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FIX: The current active partition is compressed
6 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Whenswitching to Windows 10from previous Windows iterations, users have two options. Either they caninstall Windows 10 cleanon the formatted drive or, in the more likely scenario, upgrade over older iteration and retain all applications and data.
However, the latter convenient option seems to be impossible for some users, as they run into the prompt message informing them thatThe current active partition is compressed.
After that, the upgrade process can’t be continued and they are forced to stick with Windows 7/8.1.
This is a severe problem, especially since Windows 10 is becoming (mostly due to security traits) a system you would want to use these days.
Luckily, there’s a solution to every issue, and we made sure to acquire and post some of them on the list below. Therefore, if you’re unable to upgrade to Windows 10 due to the partition error, you’re at the right spot.
How do I fix theThe current active partition is compressederror?
1. Disable drive compression
First things first. In order to preserve the system partition’s storage space, some drives might be automatically compressed. It depends on the configuration setup, as some prebuilt configurations tend to compress data on the system drive, as they’re rarely upgraded, storage-wise.
This is mostly the case with the workstations, but there are exceptions in the non-enterprise pre-built configurations as well.
For various reasons, Windows 10 can’t be upgraded on the compressed system partition within one drive. The most prominent one concerns data allocation, as Windows 7/8.1 is preserved in a folder later on in order to preserve the data.
You can address this by simply unchecking the drive compression and trying to upgrade again.
2. Check HDD for errors
Another thing worth checking concerns the overall health of the HDD at hand. Of all the hardware pieces, HDD is the most prone to malfunction. Symptoms are easily distinguishable: system booting andloading take longer than usualand, eventually, you’re unable to boot.
It might be too late to do something when the boot errors occur, so you should check your data storage drive on regular basis.
In order to check for HDD corruption and faulty sectors, you can usethird-party toolsor built-in system resources. Either way, those can help you address minor errors and give you an insight into HDD’s overall health.
And it’s good to know if it’s in good shape or close to its demise, so you can backup your data timely.
3. Expand the reserved partition
The reserved partition is the small part (around 500MB) allocated from your system partition. It stores essential data during the installation procedure and it should be active, on both Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 if you want to upgrade to Windows 10.
Now, there are 3 things that should occupy your attention regarding the Reserved system partition:
With that in mind, we need to check if all the conditions are met before moving to alternative upgrade procedures. In order to do so, follow the steps we provided below:
You can also opt for an easier solution and usethird-party softwarewith multiple capabilities that allow you to manage partitions with ease and more.
4. Use Media Creation tool to upgrade to Windows 10
Now, back in the days, when the free upgrade was offered through the Windows Update, users were able to obtain Windows 10 through the system interface.
However, since that’s a goner, there are few ways to obtain and perform an upgrade to Windows 10 legally. You can download Media Creation Tool and upgrade to Windows 10 from the Windows 7/8.1 interface.
Or you can create the installation media (USB or DVD) and upgrade to Windows 10 with it.
Now, even though the former is much easier, it’s not particularly better. Especially, if we take into consideration the error at hand. So, we’ll show you below how to create an installation media and upgrade to Windows 10 that way. Make sure to backup your data just in case something goes astray.
5. Clean install Windows on an alternative HDD/SSD
Finally, if none of the previous steps addressed the issue and you’re still stuck on theThe current active partition is compressedscreen, we recommend the clean reinstallation.
It’s for the better for various reasons. In theory, the Windows 10 platform should integrate all files and applications from the former system iteration. However, and based on our experience, this doesn’t work that well in practice.
For that reason, and if you’re positive that you indeed have enough storage space, properly configured reserved system partition, and non-active partition compression, we recommend clean reinstallation.
Just make sure to backup your data and Windows 7/8.1 license key. Afterward, you can install all applications from scratch. You can find detailed instructions inthis article.
That’s a wrap-up. Just in case you have any questions regarding the aforementioned steps or an alternative solution for the upgrade error at hand, make sure to tell us in the comments section below.
More about the topics:System Errors,windows 10
Aleksandar Ognjanovic
Aleksandar’s main passion is technology. With a solid writing background, he is determined to bring the bleeding edge to the common user. With a keen eye, he always spots the next big thing surrounding Microsoft and the Windows OS.
Focused on Windows errors and how to solve them, he also writes about the OS’s latest features as well as its interface.
In his free time, he likes to read, listen to music, and enjoy the nature. Hiking is one of his newly found passions.
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