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#1
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Strange new drive
Just noticed yesterday a new drive in Disk management, Don't know how
long it has been there but only since 1903. It is called "portablebasedlayer" 8.00 GB NTFS healthy primary partition, 400 MB used, it is *read only* and has no drive letter. I can't do anything to it as all options are greyed out except property's. It only shows up there and not in "this PC" . It does not seem to do anything and not causing any problems, Just wondering how and why it got there. Rene |
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#2
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Strange new drive
Rene Lamontagne wrote:
It is called "portablebasedlayer" 8.00 GB NTFS healthy primary partition, 400 MB used, it is *read only* and has no drive letter. Have you installed sandbox for 1903? |
#3
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Strange new drive
On 2019-06-14 11:11 a.m., Andy Burns wrote:
Rene Lamontagne wrote: It is called "portablebasedlayer" 8.00 GB NTFS healthy primary partition, 400 MB used, it is *read only* and has no drive letter. Have you installed sandbox for 1903? Yes, I installed and tried it, Not really needed in my case, Is it relevant to that drive? Rene |
#4
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Strange new drive
Rene Lamontagne wrote:
Andy Burns wrote: Have you installed sandbox for 1903? Yes, I installed and tried it, Not really needed in my case, Is it relevant to that drive? yes, if you search for portablebaselayer, without the superfluous 'd' you'll get results, seems if you're not using sandbox, you might as well remove it as people are suggesting it gives a performance hit from enabling a hypervisor. |
#5
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Strange new drive
On 2019-06-14 12:10 p.m., Andy Burns wrote:
Rene Lamontagne wrote: Andy Burns wrote: Have you installed sandbox for 1903? Yes, I installed and tried it, Not really needed in my case, Is it relevant to that drive? yes, if you search for portablebaselayer, without the superfluous 'd' you'll get results, seems if you're not using sandbox, you might as well remove it as people are suggesting it gives a performance hit from enabling a hypervisor. Guess I should have searched first, not thinking. Anyway you're quite right, it is the virtual drive set up by Sandbox, I uninstalled it and the drive has now disappeared, no sense keeping it active if I don't use it and its taking up resources. Thanks for the help. Rene |
#6
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Strange new drive
On Fri, 14 Jun 2019 10:21:14 -0500, Rene Lamontagne
wrote: Just noticed yesterday a new drive in Disk management, Don't know how long it has been there but only since 1903. It is called "portablebasedlayer" 8.00 GB NTFS healthy primary partition, 400 MB used, it is *read only* and has no drive letter. I can't do anything to it as all options are greyed out except property's. It only shows up there and not in "this PC" . It does not seem to do anything and not causing any problems, Just wondering how and why it got there. I have just installed 1903 and I find I now have: (Disk 1 partition 3) Simple Basic (Disk 1 partition 5) Simple Basic NTFS Recovery Simple Basic NTFS Recovery (R Simple Basic NTFS User Disk (D Simple Basic NTFS Windows (C Simple Basic NTFS (Disk 1 partition 3) is 100% free. There was a time when I could understand what was going on .... -- Regards, Eric Stevens |
#7
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Strange new drive
Rene Lamontagne wrote:
Just noticed yesterday a new drive in Disk management, Don't know how long it has been there but only since 1903. It is called "portablebasedlayer" 8.00 GB NTFS healthy primary partition, 400 MB used, it is *read only* and has no drive letter. I can't do anything to it as all options are greyed out except property's. It only shows up there and not in "this PC" . It does not seem to do anything and not causing any problems, Just wondering how and why it got there. Rene Without a drive letter, it won't show up in File Explorer. You did not mention how large is the disk in which the 8GB partition exists. You did not mention if the disk is an SSD or HDD. For example, if the disk is an SSD, a reserved area is allocated for overprovisioning to allow the SSD to have a spare sector pool for remapping bad blocks of sectors. The default spare pool size varies by the size of the SSD. I recall seeing my 256GB SSD had about a 7% spare pool size. My 1 TB SSD (an NVMe in an m.2 motherboard slot) has a lot bigger spare pool partition, by default, so I didn't bother using Samsung's Magician to increase the spare pool space. If I did want more overprovisioning space (than the difference in terabytes and tibibytes), Magician would resize my Win10 partition (make it smaller) to create unallocated space for use as overprovisioning space. If your SSD is 120GB in size then 8GB is about right for a 7% spare pool partition; however, as I said, the spare pool size is variable, usually depends on the size of the SSD, and users can use tools (like Samsung Magician for Samsung SSDs) to change the overprovisioning. The larger the overprovisioning, the longer the SSD will last. It mitigates write amplification in SSDs. Consumer-grade SSDs have a small overprovisioning than do SSDs in an enterprise configuration. Longevity and reliability are more important for enterprise usage. View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q15wN8JC2L4 and read: https://searchstorage.techtarget.com...erprovisioning https://www.kingston.com/us/ssd/overprovisioning