What about the hidden Partitions on a SSD - Disk ?

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NoPlayBack
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I want to create an image from my boot-drive on SSD.

Have searched the forum and have seen many hints, that i should always save complete SSD, including all partitions. Have also seen a warning when i did try to de-select the hidden partitions before doing the backup.

So i would like to ask for some background information:
What are these partitions for ???

My Partitions are on a Sandisk 128GB SSD.
I do have 3 Partitions on my SSD:
- 0,3 GB with 0,2 GB used, named "Restore", NTFS
- 0,1 GB with 0,1 GB used, named "Not named Volume" FAT 32 "EFI-System"
- 118 GB NTFS as drive C

I would be so glad if somebody could answer my questions.

Sun, 06/02/2013 - 13:27
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tuttle
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If you really need to know, launch Windows Disk Management, take a screenshot of it showing all drives, and post it here.

But, regardless whether you understand the hidden partitions or not, you should make full disk mode backups as they are the safest, simplest, most reliable source of a complete restore after disaster.

Sun, 06/02/2013 - 14:34

I am not staff and am not paid. I provide help on a volunteer basis on my own time.

NoPlayBack
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Comments: 47

Here we go, all Drives and Partitions in attached screenshot.

SSD is drive 0, with 3 partitions, 300MB, 100MB (the 2 unknown ones which need explanations), and 118,73GB which contains the data.

The second drive 1 is my old boot-drive, the first partition (78GB NTFS) has no drive letter any more and is to be deleted.....

The first Image i created from my C was only that partition, but it is said i should backup whole drive, all 3 partitions.
I see, that there is no big difference in resulting size, the 2 other partitions are small.... but i am simply keen to understand the reason. This is something i have never seen on HDDs...

Attachment Size
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Sun, 06/02/2013 - 17:58
James F
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Sun, 06/02/2013 - 18:09
What I tell my friends: It's not a problem with your computer, it's a short circuit between the chair and the keyboard! What I tell my customers: Whatever the problem is, we can fix it.
NoPlayBack
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Posts: 7
Comments: 47

Thanks for the info....

so it looks as if i have

- one Partition to simulate a MBR in case somebody would access the disk with old tools (which do not recognize ESP)
- one ESP-Partition, to be able to boot
- one Partition which contains the data i can see in Drive C.

Thanks for the explanations !

Wed, 06/05/2013 - 09:49