System Reserved Partition Not Showing in Disk Management [Fix]

Windows 11 » How To

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by Loredana Harsana 

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Key notes

  • System Reserved Partition not showing in Disk Management can occur if the partition size is less than 600 MB.
  • This error could be due to the missing Boot Manager as it stores Windows boot information.
  • One way to fix it is by Rebuilding System Partition by running some commands in the command line.
System Reserved Partition not Showing in Disk Management

Is the System Reserved Partition not showing in Disk Management on your Windows 10/11 device? The System Reserved Partition or SRP is a small partition on your hard drive that stores Windows Boot information. If the file gets deleted somehow, OS boot issues may occur.

Usually, this issue occurs if the partition size is less than 600 MB. The System Reserved Partition is available in Disk Management as Windows doesn’t assign a drive letter to it. So it won’t be visible inside the File Explorer, unlike other drives do.

Things could get serious if the System Reserved Partition is removed from Disk Management. If this happens, users may not be able to update Windows to its latest version, or in the worst-case scenario, your device won’t boot up, and the message Operating System not found will appear on the screen.

As it’s an issue of concern, it’s essential to fix it. In this guide, we will be looking at some troubleshooting methods that may help fix this problem.

What can I do if the System Reserved Partition is not showing in Disk Management?

1. Use Command Prompt

  1. Click on Start and open Settings.
    system reserved partition not showing in disk management
  2. Scroll down and click on Recovery.
  3. Click on Restart now beside Advanced Startup.
    Advanced startup Restart now Windows 11
  4. Once your device restarts, a blue screen will appear. Click on Troubleshoot.
    system reserved partition not showing in disk management
  5. On the next screen click on Advanced Options followed by Command Prompt.
    system reserved partition not showing in disk management
  6. Enter the following commands one by one and hit Enter.
    bootrec/scaros
    bootrec/fixboot
    bootrec/rebuildbcd
  7. Reboot your device and check if the System Reserved Partition not showing in Disk Management issue is fixed.

This issue might occur if you have a corrupted MBR or BCD file. To fix it, the first thing you need is an installation media of your OS. Here is How you can create a Windows 10/11 installation media.

2. Rebuild System Partition

  1. Insert the installation media into your device.
  2. Boot into system recovery options, and select Troubleshoot.
  3. Then click on Advanced options followed by Command Prompt.
  4. Type bcdboot c:\windows /s c: and hit Enter. Doing so will create a boot configuration file on a system drive instead of the System Reserved partition.
    Create-boot-configuration-file
  5. Once the command is executed, Boot files successfully created message will appear.
  6. Again, type the following and hit Enter.
    bootrec /fixmbr
  7. If the Element not found message appears, you’ll have to make the partition active using a partition assistant.
  8. Once you’ve rebuilt the file using the partition assistant, follow step 1 to rebuild the BCD file.

If the System Reserved Partition is missing from Disk Management, the only way of recovering it is by command lines using Windows installation media. You can also perform a partition recovery if you accidentally format or delete it. Here is the list of best partition manager softwares that may help you.

Also, both the troubleshooting methods mentioned above require you to get into the Recovery mode, also known as the Advanced Startup Options menu in Windows. By entering the Recovery mode, you will be able to access a range of diagnostic repair utilities outside the OS.

More about the topics: disk management, system reserved partition

Loredana Harsana

Loredana Harsana Shield

Windows Software Expert

Loredana is a passionate writer with a keen interest in PC software and technology. She started off writing about mobile phones back when Samsung Galaxy S II was on top of the world and she fell in love with tech of all sorts. Whenever she’s not at her work desk, you'll find her enjoying refreshing tea flavors, spilling stories on paper, and listening to the radio.