Just as when installing a new copy of Windows, you need to think about partitioning the hard drive in advance. There are a few things you should know about the partitions that are required when installing Ubuntu Linux. Installing Ubuntu requires at least two partitions: one for the operating system itself - denoted by "/" and called "root" (root partition), and the second for virtual memory (for swap files) - called "swap". There is also a third section - Home, created at will; basic application settings and user files will be stored on it.

Hard disk partitions

Chapter- part of the long-term memory of a hard drive or flash drive, allocated for ease of use, and consisting of adjacent blocks. One storage device can have multiple partitions.

Creating partitions on various types of modern drives is almost always provided for (although, for example, it was impossible to create several partitions on floppy disks that are no longer in use). However, in Windows, from a flash drive with several partitions, only the first of them will be accessible (in Windows, flash drives are considered to be analogous to a floppy disk, not a hard drive).

Benefits of using multiple partitions

Allocating several partitions on one hard drive provides the following advantages:

On one physical hard drive, you can store information in different file systems, or in the same file systems, but with different cluster sizes (for example, it is advantageous to store large files - for example, video - separately from small ones, and set a larger cluster size for storing large files );

It is possible to separate user information from operating system files;

You can install multiple operating systems on one hard drive;

Manipulations on one file system do not affect other file systems.

Hard disk partition table

There are several types of hard drive partition tables. The most common one at the moment is an IBM-PC compatible partition table, which is part of the master boot record (MBR). The MBR is located in the first (zero) physical sector of the hard disk. However, recently the GPT table (GUID Partition Table) has begun to be used more and more often. If your disk has a GPT partition table, then you do not need to worry about the number of partitions (in GPT, by default, space is reserved for 128 partitions) and deal with the types of partitions (in GPT, all partitions are primary). If you have an MBR partition, then this article provides a detailed description of such disk partitioning.

Structure of a partitioned disk (MBR)

Information about the placement of partitions on a hard drive is stored in the partition table, which is part of the master boot record (MBR).

The section can be either primary, or expanded.

The first sector of each primary partition contains the boot sector, which is responsible for loading the operating system from this partition. Information about which partition will be used to boot the operating system is also recorded in the master boot record.

The MBR allocates 64 bytes for the partition table. Each entry takes 16 bytes. Thus, a total of no more than 4 partitions can be created on the hard drive. When the MBR framework was developed, this was considered sufficient. However, later it was introduced extended section, in which you can register several logical sections.

According to the rules extended section can be only one. Thus, in the maximum configuration, three primary and one extended section containing several logical.

Types of sections

Primary (main) section

The primary partition must be on a physical disk. This partition always contains either one file system or other logical partitions. A physical disk can have up to four primary partitions. Some older operating systems - for example, MS-DOS and Windows - could only be installed on the primary partition.

Extended and Logical Partitions

A partition table can contain no more than 4 primary partitions, which is why extended partitions were invented. You can create multiple logical partitions on an extended partition. Logical partitions are arranged in a chain where information about the first logical partition is stored in the MBR, and information about the subsequent one is stored in the first sector of the logical partition. This chain allows (in theory) to create an unlimited number of partitions, but (in practice) the number of logical partitions is limited by utilities and, usually, more than 10 logical partitions cannot be created.

It is important to note that some versions of Windows cannot boot from a logical partition (a primary partition is required), while for Linux there is no difference in the type of partitions - Linux boots and works with partitions completely regardless of their type (primary or logical).

File system selection

Like Windows, Linux has seen several different file systems in its life. Ubuntu "understands" Windows file systems, but will not install on them. Ubuntu can immediately write to and read from FAT16, FAT32 and VFAT and NTFS partitions. However, Windows cannot handle Linux file systems, and you will have to transfer files to and from Windows from the Ubuntu operating system.

In addition to the familiar Windows file systems, you can choose a few that you may not be familiar with. Among such file systems is ext4. Ext4 is currently one of the most suitable file systems for the desktop system. The ext3 and ext2 file systems are rarely used now: ext3 is a slightly older version of ext4, and has no advantages over ext4, and ext2 does not have journaling, without which it will be difficult to recover data in the event of a system failure. File systems BTRFS, XFS, ReiserFS, Reiser4, JFS, etc. can also be used, but they should be chosen based on an understanding of the features of these FS (it’s worth reading a little about different FS to make the right choice). The "swap" partition is for virtual memory only and, unlike other file systems, it does not require a mount point.

