Partition defaults for Windows 10

[pjhenry1216]

So I'm trying to get rid of some partitions that seem superfluous to my Iconia W3. It has a handful of partitions at about half a gig each plus one that is around 8 gigs. What does win10 need or, even better, is there a way to get a win10 installer to use the whole drive and reformat everything? Will the refresh tool do that?

 

[holdum333]

Hi The media creation tool will do that!https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...ftware-download%2Fwindows10%2F&token=umWVoW6r
How did you install W10??:wink:

 

[shmsnh]

GPT, which I believe is the default for Windows 10, will create some additional partitions when you format the disk.

 

[pjhenry1216]

I originally installed it by updating from Windows 8 on the tablet to Windows 10 during the free period. However, the restore partition that is on it reinstalls Windows 8, so I was hoping to get rid of it at least. Also, as an update to the situation, the media creation tool doesn't seem to work since it says it can't validate the key (even though the product is activated to my account... i'm wondering if maybe it's missing some hardware like a TPMv2 chip or something, but i haven't looked into it). Plus, I've had some blue screens trying to get it into the Insider Program. My next step is going to check the disk/memory for errors, but i just haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

[holdum333]

Hi! I can answer one question. Here's link from HTG! How to Use Your Free Windows 10 License After Changing Your PC?s Hardware
PS I'm not a expert on BSOD, but I created a thread here that might help you!
http://forums.windowscentral.com/windows-10-how-guides/442888-next-time-you-have-bsod.html

 

[pjhenry1216]

I'll have to run through it again, but from what I could gather, it wouldn't even proceed with the installation to allow me to get to a point to try and re-activate it. Plus, it's already tied to my Microsoft account. I think it occurred during the earlier steps of the process prior to doing the actual installation.

 

[holdum333]

Hi Friend! I have a digital license key linked to my Microsoft account and I haven't had a problem. Here's what HTG has to say about a key!
You Don?t Need a Product Key to Install and Use Windows 10

 

[shmsnh]

However, the restore partition that is on it reinstalls Windows 8, so I was hoping to get rid of it at least. Also, as an update to the situation, the media creation tool doesn't seem to work since it says it can't validate the key

You should be able to delete that recovery partition. If the inbuilt Disk Management tool doesn't work, you'll find other tools with instructions on the web. Of course, you can use diskpart, but that depends on how comfortable you are with command prompt.

If you upgrade inside Windows, the setup will ask you to enter a key. If you boot using the installation media, there is an option to skip entering the key. If you have a digital licence, that is what you should do - boot using the installation media.