How to Install Windows Server 2022 without Recovery Partition?

Preface

After installing Windows Server 2022, the newest Server operating system, you may find that there is a recovery partition on the system hard drive. So, what is recovery partition or can you install Windows Server 2022 without recovery partition?

What is recovery partition Server 2022?

The Windows recovery partition is a portion of your disk drive to contain files of system backup image and files that guide system restoration. It will be created during Windows installation process. Besides the Windows recovery partition, there is another type of recovery partition (OEM partition) created by computer manufactures like Dell, HP, Lenovo before delivery, which allows to restore computer to factory default settings, including OS, drivers and some build-in applications.

When your operation system gets corrupted, or offers poor performance for some unknown reason, you can use either recovery partition to perform a quick and effective OS recovery rather than spending lots of time reinstalling the OS from scratch.

How to install Windows Server 2022 without recovery partition?

To install Server 2022 without creating recovery partition, you can create only a single one partition on the entire hard drive that will contain the operating system during or before the OS installation. 

Method 1. Create only one partition during Server 2022 installation

Step 1. Insert the installation CD, DVD or other media to your computer and you’ll be asked to press any key when it asks for an input. Just press a key as required.

Step 2. Select a language, keyboard layout preference and your time/currency settings. Click "Next" in the window that pops up!

Step 3. Click on the "Install now" button to initiate the installation process for Windows Server 2022.

Step 4. Choose the Windows Server 2022 server option you want to install and click "Next" to proceed.

Step 5.Read the License terms and agree to them for the installation process to continue by checking the "I accept all license agreements" .

Step 6. Select "Custom: Install Windows Server Operating System only" if you're installing the OS on a fresh server. Or choose the "Upgrade: Install Microsoft Server Operating System and keep files, settings, and applications" if upgrading from a previous version of Windows Server.

Step 7. In the "Where do you want to install the operating system" screen, press Shift+ F10 to open Command Prompt window, in the pop out window, execute the following commands:

•diskpart

•list disk

•select disk # :choose the disk in which you will install the Server 2022

•clean

•create partition primary

This will clean all partitions on the selected disk and create a single primary partition. Then type "exit" command to close the window. Finally, you can select the created primary partition to install OS and click on "Next" to continue the OS installation process.

Step 8. When the installer finished installing the necessary system files, the system will reboot automatically. In the Disk Management, you will see there is only one system partition on your boot disk without recovery partition.

Method 2. Create only one partition before Server 2022 installation

The above is to create a single one partition via the Command Prompt during the Server 2022 installation process. If the commands are a little complex and you want to prepare the partitio before the installation, you can try the AOMEI Partition Assistant Server. It is a powerful Server partition manager, allowing you to create a single partition on an entire disk. To install Windows Server 2022 without recovery partition, do as following, please:

Step 1. Connect an empty USB drive to your computer for making a bootable media next.

Step 2. Install and run AOMEI Partition Assistant Server. Click “Tools” in the top toolbar, and choose “Make Bootable Media”.

Step 3. Follow the wizards to make a bootable USB that will contain the AOMEI Partition Assistant Server software inside.

Step 4. Change boot order and make your computer (where you will install the Server 2022 without creating recovery partition) to boot from it.

Step 5. Once startup, you will see the main interface of the AOMEI Partition Assistant Server. Right-click on the boot disk and select "Delete All Partitions".

Step 6. Choose a method to delete partitions as you need and perform the operation finally.

Step 7.  Click "Apply" and "Proceed" to submit the operation.

Then the entire disk space will turn into unallocated space, right-click on the space and select "Create Partition" to create a single partition with all the disk space. At last, you can insert the installation media to start installing the Server 2022 without recovery partition.

Further reading

Many users are wonder whether the recovery partition is indispensable for Server 2022 and it is safe to delete it. The answer is positive- you can delete a recovery partition without affecting the Windows Server 2022, especially when you have made a system image backup recently.

However, deleting the recovery partition is not as easy as deleting other data partition since you will find there is only "Help" option in the Server Disk Management. To delete it, you have to use the DiskPart and "delete volume" command or turn to some third-party software.

If you decide to delete the recovery partition just because it locates between in the system C: drive and unallocated space, and blocking extend system volume, you can use the AOMEI Partition Assistant Server, the Merge Partitions of which enables to merge the non-adjacent unallocated space into C drive directly without deleting the recovery partition.