Mount points

Linux does not assign letters to each drive and partition like Windows and DOS. Instead, you must set a mount point for each disk and partition. Linux works on the principle of a hierarchical directory tree, where the root directory ( /) is the main mount point, which includes all others by default. Unlike Windows, in Linux all used disk partitions are mounted in subdirectories of the root, and not as separate devices (C:, D: ...).

For example, in /home All your personal files are stored. If you want to place this data on a separate partition from the root, then create a new partition and set the mount point to /home. This can be done for any subdirectory. During installation, Ubuntu provides the option to set the following mount points: /boot(bootloader and kernel headers), /dev(drivers and devices), /home(user files), /opt(additional software), /srv(system services) /tmp(temporary files), /usr(applications), /usr/local(data available to all users) and /var(server spool and logs).

Also, during installation, you can create your own mount points with arbitrary names. /dev, /opt, /srv, /tmp, /usr/local For a typical desktop system, there is no point in dedicating its own partitions for /var And /boot. If you plan to run more than two operating systems or use root partition encryption, you may need a separate partition for /usr. Sometimes it's also worth creating a section for /home, but only if you already have a clear idea of ​​how much space the applications will take up. It is advisable to create a separate section for

. This will provide you with additional convenience when updating and reinstalling the system. /boot, /home, /usr At a minimum, you can limit yourself to only two sections: “root” and “swap”, then /).

and all the rest will simply be stored in the root partition (

File system structure

Partition size for file system root A freshly installed Ubuntu system takes up 4-6 GB of disk space, however, with active use (installing a large number of programs, increasing the program cache, etc.) or malfunctions occur, which leads to an increase in the volume of folders with system logs (/var/log

) you may need more disk space, so you need to allocate a 10-15GB partition for the root of the file system.

Partition size for /home /home Section with folder usually they give up all the remaining space if Ubuntu will be the only system on the PC and all multimedia data will be stored in it, or, if installed next to Windows, they allocate a separate partition in the format NTFS /home for multimedia data, and the section for

make it minimal only for storing configuration files.

Often there is a desire to fix an incorrectly partitioned hard drive when installing Ubuntu. In this case, it becomes necessary to move the /home folder to a separate partition of the hard drive. Below is a quick guide to completing this task.

Creating a separate section

Based on experience in everyday work, the system does not require more than 1 GB of RAM, which means if you have 4 or more GB of RAM installed, then SWAP is not needed for swapping purposes

The AndroGoo website has prepared instructions that will help you get root rights for the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium.

In the right hands, root rights will become a universal tool that will allow you to control the operation of your smartphone or tablet without restrictions, delete and edit system files, optimize the processor, RAM, and much more. If you are interested in the internal structure of the operating system, want to experiment with it, or simply get the most out of your gadget, rooting the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium will become an indispensable assistant for you.

How to get Root rights for Sony Xperia Z5 Premium (Android 6.0.1)?

Android 6.0.1! Instructions for smartphones with Android 5.1.1 You have been warned

Save the TA section

What is TA?

• Make sure that you have installed it on your smartphone OS Android 6.0.1 and move on to the next point.
• Download to computer Sony XZ drivers .

• Let's turn off the smartphone.
• We connect to the PC in mode Flashmode(press the volume rocker “-” and at the same time connect the smartphone to the computer using a USB cable).
• On your computer, go to and make sure that item S appears OMC Flash Device:

• "Update drivers":

• Next click:

• Click "Review" "OK" For a typical desktop system, there is no point in dedicating its own partitions for "Further":

• Settings -> About the phone by build number you are a developer. Settings and we see the point "Features for developers", let's go there. Turn on USB Debugging:

• backupTA .
• "File Transfer (MTP)":

• "C:\backupTA" and run the file backupTA.bat:

• USB debugging request, check the box and press OK:

• Upon successful copying section TA A 2MB file will appear in the program folder under the name .
  Example:

Unlocking the bootloader

• Settings -> About phone

• "Features for developers", let's go there. Turn on Factory unlock.