https://www.seagate.com/tech-insight...its-master-ti/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Write_amplification That's just a guess because you did not identify to us the brand and model of the disk where is the mystery partition. I don't remember the partition on my SSD having a partition name. The overprisioning uses unallocated space on the disk. However, when I added more overprovisioning space in my Win7 setup that had a 256 GB SSD (which reduced the Win7 partition to create some unallocated space on the SSD), I don't recall that the space had a name. In fact, since it is unallocated space, it isn't in a partition, so it cannot have a name. Only partitions get names. Using the "portablebaselayer" string in a search found: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...ws-10-a-3.html You didn't mention which edition of Windows 10 that you are using (Home, Pro) or which build of it. I am using the Home edition of Windows 10. When I went into Control Panel - Uninstall a program, and picked Windows features in the left pane, I didn't see a feature named "sandbox". https://www.techrepublic.com/article...test-software/ I'm still back on the 1809 build. According to the article, the sandbox is a new feature in the 1903 build; however, I just have the Home edition and the sandbox feature is available only in the Pro editions, and up. You didn't say the brand and model of the disk with the mystery partition, so one guess was it is an SSD and you increased its overprovisioning size. Yet, that creates unallocated space on the disk, not a partition. My next guess based on a lack of your Windows edition and its build is that maybe it has to do with the new sandbox feature. |
#8
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Strange new drive
In article , VanguardLH
wrote: if the disk is an SSD, a reserved area is allocated for overprovisioning to allow the SSD to have a spare sector pool for remapping bad blocks of sectors. that's below the file system and will never show up as a separate partition. |
#9
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Strange new drive
On 2019-06-14 5:54 p.m., VanguardLH wrote:
Rene Lamontagne wrote: Just noticed yesterday a new drive in Disk management, Don't know how long it has been there but only since 1903. It is called "portablebasedlayer" 8.00 GB NTFS healthy primary partition, 400 MB used, it is *read only* and has no drive letter. I can't do anything to it as all options are greyed out except property's. It only shows up there and not in "this PC" . It does not seem to do anything and not causing any problems, Just wondering how and why it got there. Rene Without a drive letter, it won't show up in File Explorer. You did not mention how large is the disk in which the 8GB partition exists. You did not mention if the disk is an SSD or HDD. For example, if the disk is an SSD, a reserved area is allocated for overprovisioning to allow the SSD to have a spare sector pool for remapping bad blocks of sectors. The default spare pool size varies by the size of the SSD. I recall seeing my 256GB SSD had about a 7% spare pool size. My 1 TB SSD (an NVMe in an m.2 motherboard slot) has a lot bigger spare pool partition, by default, so I didn't bother using Samsung's Magician to increase the spare pool space. If I did want more overprovisioning space (than the difference in terabytes and tibibytes), Magician would resize my Win10 partition (make it smaller) to create unallocated space for use as overprovisioning space. If your SSD is 120GB in size then 8GB is about right for a 7% spare pool partition; however, as I said, the spare pool size is variable, usually depends on the size of the SSD, and users can use tools (like Samsung Magician for Samsung SSDs) to change the overprovisioning. The larger the overprovisioning, the longer the SSD will last. It mitigates write amplification in SSDs. Consumer-grade SSDs have a small overprovisioning than do SSDs in an enterprise configuration. Longevity and reliability are more important for enterprise usage. View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q15wN8JC2L4 and read: https://searchstorage.techtarget.com...erprovisioning https://www.kingston.com/us/ssd/overprovisioning https://www.seagate.com/tech-insight...its-master-ti/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Write_amplification That's just a guess because you did not identify to us the brand and model of the disk where is the mystery partition. I don't remember the partition on my SSD having a partition name. The overprisioning uses unallocated space on the disk. However, when I added more overprovisioning space in my Win7 setup that had a 256 GB SSD (which reduced the Win7 partition to create some unallocated space on the SSD), I don't recall that the space had a name. In fact, since it is unallocated space, it isn't in a partition, so it cannot have a name. Only partitions get names. Using the "portablebaselayer" string in a search found: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...ws-10-a-3.html You didn't mention which edition of Windows 10 that you are using (Home, Pro) or which build of it. I am using the Home edition of Windows 10. When I went into Control Panel - Uninstall a program, and picked Windows features in the left pane, I didn't see a feature named "sandbox". https://www.techrepublic.com/article...test-software/ I'm still back on the 1809 build. According to the article, the sandbox is a new feature in the 1903 build; however, I just have the Home edition and the sandbox feature is available only in the Pro editions, and up. You didn't say the brand and model of the disk with the mystery partition, so one guess was it is an SSD and you increased its overprovisioning size. Yet, that creates unallocated space on the disk, not a partition. My next guess based on a lack of your Windows edition and its build is that maybe it has to do with the new sandbox feature. Andy Burns solved all this at about 12:10 pm Rene |
