Prevent Windows 10 setup from creating the Recovery partition (WinRE)

I know you can do this post install with DISKPART, and am pretty sure you can do this before the full Setup is underway if you launch a command prompt and launch DISKPART <Shift + F10> and then manually partition your disk without a recovery partition. I've done the former, but not the latter -- so don't want to post steps here unless or until I know they work.

Edit: just got this from an AI search, unvetted however:

Spoiler: POST & PREINSTALL REMOVE WINDOWS RECOVER PARTITION & WinRE

To prevent or disable the creation and use of the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) partition, the method depends on whether you are managing an existing Windows installation or performing a clean install.

Important Safety Warning
Disabling WinRE removes access to built-in system recovery options like Startup Repair, System Restore, and "Reset this PC". Furthermore, keeping WinRE disabled may cause certain cumulative security updates targeting the recovery environment to fail.

Method 1: On an Existing Windows Installation
If Windows is already installed and you want to disable the recovery agent and prevent new recovery partitions from spawning during updates, use the Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool via Command Prompt.

1.Open Command Prompt as Administrator:Prerequisite.
Press the Windows key, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.

Verification: Check that the title bar of the command prompt window reads "Administrator: Command Prompt".

2.Check Current Recovery Status:Optional.
Run the command reagentc /info to view the current configuration status.

Verification: Look for the line Windows RE status, which will typically show as Enabled.

3.Disable WinRE:1 min.
Run the command reagentc /disable.

Verification: The console should return the message Operation Successful. Running reagentc /info will now show the status as Disabled.

Method 2: During a Clean Windows Installation
During a fresh install from a USB bootable drive, Windows automatically carves out a separate recovery partition if you install it into unallocated space. To bypass this behavior:

1.Open Diskpart during Setup:Pre-installation.
At the Windows Setup screen where you select the language, press Shift + F10 to open a Command Prompt window.

Verification: A command prompt window will appear over the setup wizard.

2.Clean and Format the Drive:2 min.
Type diskpart, press Enter, then type list disk to find your target drive number. Select it with select disk X (replace X with your disk number), type clean, and then create a single primary partition using the entire disk capacity.

Verification: Type list partition to ensure only a single unformatted partition occupies the entire drive.

3.Proceed with Installation:Setup.
Close the command prompt, refresh the partition selection screen in the installer, select your newly created single partition, and continue.

Verification: Windows will install directly onto the single partition without automatically generating auxiliary recovery partitions.

 

If you use an unattended file to create a custom disk layout that doesn't have a Recovery partition, W10 Setup will finish the install.

The problem is Rufus wants to create a hidden unattended file for you (if you use any Windows tweaks), and sometimes that can conflict with autounattend.xml.

 

shift+F10 to invoke Command Prompt
Diskpart
Sel disk 0
clean
convert gpt
create partition efi size=100
format quick fs=fat32
assign letter=S
create partition primary
format quick fs=ntfs
assign letter=C
exit
Dism /apply-image /imagefile:\sources\install.wim /index:1 /applydir:c:\
(Install.wim is usually on D when mounted, if not found run the dir d:\sources command to search for install.wim)
bcdboot c:\windows /s S: /f uefi
exit
pull out the install media
restart
Specialization phase begins

 

Why you don't use an Windows PE to install Windows? There are many excellent Windows PE modified by third party developers. In this way, you can manage disk partitions by yourself, and prevent any partitions you don't want.
But anyway, even if there doesn't exist recovery partition, the Windows setup will put an WinRE.WIM file in your C drive.
To be more specific, it is in the C:\recovery

 

I manually partition without a recovery partition before/during install. Windows will then make a hidden recovery folder on "C:" instead. If you want to remove even that and have no recovery stuff, which is often needed for making back/imaging software rescue disks, the following commands will check, remove, or recreate it (for mentioned rescue disk creation).

Note: I also physically remove/unplug ALL other disks before installing Windows or it WILL force boot files onto other drives (My D: storage drive, or separate Linux install for example) and make them dependent on each other to boot.

Disable Windows Recovery Environment (hidden folder on "C:") (admin command prompt):

Code:

reagentc /info
reagentc /disable
reagentc /enable

Manual partitioning notes, adjust sizes, etc. accordingly (admin command prompt):

Code:

diskpart
list disk
select disk x
-Clean the selected disk:
clean
-By default, "clean" creates an empty MBR disk. Convert it to GPT:
convert gpt

-Create the EFI partition (minimum 100 MB, must be FAT32 - For Advanced Format 4K Native drives (4-KB-per-sector), the minimum size is 260 MB, due to limitation of FAT32)
create partition efi size=260
format fs=fat32 quick label="System"

-Create the MSR partition (Beginning in Windows 10, the size of the MSR is 16 MB):
create partition msr size=16

-Create the Windows partition
create partition primary size=485376
format fs=ntfs quick label="WIN10"
assign letter="W"

-Optional, can skip this. Create recovery partition (768+)
create partition primary size=768
format fs=ntfs quick label="WinRE"
set id="de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac"

 

You hit Shift+F10 to get a command prompt as soon as the installer is booted up. First thing!
I forgot the reason for the "W", but it will still be "C:" once installed. "W" = Windows has been my assumption. For me it's one of those, because "I learned it decades ago and it has always worked" things.

 

When creating an ISO using UUP Dump, set SkipWinRE = 1 in ConvertConfig.ini.

Code:

=== Running UUP Converter v128m ===

=== Checking UUP Info . . .

=== Configured Options . . .

AutoStart 1
SkipWinRE

=== Preparing Reference ESDs . . .

Microsoft-OneCore-ApplicationModel-Sync-Desktop-FOD-Package-amd64
Microsoft-OneCore-DirectX-Database-FOD-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-Hello-Face-Migration-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-Hello-Face-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-InternetExplorer-Optional-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-LanguageFeatures-Basic-en-us-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-LanguageFeatures-Handwriting-en-us-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-LanguageFeatures-OCR-en-us-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-LanguageFeatures-Speech-en-us-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-LanguageFeatures-TextToSpeech-en-us-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-MediaPlayer-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-MSPaint-FoD-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-Notepad-FoD-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell-ISE-FOD-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-Printing-PMCPPC-FoD-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-Printing-WFS-FoD-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-QuickAssist-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-StepsRecorder-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-TabletPCMath-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-UserExperience-Desktop-Package-amd64
Microsoft-Windows-WordPad-FoD-Package-amd64
OpenSSH-Client-Package-amd64

=== Creating Setup Media Layout . . .

=== Creating install.wim . . .

Using LZX compression with 8 threads
Archiving file data: 7249 MiB of 7249 MiB (100%) done

=== Creating winre.wim . . .

Using LZX compression with 8 threads
Archiving file data: 971 MiB of 971 MiB (100%) done

=== Creating boot.wim . . .

=== Creating ISO . . .

OSCDIMG 2.56 CD-ROM and DVD-ROM Premastering Utility
Copyright (C) Microsoft, 1993-2012. All rights reserved.
Licensed only for producing Microsoft authorized content.


Scanning source tree (500 files in 41 directories)
Scanning source tree complete (899 files in 85 directories)

Computing directory information complete

Image file is 3795877888 bytes (before optimization)

Writing 899 files in 85 directories to 19041.1.191206-1406.VB_RELEASE_CLIENTPRO_OEMRET_X64FRE_EN-US.ISO

100% complete

Storage optimization saved 25 files, 14200832 bytes (1% of image)

After optimization, image file is 3783733248 bytes
Space saved because of embedding, sparseness or optimization = 14200832

Done.

Finished.
Press 0 or q to exit.