• Now let's come here Unlockbootloader

• Next, enter your email address, put a tick in the checkbox and click "Submit".

• "Click here to proceed".

• Install on PC FlashTool and launch it.

• Next, enter the IMEI and Unlock Code and click "Unlock":

• Ready!

Installing the kernel from recovery

• Depending on the smartphone model and firmware version, download the kernel from recovery. The firmware number can be seen in the section Settings/About the phone/Build number(last three digits).

• Download the latest version and upload it to your smartphone.
• Then we flash the core.
• Create in the root of the disk C:/ folder adb and copy it into files from the archive .
• A.D.B. "Open command window") and enter:

• Ready!
• Let's go to TWRP Recovery

Recovering the TA partition

• RootKernel .

flash_dk TA.img DK.ftf

• In folder RootKernel the file will appear DK.ftf.
• Next, copy the file DK.ftf and put it along the way - Drive C:\Users\UserName\.flashTool\firmwares.
• Launch the program Flashtool, click on "Lightning" choose Flashmode, select the file with Branding "DeviceKey" and press "Flash":

• "Flashmode"
• Ready!
• Service Info -> Configuration Bootloader unlock allowed: Yes and in Service Tests -> Security everywhere Key Ok

How to get Root rights for Sony Xperia Z5 Premium (Android 5.1.1)?

The instructions are relevant for the operating system Android 5.1.1! Instructions for smartphones with Android 5.1.1 is located below on the page. In the process of obtaining root rights, it is very important to follow the instructions exactly, otherwise you may get a “brick”! You have been warned . You perform all actions at your own peril and risk.

Save the TA section

• First of all, you need to save the TA section. What is it and why save it, read under the spoiler!

What is TA?

“Trim Area is a section of firmware or firmware that contains information about the device, current OS or firmware. Trim Area may contain IMEI, serial number, DRM keys, and other service information. Trim Area consists of HEX code. Some files in Trim Area are unique. Their loss or replacement may lead to complete or partial inoperability of the device. There are programs for backing up information from the Trim Area partition for subsequent restoration in the event of damage to this partition, if the functionality of the device has not yet been lost. If the Trim Area is severely damaged or deleted, you can try to restore the template using special software and JTAG
When unlocking the bootloader, information about DRM keys, for example, is lost. If you want to save them and use them later, this flash drive feature is for you. It may also come in handy before going to the service center.
Please note: after restoring the TA partition, it will no longer be possible to launch a previously installed custom kernel, so it is recommended to flash the stock kernel or firmware BEFORE restoring the TA partition!”

• All manipulations are performed on a PC.
• Make sure that Android 6.0.1 is installed on your smartphone and proceed to the next step.
• Download to computer Sony XZ drivers .
• Install drivers on the PC. Read how to do this under the spoiler below.

How to install Sony XZ drivers?

• Let's turn off the smartphone.
• We connect to the PC in Flashmode (press the volume rocker “-” and at the same time connect the smartphone to the computer using a USB cable).
• On your computer, go to Device Manager/USB Controllers and make sure that the item appears SOMC Flash Device:

• Right-click on the device and select "Update drivers":

• Next click "Search for drivers on this computer":

• Click "Review" and find the folder with the unpacked drivers, click "OK" For a typical desktop system, there is no point in dedicating its own partitions for "Further":

• The drivers will be installed automatically. When the installation is complete, close the window and all other dialog boxes.

• Enable USB debugging on your smartphone. To do this we go to Settings -> About the phone, go down and click 7 times by build number until information appears that you are a developer. After that we go back to Settings and we see the point "Features for developers", let's go there. Turn on USB Debugging:

• Download and unpack to the root of the C:// drive backupTA .
• We connect the turned on smartphone to the PC in the mode "File Transfer (MTP)":

• Open the folder with files from the archive along the path "C:\backupTA" and run the file backupTA.bat:

• After launching the program, the smartphone screen will display USB debugging request, check the box and press OK:

• Next will be the process of copying the TA partition:

• If the TA partition is successfully copied, a 2MB file will appear in the program folder under the name TA_Model_Serial_Date_Time.img.
  Example:

Unlocking the bootloader

• Enable Factory Unlock. Let's go to Settings -> About phone, go down and click on the build number 7 times until information appears that you are a developer.

