Must Read: Sorry, but bringing back the Start menu won't help Windows 8

Topic: Hardware

Lenovo cleans up its incredibly messy Yoga 13 disk layout

Summary: Apparently Lenovo is listening. The default disk partitioning layout for its shape-shifting Yoga 13 steals nearly half the available space. Here's the official fix.

Ed Bott

By for The Ed Bott Report |

From the Credit-Where-Credit-Is-Due Dept.

Apparently Lenovo is listening. A few weeks ago I criticized the Lenovo Yoga 13 for a wasteful default hard disk partitioning scheme that sliced its 128 GB SSD into seven partitions and left only 42 GB of free space on the system drive.

Last week I got an update from a Lenovo representative, who said the company was releasing a fix-it tool for its customers who bought the Yoga 13:

We released a tool that will reclaim additional free space for Yoga users.  It's a simple download and the process is completely automated.  It doesn't reclaim quite as much space as the instructions a user posted on our forums (mostly because it does retain OneKey Recovery functionality), but it's much easier to use.  Also, we're incorporating the roomier partition structure in to new production.

If you own one of these devices, you can download the hotfix here.

The FAQ has more details:

What does this tool do?

The tool adds to the size of the C drive by doing three things: First, it will merge the D drive with the C drive.  Second, it will check the actual used space in the OneKey Recovery     (OKR) partition, and then will resize that partition accordingly.  Finally, free space recovered from the OKR partition will also be merged with the C drive.

How much space will I have?

This varies based on a number of factors, including how much data you have on your C drive, how much data you have on your D drive, and even the language of Windows 8.  Typically, a US English edition of Windows 8 will have a 95-100GB C drive once the tool is complete.  Note this is the total size of the C drive, not actual free space.  Free space will depend entirely on how much data you already have on your system.

There are some other precautions too, especially if you did any unofficial modifications to change your partition setup.

It's a clever hardware design, and this fix takes care of a legitimate objection.

Now, about that preinstalled software...

Topics: Hardware, Lenovo

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16 comments
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  • Good to hear

    Good to hear.

    This is one of the many reasons why I like to build my own systems. I've got a single partition on my main PC's drive, and it works fine.

    In any case, I'd say no more than two partitions (three for UEFI) are really needed for consumer PCs: One partition for recovery, one partition for everything else. I really don't see why they'd think there's a need for any other configuration.
    CobraA1
    Reply 1 Vote

  • Oh this is good.

    I have already recommended this system to few. I will point them to this blog.
    Ram U
    Reply 1 Vote

  • Good to know that

    Lenovo is listening. Being responsive to the needs and wants of their customers and potential customers is a good thing. Looks like this frees up a good bit of space for the C drive partition.
    coastin
    Reply Vote

  • Sigh..

    I have three on order. Thanks for the information. I'll likely do something very similar to what Rama.Net has planned. I am racking my brain for any logical explanation for 7 partitions. (I'm tracking back your older article now to help me understand. Thanks for the heads up, Mr. Bott.
    FuzzyBunnySlippers
    Reply Vote

    • seperate boot/repair and system partitions

      as i recall a vanilla win7 install (from MS, not OEM) is 2 partitions, a 100 MB boot partition and the main system drive. As for how and why Lenovo did it the way they did? my guess is some one got cute when building the master image.
      keastes
      Reply Vote

      • 100 MB not needed

        You get the 100mb partition if the drive is not already partitioned.
        TrueDinosaur
        Reply Vote

  • Superb...

