How to Move Recovery Partition on Windows Server 2022

What is Recovery Partition?

The recovery partition is a dedicated section of your hard disk that stores essential files required to troubleshoot, restore, or reinstall your Windows Server environment. This partition is usually created automatically during the installation of Windows Server and is hidden from normal access. Think of it as your server's built-in emergency toolkit. It often includes tools like Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), boot repair utilities, and system image backups.

If something goes wrong, like a failed update or a system crash, the recovery partition partition can help restore the system to a working state. It is usually 500MB to 1GB in size and resides between your main system partition and others, which can make disk management a real pain, especially if you’re resizing volumes or cloning disks. That's when the question comes up: Can I move Recovery Partition on Server 2022?

Can You Move the Recovery Partition on Server 2022?

The short answer is yes, but with caution. While it’s technically possible to move recovery partition on Server 2022, it's not as simple as dragging and dropping it like a regular folder. Because this partition holds critical system files, mishandling it could lead to boot failures or a broken recovery environment. There are two common scenarios:

• You want to move the recovery partition to another drive (like a new SSD).
• You want to change the location of recovery partition like moving recovery partition to end of disk or moving recovery partition to beginning of disk to free up space or reorganize your partitions.

Part 1. How to Move Recovery Partition to Another Drive

If you're migrating your OS or upgrading your hard drive, let Windows Server 2022 move recovery partition to a new drive may be part of your plan. In this case, using a professional cloning tool is the safest and most efficient option.

AOMEI Cloner is a remarkable tool that can help you transfer recovery partition to another drive with a few simple clicks while preserving its structure and data. Specially designed for Windows Server 2025/2022/2019/2016/2008 and Windows 11/10/8/7/XP/Vista, this software allows to run the cloning process without interrupting your current work or shutting down your computer. It also offers other powerful functions, such as:

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How to Clone Recovery Partition using AOMEI Cloner:

Step 1. Download and Run AOMEI Backupper

Connect your new drive to computer, and make sure it is detected. Install and launch AOMEI Cloner. To clone recovery partition to new hard drive, click Clone > Partition Clone.

Step 2. Select Cloning Options

Select the recovery partition as the source partition. Then, select the new hard disk you have connected before as the destination path.

Step 3. Start the Recovery Partition Clone

Confirm the cloning options, and click Start Clone to begin the process. If you are cloning recovery partition to an SSD, it is recommended to tick SSD Alignment to optimize the performance of the SSD.

Part 2. How to Move Recovery Partition to End of Disk

In many cases, admins want to move recovery partition on Windows Server 2022 to end of disk to free up space near the front of the drive, especially for expanding the C: drive or restructuring disk partitions. In such a case, you can rely on a partition manager like AOMEI Partition Assistant Server, which is capable of moving partitions on Server system with ease. Here’s how to use it.

Note: Before proceeding, it is recommended to back up the recovery partition or the entire Windows Server system. Although this process is simple, misoperation may affect boot integrity.

Step 1. Download and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant Server, right-click the drive you want to move, and select Resize/Move Partition.

Step 2. Then, another window will pop up, where you can move the recovery partition towards the right side.

Step 3. You will then return to the main interface and see that the target partition has been moved to the end of the disk. You can then click Apply to let Windows Server 2022 move healthy recovery partition.

FAQs about Moving Recovery Partition on Server 2022

1. Is it OK to delete recovery partition?

Technically, yes, but only if:

• You have backed up your system
• You don’t need recovery tools
• You're confident in restoring via other means (like bootable media)

2. How to delete recovery partition?

You can delete Recovery Partition via Disk Management or using the Command Prompt.

Option 1: Press Windows + X > select Disk Management > look for a partition labeled Recovery Partition or without a drive letter > right-click it and select Delete Volume.

Option 2: Open Command Prompt and run it as an administrator, then:

• Type diskpart and press Enter.
• Type list disk and press Enter to identify the disk number.
• Type select disk # (replace # with the disk number).
• Type list partition and press Enter.
• Type select partition # (replace # with the recovery partition number).
• Type delete partition override and press Enter.
• Type exit to close Diskpart.

3. Why do I have two recovery partitions?

This usually happens after major system upgrades or reinstallation of Windows components. The older recovery partition might be outdated and unused, while the newer one is active. Use reagentc /info to determine which is active, and delete the unused one cautiously.

Conclusion

In a word, moving recovery partition on Server 2022 is simple with the right tool. The AOMEI Cloner can not only help you move a specific partition to a new drive, but also migrate entire C drive to SSD or HDD with ease. You can download it to have a try!