How to Resize the WinRE Partition in Windows 11

A Step-by-Step Guide to Manually Increasing Your Windows 11 Recovery Partition Size (Without Losing Your Mind)

Here’s where I ran into a snag: I needed to resize that tiny recovery partition to accommodate the big updates that come with Windows 11. If your recovery environment is starting to feel a bit cramped — and it probably is — you might be tempted to jump straight to third-party tools. But I found that with some careful planning and patience, you can do it manually. Just a heads up: this isn’t for the faint-hearted; messing around with partitions can go south quickly if you’re not careful. Always back up everything first. Trust me, I learned the hard way.

Check if Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) Is Installed

This step is crucial — if WinRE is active, it can interfere with your partition adjustments. To check, open Command Prompt as admin (Start > type cmd > right-click and select “Run as administrator”), then type:

reagentc /info

This command tells you whether WinRE is enabled, disabled, or queued for removal. If it’s still enabled, you’ll need to disable it before resizing:

reagentc /disable

Sometimes, WinRE appears as a separate partition in Disk Management, but it’s more reliable to check via reagentc. If you’re unsure, open Diskpart to confirm the partitions:

Using Diskpart to Double-Check Partitions

diskpart
list disk
select disk 0  
list partition

Look for a partition labelled “Recovery” or with a size around a few hundred MB to a few GB. Your main OS partition will be significantly larger (usually 100-200GB), making it easier to identify. Be cautious—selecting the wrong disk or partition can cause issues. Note down the partition number you want to resize.

Shrink Your Main OS Partition to Free Up Space

This was the trickiest part for me. Windows doesn’t allow easy resizing from the GUI, especially shrinking system partitions. So, open an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell and start Diskpart:

diskpart

Once in, list your disks:

list disk

Select the appropriate one (usually Disk 0), then do:

select disk 0  
list partition

Identify your OS partition — likely called “Primary” or similar. Select it:

select partition #  

Next, shrink it. The amount depends on how much free space you need and what your system can handle. For example, to shrink by about 30GB:

shrink desired=30000

This command requests Windows to free up around 30GB (30,000 MB). The success depends on various factors like data fragmentation. Sometimes, running a defrag first or shrinking in smaller steps helps. It may take a few minutes. Afterward, you’ll have unallocated space ready to be converted into a recovery partition.

Create a New Recovery Partition

With unallocated space available, you can create a new partition. First, check whether your drive uses GPT or MBR, since that influences your options:

list disk

If you see a star (*) under the GPT column, your disk is GPT. If not, you might need to convert it, but that’s a separate process. Assuming GPT, create the partition:

create partition primary
format fs=ntfs quick
assign letter=R  

This sets up, formats, and assigns a drive letter so Windows can recognise it. Keep in mind, if your system uses UEFI, the recovery partition may need to be in a specific spot or named in a particular way. That’s where things can get complicated.

Set Up and Enable the Recovery Environment

Next, you’ll want to mark this partition as a recovery source. If you have a recovery image ready, point Windows to it:

reagentc /setreimage /path X:\RecoveryImage

Replace X:\RecoveryImage with the actual location of your recovery files. If you don’t have one, creating a recovery image is a separate task. Alternatively, you can just enable the recovery environment on that new partition:

reagentc /enable

Verify everything is set up correctly with:

reagentc /info

It should indicate that the recovery environment is enabled and pointing to your new partition. If not, you may need to troubleshoot the path or recovery image. Sometimes, Windows resists recognising a custom recovery partition without a bit of fiddling.

Final Tips & Important Caveats

A quick heads-up: tinkering with partitions always carries some risk. You could lose your recovery environment or, worse, damage your Windows installation if things go wrong. I recommend creating a Windows Recovery Drive or having a Windows installation USB at hand, just in case. And always back up your important data before messing with partitions.

Some notes from my experience:

• If options appear greyed out in Diskpart or Disk Management, ensure your disk isn’t set to read-only or protected. Also, check whether your OEM has restricted access — some laptops or pre-built desktops lock down these features tightly.
• On older machines from brands like ASUS or Dell, the recovery partition might be hidden deep in BIOS settings or behind vendor-specific tools. OEMs often disable certain features, making manual resizing more complex.
• Updating your BIOS/UEFI firmware can sometimes unlock missing options — worth trying if things seem limited.
• If Windows won’t let you resize a partition, third-party tools like MiniTool Partition Wizard or EaseUS Partition Master can do the job — but that’s beyond this guide.

Wrapping Up & Things to Check Before You Finish

In the end, patience, backups, and a steady hand are your best friends here. Once you’re done, double-check that the recovery environment is working correctly. Run reagentc /info again and verify the path to your recovery image.

I hope this helps! It took me quite a while to figure out, so if this saves someone a few frustrating nights, all the better. Good luck, and don’t forget to back everything up first!