• Next, go back to Settings and see the item "Features for developers", let's go there. Turn on Factory unlock.

• Now let's come here Unlockbootloader , select the model and click “Continue”.

• Next, enter your email address, put a tick in the checkbox and click "Submit".

• Open your mailbox and open the letter from Sony, click "Click here to proceed".

• In the window that opens, enter your IMEI (to view the IMEI, enter *#06# on the phone), check the checkboxes and click “Submit”.

• You have received an unlock code.

• Install on PC FlashTool and launch it.
• In the Flashtool window, click the BLU button.

• A window will open asking you to wait for the device to connect, turn off the phone and connect according to the instructions:
and upload it to your smartphone.
• Then we flash the core.
• Create an adb folder in the root of the C:/ drive and copy it to it files from the archive .
• Copy/move the boot.img file to the folder with the ADB program.
• Turn off the phone and connect to the PC in Fastboot mode (When connecting to a PC, hold down the volume rocker “+”).
• Open the command window (Being in the folder A.D.B., hold down the “Shift” key and right-click on an empty space in the folder, select "Open command window") and enter:

fastboot flash boot boot.img

• Ready!
• Let's go to TWRP Recovery(When you turn on the smartphone, press the volume rocker “+”).
• Flash the previously downloaded archive. To do this, in recovery, click the Install button, find SuperSU on the memory card, after selecting it, move the slider from the bottom to the right and wait for the installation to complete.

• Reboot into the system (Reboot/Reboot). If TWRP offers to install ROOT, we refuse!
• Next, we proceed to restoring the previously saved TA partition.

Recovering the TA partition

• Download and unpack to the root of drive C:/ RootKernel .
• Copy the previously saved TA partition to the RootKernel folder on drive “C”. (For further convenience, you can rename the TAxxxxx.img file simply to TA.img).
• Open the command window (While in the RootKernel folder, hold down the “Shift” key and right-click on an empty space in the folder, select “Open command window”) and enter in the command line:

flash_dk TA.img DK.ftf

• A file will appear in the RootKernel folder DK.ftf.
• Next, copy the file DK.ftf and put it along the way - Drive C:\Users\UserName\.flashTool\firmwares.
• Launch the program Flashtool, click on "Lightning", select Flashmode, select the file with Branding "DeviceKey" and press "Flash":

• Next, a window will appear waiting for connection:

• Turn off the phone and connect it according to the instructions in the window in mode "Flashmode"(Volume down + USB cable connects to the computer).
• Ready!
• Turn on the phone, open the dialer and dial *#*#7378423#*#*. The “Service Menu” will open, then Service Info -> Configuration Bootloader unlock allowed: Yes and in Service Tests -> Security everywhere Key Ok and there are no errors, which means that everything went well, the bootloader was locked and the TA partition fell into place.
• Done, everything is back to its place, only with Ruth rights and recovery.

Special thanks for the user instructions skapunkcsd90. If you have questions or something went wrong, you can ask them.

In this manual, we will describe the process of unlocking and re-locking Bootloader using the example of the Sony Xperia SP smartphone, without losing DRM keys, but if you don’t need them, you can continue reading by skipping the “ #2 COPYING THE SECTION WITH DRM KEYS" and "#2.1 RESTORING THE TA-PARTITION". We will also mention the process of obtaining ROOT in one click, which is suitable for absolutely any smartphone running Android.

We will need:
- laptop/netbook or PC running Windows OS

The smartphone itself with a battery charge of at least 50%

USB cable

fastboot program
-flashtool program

Attention! This procedure may result in denial of warranty service. In case it was these actions that led to the breakdown of the device.

Warning: Companies such as Svyaznoy Logistics CJSC will find a reason to refuse you a refund or warranty service. And in the end they will say that the reason that your phone is smashed to smithereens (although this is not a warranty case, but it will do for an example) was the modified firmware installed on it.

