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Blimpyboy
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I have an HP 260/g1 sff pc with a 32GB m.2 SSD running Win8.1. I'm so low on space though that I can't carry out a Win10 upgrade. I have purchased a replacement 64GB SSD and thought it would be an easy task to move the image and thus gain 32GB for the main Win8.1 C: part so I can upgrade to Win10. I thought it would be easy - and it might well be - but I've hit a sticky point! The existing 32GB SSD has the following four martitions:
<360MB FAT32><128MB unformatted pri><21GB NTFS (main Win8.1 C: part><8GB recovery>
I used Reflect to create an image of the existing 32GB SSD to an external USB drive and that worked fine. I then shutdown the unit, removed the 32GB SSD and installed the new (blank) 64GB SSD. I then fired up the hp260 and booted from a Reflect6 boot CD and recovered the image of the original 32GB disk image to the new 64GB SSD. So far, so good and the system boots up just fine - only problem is the partitions look like tis on the new SSD:
<360MB FAT32><128MB unformatted pri><21GB NTFS (main Win8.1 C: part><8GB recovery><30GB unused space>
Obviously what I really want is to grow the 21GB C: part into the 30GB new free space, but I can't as the 8GB recovery part is in the middle and I don't appear to have any tools that will let me move it up to the end of the drive so the unsused space is contiguous from the C: part!
One extra biit of info here is that removing the 8GB recovery partition is not an option - I've looked into this and people with experience of the hp260 tell me that the 8GB recovery part is used at run time for Win8.1 (it isn't used simply to restore to factory defaults as recovery parts normally are).
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
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Richard V.
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It would be simpler, of course, if that recovery partition didn't stand in the way of expanding the OS ("C:") partition into the unallocated space. In the circumstances, the best solution is probably to re-run the Reflect image restoration process, this time taking advantage of its abilities to modify individual partition sizes. See this KB article for details. You can change the partition order as well as sizes if you wish, but best not to mess around with that FAT32 system reserved partition.
Regards, Richard V. ("Arvy") 
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Seekforever
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Rather than restore the image of the whole disk, selectively pick each partition from the source and place it in the target area. When you get to the C partition use the options to extend its size but leave enough space for the Recovery partition.
Arvy's post got in while I was doing mine but we are saying the same thing but he was kind enough to give you a KB link.
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Richard V.
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@seekforever -- No problem. KB links are just my lazy way of avoiding multiple recitations of all the details. 
Regards, Richard V. ("Arvy")
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Blimpyboy
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OK, thanks for taking the time to respond, I'll try the suggestion. One additional bit of info: I've since found that the hp260 uses WIMBoot whereby
Windows somehow links to data in the recovery partition to access data that would normally be contained solely in the C: part. In other words, the recovery partion is required at boot time for normal Windows operation. I'm now wondering if moving the recovery part will interfere with how WIMBoot operates?
I guess I'll just try your suggested method - if it works great, if not then perhaps WIMBoot is making things rather tricky!
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Froggie
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Moving the Recovery partition should not affect your BOOT process... as long as it's there, it will be found.
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Richard V.
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@Blimpyboy -- In that case, I'd suggest resizing only and leaving the partition order as it is. I doubt that WIMBoot actually relies on the partition order, but there's really no need to change it anyway. In fact, your W10 upgrade may replace the existing WinRE partition or add another one if it can. Recent Windows versions, especially Window 10, are increasingly reliant on recovery partitions for performing certain functions that are included in the primary OS interface. That's why I always recommend imaging the entire drive for full system backups and not just the partitions required for booting the Windows OS itself normally.
Regards, Richard V. ("Arvy")
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Blimpyboy
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Excellent, all good now! Really appreciate everyones time and effort in heling me out.
Isn't Macrium Reflect just wonderfull software. I used Acronis True Image for years until things started to go pear-shaped, blessing in
disguise really as it led me to look for a suitable alternative... then I stumbled upon the stellar MR ;-)
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Dr Abdul Rasheed Rasheed
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+xI have an HP 260/g1 sff pc with a 32GB m.2 SSD running Win8.1. I'm so low on space though that I can't carry out a Win10 upgrade. I have purchased a replacement 64GB SSD and thought it would be an easy task to move the image and thus gain 32GB for the main Win8.1 C: part so I can upgrade to Win10. I thought it would be easy - and it might well be - but I've hit a sticky point! The existing 32GB SSD has the following four martitions: <360MB FAT32><128MB unformatted pri><21GB NTFS (main Win8.1 C: part><8GB recovery> I used Reflect to create an image of the existing 32GB SSD to an external USB drive and that worked fine. I then shutdown the unit, removed the 32GB SSD and installed the new (blank) 64GB SSD. I then fired up the hp260 and booted from a Reflect6 boot CD and recovered the image of the original 32GB disk image to the new 64GB SSD. So far, so good and the system boots up just fine - only problem is the partitions look like tis on the new SSD: <360MB FAT32><128MB unformatted pri><21GB NTFS (main Win8.1 C: part><8GB recovery><30GB unused space> Obviously what I really want is to grow the 21GB C: part into the 30GB new free space, but I can't as the 8GB recovery part is in the middle and I don't appear to have any tools that will let me move it up to the end of the drive so the unsused space is contiguous from the C: part! One extra biit of info here is that removing the 8GB recovery partition is not an option - I've looked into this and people with experience of the hp260 tell me that the 8GB recovery part is used at run time for Win8.1 (it isn't used simply to restore to factory defaults as recovery parts normally are). Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. On an SSD is there any idea such as having a partition in the 'beginning of the disk' or 'at the end of the disk ? Unlike a normal classic Hard Disk, thre are no moving or revving function for an SSD. If at all there is any such issue, you could have simply formatted the new SSD ouside by connecting it to any Laptop using a USB to SATA cable, and then re-imaging your windows installation to the new drives.
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Richard V.
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=Blimpyboy -- Isn't Macrium Reflect just wonderfull software. As a fellow convert from ATI, I agree. But we should probably wait for one of Macrium's own reps to confirm our opinion about that. 
Regards, Richard V. ("Arvy")
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