for example instead of using this flavor of namespace
\\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition4\Recovery\WindowsRE
I had used a GUID of the partition, such that no matter what its
position on the disk, it would still be valid. Then, when you ask me
whether the <unused> partition could be removed, I would not have
to give you bomb squad answers regarding cutting the red wire or
the blue wire. You could just do it.
If you have *ONE* OS on the HDD, then yes, now you can whack at those
things all you want. Use your reagentc /info to verify which one
is the valid one. If the reagentc command gives you some "disabled"
answer anyway, or "cannot enable", then you may end up doing a PBR
anyway. It is when you have more complex setups, that the additional
iffs and butts arise.
Paul
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