It is important to know: If the phone is found to have a manufacturing defect. An unauthorized change in software and a manufacturing defect of a smartphone are not in a cause-and-effect relationship, since an unauthorized change in software in no way affects the manufacturing defect, especially if it is mechanical in nature.

If you still decide to continue despite the risk.

Warning: Before unlocking the device, it is recommended to back up all data stored on the internal memory of the phone. Data on the external memory card will not be affected. Each manufacturer has its own programs for creating backup copies. Check with your manufacturer for details. Or use a third-party program from GooglePlay

The bootloader unlocking procedure differs for each manufacturer. I will describe unlocking the Bootloader using the example of the Sony Xperia SP. For all Xperia smartphones, the process of unlocking the bootloader is the same and no different.

Attention! When you unlock Bootloader, you lose DRM Keys. DRM - Digital rights management, which translated into Russian means the following: “Technical means of copyright protection.” DRM is one of the means of protection. If you install the official firmware on your phone without DRM keys, then half of the phone’s proprietary software will stop working, since it is tied to the very keys without which it refuses to work.

DRM keys are stored in a special “TA section”; below we will describe the process of creating a backup copy of this section in order to save the keys.

Attention! DRM Keys for each phone are Unique. Even if you have two completely identical (assuming the phone models are the same) smartphones in front of you, the keys of one phone will not fit exactly the same phone. The DRM key is different, as are phone numbers or IMEI.

What does saving the TA partition give us?
- preservation DRM keys
- maintaining performance Mobile Bravia Engine 2 / X-Reality
-maintains the functionality of other applications on official firmware

#1 STARTED. WE GET ROOT

#2 COPYING THE SECTION WITH DRM KEYS

1) Download the latest version BackupTA from GutHub, to do this, click on one of the buttons "Source Code" on the program page.
2) Unpack the downloaded archive to the root partition of the system (WITH:\)
3) Connect your phone to your computer in USB debugging.
3.1) Menu > Settings > About phone.
3.2) At the very end of the list, repeatedly click on "Build number" until you get developer features
3.3) Congratulations, you have received developer features.
3.4) Menu > Settings > Developer Options, then in the middle of the list, pay attention to the item "Debugging"
3.5) Check the box next to it "USB Debugging"
4) Return to the folder where you unpacked the downloaded archive and run the file Backup-TA.bat
5) Click Enter.
6) The program asks the phone for permission to debug via USB. We give a positive response to the message on the phone screen.
7) The program asks the phone for root rights. We give a positive response to the message on the phone screen.
8) A window for selecting commands in the program has opened.
9) Select number 1 - to save TA section on your computer
10) Confirm the selection of the command with the " Y" on keyboard
11) Wait for the end of the saving process
12) Press any key to continue, then the command selection menu pops up again as in step 5. Press the number " 5 " to exit the program.
13) Next, go to the folder Backup-TA > backup. There you should see an archive like " TA-backup-20140803.105506"
Recommended: save the resulting archive in a safe place.

#3 UNLOCKING BOOTLOADER

Attention! During Bootloader unlocking, the phone will be reset to factory settings. It is highly recommended to keep backup copies of important files.

Below we will describe the official unlocking method presented by Sony for developers.

1) Go to the official page for unlocking Bootloader"a [UNLOCKBOOTLOADER]
1.1) Select your phone model, then enter your valid e-mail, put a tick under it and click on the “Submit” button
1.2) Then you will receive a message to your e-mail with a link, click on it
1.3) Next you will have to enter the first 14 digits of your IMEI (only the last digit is not entered)
1.4) Congratulations, you have successfully received the unlock code for your Bootloader.

2) Download the program FastBoot (with ADB driver)[link ]
2.1) Unpack the resulting archive to the root of the disk, it should look like this: "C:\fastboot"
2.2) There is also a folder in the archive usb_driver. It must be moved to the folder fastboot whose directory is described V clause 2.1.