    Ed, if you could do this with the other vendors, and make them ship the PCs without their crapware....
    sreesiv
    Reply Vote

  • crapware b'gone

    The first thing I recommend to all my friends and family after they get a new PC is to download a little tool called PCdecrapifier. Run that and you can get rid of the bloat and crap.
    riveroad
    Reply 1 Vote

  • Having Faith In PC Vendors (or maybe not)

    When I receive a new PC, I spend some time "commissioning" it. This entails complete hardware diagnostics including a hard disk reformat and surface test (yes, I've received disks with bad blocks right out of the box). I also partition the disk as I see fit, do a clean OS install, and driver install. This is vitally important in the event that I ever need to "rebuild" the PC (rare, but it happens). This is when I discover that the manufacturer's instructions for the drivers I need, and their correct installation order, is usually wrong. Better to discover this sooner, on a new PC that I'm not yet using as my main box, rather than later when my main machine fails and I'm out of commission for weeks resolving issues with the manufacturer.

    This process gives me 100% assurance that I can recover from catastrophic failure, including a corrupt or infected OS in my backups. It also gives me the opportunity to clean up the mess that is usually delivered by a PC manufacturer, such as useless multiple hidden disk partitions and a load of crap-ware.

    Granted, most PC consumer don't have the skills to do this, and don't want to develop them either. Oh well. You can choose to blame the car when it's operated and maintained by an untrained driver, or you can get the skills you need to get you what you want. Or hire a chauffeur and a mechanic.
    SteveMak
    Reply Vote

    • Consumers buy to use, not to configure...

      95% of consumers buy computers like they do TVs, microwaves, and washers. They expect them to work with minimal intervention. Learning how to do what you do is well beyond many of them, and outside the interest range of the rest.
      Iman Oldgeek
      Reply Vote

  • This is why I am waiting until second gen Windows 8 devices

    I noticed with Windows Vista and Windows 7 first gen devices, you are pretty much paying for experiments. My brother bought a Dell Inspiron with Vista in March of 2008 and the amount disk space was ridiculous, 60 GBs. If he had waited a year later, he could have gotten a 160 GB drive. I am sure the Yoga 2 will have a 768 GB drive with a 1 GB One Key Recovery Partition.
    adacosta38
    Reply Vote

  • Drawbacks to small SSD's

    Its the drawback to a small SSD drive. Having the OS and original software retained on the drive instead of backup discs. Its also the problem with Windows 8 RT as it is more bloated then say a IOS or Android that was designed for small storage devices. Again this is more Microsoft's fault then the hardware makers. The complaints on the Surface are the same type. The OS takes up a lot of space.
    jscott418-22447200638980614791982928182376
    Reply Vote

  • Big problem for Yoga is delivery time

    I ordered a Yoga the other day. Their order system estimates the delivery as mid-FEBRUARY. And I did not have the option to order an orange one. (All the ads show the wicked orange, but their system only lets you order gray?!)

    As far as disk partitioning is concerned, one nice thing about the Yoga is that it has an extra mSata slot inside the case, so there is room for another 50mm mSata SSD card. So my plan is to add another 256GB SSD upon arrival, bringing my total capacity to 512GB. Hopefully the BIOS has the proper Intel RAID options enabled, so a quick RAID 0 will give me a contiguous 512GB. Not bad.
    Speednet
    Reply Vote

  • Nice to hear

    I still don't see high-end business-grade or power user configurations. Where is the 15" touch displays with backlit keyboard, 256gb SSD, 8gb ram? Sorry to say that still nothing beats a Mac for its hardware. Of course you pay for it. I don't mind paying for it. I purchased my last laptop in 2009 for $1800. I'm still using it today. if it didn't weight more than my dog and had a touch screen, I'd still want to use it.
    A Gray
    Reply Vote

  • Lenovo U310

    Ok, then someone better tell Lenovo is not the only system with that flaw. I just serviced a Lenovo U310 and found the exact same issue. Now! When do we get a patch / fixture for that model?
    tnkalgarin
    Reply Vote

  • Nice!

    Sometimes when you're grumping in your head you go to Google to solve the problem. And then some of those times, you actually find the exact solution and grump no more.

    I honestly can't remember the last time I only had 14 gigs of free space left on my machine. Now I have 50.
    charlyRoot
    Reply Vote
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