Surprise New Partition and TPM Trouble after win 10 Update

K

kludgemeister

Member
Hi all, I don't know if these issues are related but after updating win 10 to build 1803 the other day I noticed that:

a. I'd been given a new partition on Disk0 (a brand new F: drive). I can't access it and I keep getting desktop notifications telling me it's nearly full (it is, see Disk Management stuff, below[1]). I've got all the other partitions I'd expect to see and all are allegedly healthy.

b. Windows Defender is telling me "A firmware update is needed for your security processor (TPM)", but when I click on the more info link, I get a 404 page[2].

[1]

Volume: F:
Layout: Simple
Type: Basic
Filesystem: NTFS
Status: Healthy (OEM Partition)
Capacity: 450MB
Free: 35MB

[2]

https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=867263, which ends up resolving to https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4096377#firmwareupdates


For both issues, googling hasn't really helped. I've been reluctant to use linux to delete the F: drive and I'm hoping someone here has a better suggestion, please? I've seen some suggestion online that a TPM firmware update should come from the manufacturer? Oh, I'm using a N150RF lappy (can't remember the name).

TIA
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
kludgemeister said:
Hi all, I don't know if these issues are related but after updating win 10 to build 1803 the other day I noticed that:

a. I'd been given a new partition on Disk0 (a brand new F: drive). I can't access it and I keep getting desktop notifications telling me it's nearly full (it is, see Disk Management stuff, below[1]). I've got all the other partitions I'd expect to see and all are allegedly healthy.

b. Windows Defender is telling me "A firmware update is needed for your security processor (TPM)", but when I click on the more info link, I get a 404 page[2].

[1]

Volume: F:
Layout: Simple
Type: Basic
Filesystem: NTFS
Status: Healthy (OEM Partition)
Capacity: 450MB
Free: 35MB

[2]

https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=867263, which ends up resolving to https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4096377#firmwareupdates


For both issues, googling hasn't really helped. I've been reluctant to use linux to delete the F: drive and I'm hoping someone here has a better suggestion, please? I've seen some suggestion online that a TPM firmware update should come from the manufacturer? Oh, I'm using a N150RF lappy (can't remember the name).

TIA
Click to expand...

There have been a lot of vulnerabilities found in various security components over the last year or so, TPM being one of them. You'll need to go to the clevo website to check for updates at www.clevo.com.tw

Have you had a look what's on the F partition?
 
Oussebon

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
Windows 1803 isn't fully released yet either - it's still in beta via insider builds isn't it? I haven't been following but I think it just got rolled out to the slow ring

The release got delayed due to various technical issues.
 
K

kludgemeister

Member
Yes I've looked and even with hidden files enabled it's showing nothing. Cheers for info on TPM and update state! I'll hang on for a bit before I dig a liveusb out.
 
Last edited:
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
I see that the F: partition status is 'Healthy (OEM Partition)' and that it's only 450MB in size. Generally these are recovery partitions provided by vendors other than PCS so that you can recover the laptop to the factory state. A recovery partition is usually hidden, i.e. it has no drive letter, and is accessible only via the recovery option in the BIOS. I would guess that 1803 has assigned it a drive letter in error.

Is this a PCS built laptop? I suspect not since it seems to have a recovery partition, PCS do not create nor use these.

Also, as has been mentioned, build 1803 is not released to the public yet which means you're on one of the insider rings. That being the case you should probably be approaching Microsoft for help with your issues. Microsoft should be made aware that a recovery partition is being assigned a drive letter and that it's missing driver support, that's what the insider program is for after all
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
I have raised this with PCS and received the following reply...

Thank you for raising the issue with us. We certainly have this available for our customers, we would however advise that they contact us directly as depending on current the version of their TPM we may need to send them a different update.
Click to expand...

...so for TPM updates you should contact PCS directly.
 
Bastet

Bastet

Silver Level Poster
Re the F drive. It is the recovery partition, there's a bug in 1803 which is adding a letter to the recovery partition.
Just remove the letter via diskpart.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Bastet said:
Re the F drive. It is the recovery partition, there's a bug in 1803 which is adding a letter to the recovery partition.
Just remove the letter via diskpart.
Click to expand...

This would be true if PCS installed a recovery partition, but they don't.....
 
Bastet

Bastet

Silver Level Poster
I’m sure my PCS laptop had a recovery partition when it arrived as it was removed when I clean installed Windows 10.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Bastet said:
I’m sure my PCS laptop had a recovery partition when it arrived as it was removed when I clean installed Windows 10.
Click to expand...

It will have had a testing version of Windows 10 installed, and there is a UEFI partition labelled 'Recovery' but it doesn't contain a user recovery system image as you'll find on high street PCs and laptops.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
ubuysa said:
It will have had a testing version of Windows 10 installed, and there is a UEFI partition labelled 'Recovery' but it doesn't contain a user recovery system image as you'll find on high street PCs and laptops.
Click to expand...

I think that’s the issue though, the bug assigns the normal windows recovery partition with a drive letter.
 
Bastet

Bastet

Silver Level Poster
ubuysa said:
It will have had a testing version of Windows 10 installed, and there is a UEFI partition labelled 'Recovery' but it doesn't contain a user recovery system image as you'll find on high street PCs and laptops.
Click to expand...
Thanks ubuysa, I’ve never heard of a testing version of Windows, all I know of my laptop is that Windows 10 was already installed & I just had to go through the set up which I received it.
As to the OP question I’m informed that the Windows version upgrade (creator’s update, anniversary update etc) will create a recovery partition in order to use Windows reset.
 
Last edited:
Scott

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
Recovery partition is definitely standard with Win 10. Just remove the drive letter as previously suggested and that should fix it. Might be able to do it via the standard Disk Management.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Bastet said:
Thanks ubuysa, I’ve never heard of a testing version of Windows, all I know of my laptop is that Windows 10 was already installed & I just had to go through the set up which I received it.
Click to expand...

Sorry, my fault for not being clearer. The version of Windows 10 that ships with any PCS computer is there only so that PCS can test the computer in their factory, that's why I called it a 'testing version'. You can simply activate that Windows 10 system with a valid key but I think that's unwise, even if (as PCS say) it's a fully functional Windows system you don't really know how it's been installed or configured. IMO if you order without an OS it's always safer to install you own.

Sorry for the confusion. :)
 
Bastet

Bastet

Silver Level Poster
ubuysa said:
Sorry, my fault for not being clearer. The version of Windows 10 that ships with any PCS computer is there only so that PCS can test the computer in their factory, that's why I called it a 'testing version'. You can simply activate that Windows 10 system with a valid key but I think that's unwise, even if (as PCS say) it's a fully functional Windows system you don't really know how it's been installed or configured. IMO if you order without an OS it's always safer to install you own.

Sorry for the confusion. :)
Click to expand...

My laptop came with a Windows 10 home CD & & Driver & utilities CD.
I purchased via eBuyer so it might be different than purchasing from PCS direct.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Bastet said:
My laptop came with a Windows 10 home CD & & Driver & utilities CD.
I purchased via eBuyer so it might be different than purchasing from PCS direct.
Click to expand...

Ah. In which case you bought it with Windows pre-installed and it's fine to use, if you buy direct from PCS you can elect to buy without an OS installed (making it cheaper of course). :)
 
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