3) Turn off the phone.
3.1) Load into FastBoot MODE
3.1.1) To do this, press and hold the “Volume +” button and, without releasing the button, connect the USB cable.
3.1.2) If it lights up BLUE LED release the volume button.
3.1.3) You have successfully booted into the mode FastBoot MODE.
3.2) Next, in theory, Windows should request drivers, but in practice this does not happen often; if this happens, you need to point to the folder usb_driver, the result will be: "C:\fastboot\usb_driver".
3.3) If this does not happen, go to Start, right-click on the item "Computer", Further "Properties", in the upper left corner select "Advanced system settings", in the window that opens, look for the tab "Equipment" in it we find the point "Device Manager", click on its button.
3.4) In the window that opens "Device Manager" need to find "S1Boot Fastboot" he may be at the point "Other devices", if there is no such thing, then we go to "USB Controllers" we find a point there "SEMC Flash Device"
3.5) Right-click on "SEMC Flash Device", Further: Update driver > Search for drivers on this computer > Select a driver from the list of already installed drivers > Install from disk > Browse.

Attention! During driver installation, a Windows Security warning may pop up. Click on: "Install this driver anyway." If you have installed the drivers once, then re-installation for other procedures that require the same drivers that we installed is not required.

3.6) In the Browse window, go to the directory "C:\fastboot\usb_driver"(section 3.2) and select the file android_winusb.inf
3.7) Then from the proposed list select "Android Bootloader Interface", click ready.

All preparations have been completed and we can proceed directly to the unlocking itself. Bootloader"a. For this we need a program fastboot, which you downloaded and unpacked in advance.

Attention! Commands are entered without quotes.

4) Go to the directory "C:\fastboot"(clause 2.1.) and holding the left button " Shift", right-click on the file "fastboot.exe" and choose "Open command window"(This may not be as easy as it seems, if it doesn't work, try again)
4.1) The command line opens. In it we enter the following command: "fastboot.exe -i 0x0fce getvar version" if in response you get a value similar to the following "0.3" - everything is in order, you can move on to the next point.

Possible errors and ways to solve them:
If you get an error "waiting for device" and there is an unidentified device in the device manager, check that the steps are completed correctly 3 - 3.7 If everything is fine there, try restarting the program or changing the sequence of actions, i.e. first launch the program, then boot the phone into FastBoot MODE

If you get an error "getvar:version FAILED."- you need to boot into the program again without leaving the program FastBoot MODE To do this, follow the steps 3 - 3.1.3 and again the point 4.1

The next point is final, by completing it you will receive an unlocked Bootloader

5) Enter the command into the command line "fastboot.exe -i 0x0fce oem unlock 0xCODE" CODE- 16-digit unlock code obtained from the Sony website. Congratulations! You have successfully unlocked Bootloader.

Hello admin! I have a laptop with Windows 7 installed from the store, the system is located on an MBR hard drive, after upgrading to Windows 10, I suddenly saw a section with factory settings Recovery in Explorer and it was even assigned a drive letter (D:), and if I go into Management disks and right-click on this partition, a menu will open from which you can understand that the hidden partition with factory settings has become a regular NTFS partition, it can be formatted, deleted, compressed, etc.

The same applies to the Hidden System Reserved partition; if you right-click on it, the same menu will open and a drive letter will also be assigned to it.

And in Explorer (in the Computer window) both of these sections are visible!

How can I make it hidden: the section with factory settings andSystem Reserved section?

Hello friends! If you bought a laptop with Windows 7, 8, 8.1, then it must have a section with factory settings, which is usually called Recovery and it contains a factory WIM image of your operating system; this section also contains a program to restore your laptop to factory settings. In case of serious problems with the operating system, you can use a reset to factory settings to return the laptop to a working state. Many inexperienced users, seeing this partition and not understanding it, immediately try to delete it, so laptop manufacturers try to protect the partition by assigning it type ID 27, this value makes the section official and hidden, accordingly, it becomes invisible in Explorer, and nothing can be done with it in Disk Management either.

• Note: On Windows 10, there is no longer a hidden partition with factory settings and the laptop is rolled back to its original state using a set of files located in the WinSxS folder, read our detailed article: -.

As for the very first small hidden partition, System Reserved, it is created directly during installation of the operating system and stores Windows boot files. In Windows 7 it is 100 MB in size, in Windows 8.1 almost 350 MB, and in Windows 10 it is 500 MB, this is due to the fact that in Windows 8.1, 10 this partition also contains recovery environment files. This section must be hidden.