#10
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Strange new drive
On 2019-06-14 6:21 p.m., Rene Lamontagne wrote:
On 2019-06-14 5:54 p.m., VanguardLH wrote: Rene Lamontagne wrote: Just noticed yesterday a new drive in Disk management, Don't know how long it has been there but only since 1903. It is called "portablebasedlayer" 8.00 GB NTFS healthy primary partition, 400 MB used, it is *read only* and has no drive letter. I can't do anything to it as all options are greyed out except property's. It only shows up there and not in "this PC" . It does not seem to do anything and not causing any problems, Just wondering how and why it got there. Rene Without a drive letter, it won't show up in File Explorer. Correct You did not mention how large is the disk in which the 8GB partition exists.Â* You did not mention if the disk is an SSD or HDD.Â* For example, It is not a partition, So does not reside on any disk. It is a Virtual disk. if the disk is an SSD, a reserved area is allocated for overprovisioning to allow the SSD to have a spare sector pool for remapping bad blocks of sectors.Â* The default spare pool size varies by the size of the SSD.Â* I recall seeing my 256GB SSD had about a 7% spare pool size.Â* My 1 TB SSD (an NVMe in an m.2 motherboard slot) has a lot bigger spare pool partition, by default, so I didn't bother using Samsung's Magician to increase the spare pool space.Â* If I did want more overprovisioning space (than the difference in terabytes and tibibytes), Magician would resize my Win10 partition (make it smaller) to create unallocated space for use as overprovisioning space. It has nothing to do with SSD overprovisioning. If your SSD is 120GB in size then 8GB is about right for a 7% spare pool partition; however, as I said, the spare pool size is variable, usually depends on the size of the SSD, and users can use tools (like Samsung Magician for Samsung SSDs) to change the overprovisioning.Â* The larger the overprovisioning, the longer the SSD will last.Â* It mitigates write amplification in SSDs. Consumer-grade SSDs have a small overprovisioning than do SSDs in an enterprise configuration.Â* Longevity and reliability are more important for enterprise usage. View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q15wN8JC2L4 and read: https://searchstorage.techtarget.com...erprovisioning https://www.kingston.com/us/ssd/overprovisioning https://www.seagate.com/tech-insight...its-master-ti/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Write_amplification That's just a guess because you did not identify to us the brand and model of the disk where is the mystery partition.Â* I don't remember the partition on my SSD having a partition name.Â* The overprisioning uses unallocated space on the disk. However, when I added more overprovisioning space in my Win7 setup that had a 256 GB SSD (which reduced the Win7 partition to create some unallocated space on the SSD), I don't recall that the space had a name. In fact, since it is unallocated space, it isn't in a partition, so it cannot have a name.Â* Only partitions get names. Using the "portablebaselayer" string in a search found: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...ws-10-a-3.html Again it has nothing to do with the above. You didn't mention which edition of Windows 10 that you are using (Home, Pro) or which build of it.Â* I am using the Home edition of Windows 10. When I went into Control Panel - Uninstall a program, and picked Windows features in the left pane, I didn't see a feature named "sandbox". Windows 10 VERSION 1903 18362 175 https://www.techrepublic.com/article...test-software/ I'm still back on the 1809 build.Â* According to the article, the sandbox is a new feature in the 1903 build; however, I just have the Home edition and the sandbox feature is available only in the Pro editions, and up. You didn't say the brand and model of the disk with the mystery partition, so one guess was it is an SSD and you increased its overprovisioning size.Â* Yet, that creates unallocated space on the disk, Has nothing to do with the brand of SSD as it is not a partion, It is a Virtual disk not a partition.Â* My next guess based on a lack of your Windows edition and its build is that maybe it has to do with the new sandbox feature. Yes, it has everything to do with the Sandbox. Â*Andy Burns solved all this at about 12:10 pm Rene |
#11
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Strange new drive
Rene Lamontagne wrote:
VanguardLH wrote: My next guess based on a lack of your Windows edition and its build is that maybe it has to do with the new sandbox feature. Yes, it has everything to do with the Sandbox. https://www.windowscentral.com/how-u...ay-2019-update Sounded interesting until I got to: Windows Sandbox is a virtual machine created on demand using Microsoft's hypervisor using the same OS image as the one on your machine. "hypervisor" clued me in that a Pro, Enterprise, or Education edition is required. The Home edition doesn't have HyperVisor, and that's what I have. Guess I'll have to keep using a long-time VMM (Virtual Machine Manager), like VirtualBox or VMplayer, and run a guest OS' in a virtual machine. https://ittutorials.net/microsoft/wi...ox-vs-hyper-v/ which says: Sandbox is not a virtualization hypervisor like Hyper-v or VirtualBox so there is no need to download VHD