cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Windows Recovery partition has started changing/increasing size since installation, is this normal?

destel
Star III
System: Windows 11 Pro 64-bit 10.0.22000, Version 21H2, Installed on 13/8/2022, OS build 22000.978, Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22000.978.0, Firmware Release data 20220427, Firmware Version M3500QA.308
Model: Vivobook Pro 15 OLED M3500
Frequency of occurrence: 3 changes during the past week
Reset OS: No
Screenshot or video: Screenshots from Macrium Reflect User Interface attached.
========================
Detailed description:
Since installing Windows (the laptop came pre-installed with Windows 11 and I went through the initial setup on the first boot), I have been using Macrium Reflect (free version) to make images of the disk (all of the partitions) for backup.
A few days ago, I noticed, on the Macrium Reflect User Interface, that the size of the Recovery Partition had changed/increased.
Initially, during the first week post Windows installation/setup, the partition size was 961.8 MB/1.03 GB.
screenshot-2022-09-15-104417.png
After about a month during which I created 3 disk images and 2 WinRE rescue media, Macrium Reflect reported that the size became 994.7 MB/1.03 GB.
screenshot-2022-09-15-104455.png
Then, a couple of days later, the size had become 1001.8 MB/1.03 GB, but the next day it fell to 1001.3 MB/1.03 GB.
screenshot-2022-09-14-143207.png
I have obviously NOT manually modified this partition or knowingly allowed any program to modify it.
I am posting this issue here, because I believe that the Recovery partition is set by the laptop manufacturer.
I have 3 guesses as to why this happens:
Windows or ASUS updates are writing/deleting data on this partition
Macrium Reflect is modifying this partition (I couldn't find information on the internet about this being a possibility)
Macrium Reflect is inaccurately reporting the partition size (faulty reading?)
Can an ASUS representative please shed a light on whether it is normal for the Recovery partition to be changing size sometimes?
Has any other ASUS and Windows user seen something like this happen?
Thanks.

3 REPLIES 3

Apin_ASUS
Moderator
Moderator
Hi Destel:
Thank you for reaching us, technically, recovery parition is hidding under disk with original system img. Even windows update or asus update won't change the size. Depends on Macrium Reflect is a third party software.We cannot garranty it will effect changes of disk size, please try to remove it to check influence caused by Macrium Reflect or other reason.

destel
Star III
Thank you very much for confirming that ASUS cannot change Recovery partition size.
I just updated to Windows 11 22H2 and Macrium Reflect now reports the partition size has decreased by half! It's now 627.9 MB / 1.03 GB.
I haven't used Macrium in between this change in size (meaning I haven't used Macrium in the time period between opening this post and writing this comment). I can only imagine that this massive decrease in size is coming from Windows OS.
At least now, the partition does not show up as full and I can rest easy. If I run into this problem again, I will try uninstalling Macrium and using another imaging tool (such as Clonezilla) to do a cold-system image.
Thank you.

ASUS_Bot
Rising Star II
Thread automatically closed due to inactivity. If the reported issue has not been resolved or you require further assistance from one of our moderators, please create a new thread and we will be with you shortly.