Best way to remove SystemDiags files from system reserved partition?

[JMcKenzie]

Some updates to Windows 10 fail during the pre-installation phase when checking disk space.  The update checks the system reserved partition and find insufficient free space.  Examining the system reserved partition, I find that 60MB of the 100MB are being used by HP.  Of the 60MB, roughly 54MB are for system diagnostics.  I need the Microsoft updates more than I need the system diagnostics.  What's the best way to remove the system diagnostics from the system reserved partition?

[mdklassen]

> What's the best way to remove the system diagnostics from the system reserved partition?

Well, if you can "see" the partition, and see the files & folders in the file-system on the partition, just use "Select All", and then hold down the SHIFT key, and press the DELETE key.  Gone, and not moved into the "Recycle Bin".

Of course, if you can "see" the partition, and see the files & folders in the file-system on the partition, just use "Select All", and then drag-and-drop the files onto a USB memory-stick, before permanently deleting them, as above.

Then, after Windows Update has finished, drag-and-drop them back.

[JMcKenzie]

Microsoft does provide a way to get to the files on the EFI system partition via the mountvol /s command.  Removing or copying the files manually could work.  However, it's not clear what the impact is to the functioning of the computer if those files are removed.  Also, I have many desktops to perform this cleanup on.  I was hoping for a supported method from HP to remove the system diagnostics permanently.  It appears that Windows 10 is going to want the space on that partition going forward. 

[mdklassen]

> I have many desktops to perform this cleanup on. 

Buy another disk-drive, at least the same capacity as the current disk-drive.

Use "disk-cloning" software in "custom" mode, to selectively "resize" each partition as it copies from "source" to "target", i.e., "expand" that partition, and, if needed, slightly "shrink" one of the other partitions.

Then, the image of this "new" disk-drive can be "distributed" out to each of the managed workstations.

[JMcKenzie]

Thanks for the suggestion.  This might be a Plan C if we don't find a better solution.  We just finished building and deploying multiple desktops.  Unfortunately each desktop needs customization.  Creating a new image and deploying that is too much to take on at this time.

HP must have a way to remove these system diagnostics.  Removing the diagnostics in a way that leaves the desktop bootable and stable is the best option for us.

[mdklassen]

Can you boot the computer from Windows 10 installation media, and choose "Repair", and get a command-line prompt?

At that point, you have not booted from the installed disk-drive.

If the booted PXE (Pre-Execution Environment) Windows has assigned a drive-letter to that "reserved" partition, can you delete some files/folders from that drive-letter?

[JMcKenzie]

As I indicated above, you don't have to do anything more than mountvol with the /s option to make the system reserved partition available under Windows 10.  You could, at that point, delete files from that partition.  Searching on the Internet indicates that this is what some are doing to work around this issue.  However, in some cases this leads to the computer not booting or the HP utilities becoming non-functional.  The idea of deleting the files from the SystemDiags folder is probably Plan B.  The best option would seem to be that HP (or someone) provides a way to cleanly remove the System Diagnostics from the computer so that it will still boot and the HP utilities will be updated accordingly to know that the diagnostics have been removed from the EFI system reserved partition.  Another option would be for HP to provide an update to the system diagnostics which would reduce the size of the HP files on the EFI system reserved partition. 

[mdklassen]

Since each of the deployed PCs has been customized, another option is to have one large-sized SSD "scratch" disk-drive.

Just one, not one per deployed computer. 

I write SSD, because it could make the next steps go faster.

Temporarily connect the SSD to an internal SATA port on a PC.

Boot from "disk-cloning" software (on USB) to copy everything from the "production" disk-drive to the SSD, in "custom" mode,  to "expand" that partition, and "shrink" some other partition. 

Then, rerun the disk-cloning software, to copy all the partitions from the SSD back to the original disk-drive.

Probably about 90 minutes per PC (connect SSD / clone / clone / disconnect SSD / reboot to verify).

Move on to the next computer.

[JMcKenzie]

That's not a bad idea.  Probably have to figure out the impact to BitLocker but resizing the partition may save us time in the long run.  There's no indication that there is a way to cleanly remove the system diagnostics.

[mdklassen]

> Probably have to figure out the impact to BitLocker

I suppose that the process would need to be:

* unlock current disk-drive

* clone "as is"

* clone with "resizing"

* re-lock with BitLocker

> but resizing the partition may save us time in the long run. 

Since Windows 10 is a "service", and will have similar "large" updates every year, it's best to be "proactive", and expand the partition once-and-for-all.

How large is the 'C:' partition?  Will a reduction of 5 GB to 10 GB be "critical" ?  Probably not.

> There's no indication that there is a way to cleanly remove the system diagnostics.

I agree.   As you have indicated, any "forced-deletion" has been reported to make a system unbootable.  Don't go there.

Doctor, doctor: my arm hurts when I move it like this.

Dr. G. Marx: well, don't do it.  

 

(by the way, the 'G.' is for 'Groucho'.)