or ISO images to run Windows Sandbox as its built-in in the host operating system using a container so the resource utilization is very low compared to Hyper-V or VirtualBox. I have 64 GB system memory (RAM), oodles of free disk space, and 6 processor cores (12 with hyperthreading), so I'm not concerned that VirtualBox has a bigger footprint. I also like that I can save the VHD file at different stages of state, like when the OS is first installed in a VM, after applying all available updates, after some particular app configuration, etc. I can choose at which state is the VM for testing. With the Win10 Sandbox, looks like it is a fresh start on every use. Since some programs require additional setup, like installing Ghostscript for many of the PDF emulated printers or some other ancilliary software to get a program to work, starting fresh means a lot more setup when starting to use a new instance of the Win10 Sandbox. This seems another case of Microsoft adopting some technology too late. HyperVisor has been around a long time and lets you run multiple OSes, but this new Sandbox feature seems over a decade too late and is overly crippled for features. Seems like a new feature that is, alas, geared to the lowest common denominator of users (aka boobs). |
#12
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Strange new drive
VanguardLH wrote:
"hypervisor" clued me in that a Pro, Enterprise, or Education edition is required. The Home edition doesn't have HyperVisor, and that's what I have. If you have a Win7 or Win8 Pro product key (e.g. from another machine you no longer use) you can change the key on your Win10 Home machine and re-activate, then you'll have a Win10 Pro machine ... I would make sure you never boot the old Win7/8 machine after that point ... probably take an image backup first. |
#13
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Strange new drive
On 2019-06-15 12:40 a.m., Andy Burns wrote:
VanguardLH wrote: "hypervisor" clued me in that a Pro, Enterprise, or Education edition is required.Â* The Home edition doesn't have HyperVisor, and that's what I have. If you have a Win7 or Win8 Pro product key (e.g. from another machine you no longer use) you can change the key on your Win10 Home machine and re-activate, then you'll have a Win10 Pro machine ... I would make sure you never boot the old Win7/8 machine after that point ... probably take an image backup first. I agree, That will work, I used it with an old OEM copy of Windows 7 to Windows 10 Pro and changed keys and it activated without a whimper. Rene |
#14
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Strange new drive
On Fri, 14 Jun 2019 17:54:40 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:
Consumer-grade SSDs have a small overprovisioning than do SSDs in an enterprise configuration. Longevity and reliability are more important for enterprise usage. Enterprise does not use SSD because they are unreliable. |
#15
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Strange new drive
Lucifer wrote:
VanguardLH wrote: Consumer-grade SSDs have a small overprovisioning than do SSDs in an enterprise configuration. Longevity and reliability are more important for enterprise usage. Enterprise does not use SSD because they are unreliable. Wrong again. While the SSD already has some overprovisioning, it gets or should get increased in an enterprise scenario. https://www.backblaze.com/blog/how-reliable-are-ssds/ which has a link to: https://www.backblaze.com/blog/hdd-v...-data-centers/ In particular, see the "How Backblaze Uses SSDs" section. COST is the restricting factor, not reliability. Also, with HDDs, even when using the SMART attributes, catastrophic disaster is often an unexpected and unplanned event. SSDs are measurable regarding remaining longevity. HDDs were discarded in data centers are some usage threshold to circumvent their catastrophic failures; i.e., preemptive replacement. Replacement of SSDs can be planned based on write volume. https://www.colocationamerica.com/bl...center-storage "HDDs are by far the most used and maybe the most practical solution for a data center. The reason for this comes down to price." That's the past and now but is changing. Go hunt down the prices for HDD storage and it had its slope of decreasing costs over time, too. "SSDs are the clear future of storage." https://www.networkcomputing.com/dat...r-data-centers "After all, flash drives are as much as 1,000x faster than hard-disk drives for random I/O. Partly, it has been a misunderstanding that overlooks systems, and focuses instead on storage elements and CPUs. This led the industry to focus on cost per terabyte, while the real focus should have been the total cost of a solution with or without flash. Simply put, most systems are I/O bound and the use of flash inevitably means needing fewer systems for the same workload. This typically offsets the cost difference." and "We are now seeing the rise of Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe), which aims to replace SAS and SATA as the primary storage interface. NVMe is a very fast, low-overhead protocol that can handle millions of IOPS, far more than its predecessors. In the last year, NVMe pricing has come close to SAS drive prices, making the solution even more attractive." A 1 TB NVMe SSD in a mobo m.2 slot is what I used in my latest build. Was it cheaper than a 1 TB SSD attached to a mobo SATA slot? Nope, but that's today's prices. Was it cheaper than a 1 TB HDD to a mobo SATA port? Hell no, but I build my systems to last about 8 years, not just 2 or 3 years and then continually upgrade as prices fall. |
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