For various reasons, both of the sections I mentioned above may no longer be hidden, in which case it is quite simple to make them hidden back to achieve the goal You can use the command line or AOMEI Partition Assistant. I show both methods.

So, we have a laptop with an MBR hard drive and Windows 10 installed on it, to which we upgraded from Windows 7, on the last partition of the hard drive there is a partition with factory settings, let's make it hidden, and also make the very first partition hidden System Reserved

We can use commands of your choice:

DISKPART> setid id=07 override (ID 07 - will make the partition we selected a standard NTFS partition)

DISKPART> setid id=17 override (ID 17 - will make the section we have chosen hidden)

DISKPART> setid id=27 override (ID 27 - with makes the partition service and hidden, accordingly it becomes invisible in Explorer, and nothing can be done with it in Disk Management either.)

Launch the command line as administrator and enter commands.

diskpart

lis dis (we list all drives connected to the computer, we see that only one hard drive is connected)

sel dis 0 (select our hard drive)

lis par (we list all the partitions of the hard drive, we see that partition 3 is the Recovery partition with factory settings)

sel par 3 (select section 3)

setid id=27 override (with this command we assign it a service and hidden type)

det par(we display the type and properties of the section, we see that the section already has type 27 -official and hidden)

If we now enter Disk Management, we will see that the last partition is hidden and if we right-click on it, we will not see anything other than help.

We return to the command line and simply make it hidden ( type ID 17) the very first sectionSystem Reserved, enter the command:

sel par 1 (select section 1)

det par (display the type and properties of the partition, we see that the partition has type 07 - a regular standard NTFS partition)

setid id=17 override (with this command we assign it a hidden type)

det par(we display the type and properties of the section, we see that the section already has type 17 - hidden)

Disk management

Making a partition hidden using AOMEI Partition Assistant

Friends, if you have the program installed, then you can do without the command line.

In the main program window, right-click on the section that we want to make hidden and select Advanced-->Hide section

Instructions for saving the TA firmware partition on Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Dual (D66xx). This section contains DRM keys, which are intended for advanced camera functionality, Bravia Engine/X-Reality Engine operation and some other proprietary phone functions.

Drivers and programs

Attention!

• After unlocking the bootloader, DRM keys are deleted, so you need to make a backup first.
• If the bootloader was previously unlocked, this procedure will no longer help.
• You need to restore this partition from a backup made only from your smartphone. Restoring from another, even similar device, will lead to the device being inoperable

Installation instructions

Obtain superuser rights using the method without unlocking the bootloader, if they have not been obtained previously.

Install drivers on your device.
To do this, you need to go to the Flashtool installation folder (by default in the root of drive C), go to the “drivers” directory and run “Flashtool-drivers.exe”, having previously (for Windows Vista/7 users) set compatibility with Windows XP. During installation, select " Xperia Z3 Device Driver», « Flashmode Drivers" And " Flashboot Drivers" After installation, restart your computer.

To save the TA partition, you can use one of two methods.


To create a backup using this method you will need:

• Download archive Backup-TA the latest version in *.zip format from the official website (mirror) of the developer and unpack it to the root of drive C.
• Open a command line and go to the tools folder of the Backup-TA directory with the command “ cd c:\Backup-TA-/tools", where is the version of the utility.
• Make sure that the computer finds the smartphone via ADB.
  To do this you need to enter " adb devices" to the command line. When a request appears on your phone for permission to debug via ADB on this computer, you must click “ Ok", while selecting the item " Always allow from this computer" If the device is visible, the text “ List of devices attached" and a list of all devices (for example, xxxxxxx device). If instead of “device” it says “offline” or the list is empty, then you need to update ADB, check the drivers/cord, change the USB port/computer.
• At the command line enter " cd..", and then " Backup-TA.bat" to run the script.
• When the message “ Waiting for USB Debugging...", confirm superuser permissions for ADB on your smartphone.
• In the utility menu enter the number " 1 » to save the partition to your computer.
• Agree to the warning by clicking the " Y».
• After the operation is completed, the program will indicate the path to save the backup. By default it is located in the " C:\Backup-TA\tools\backup».
• To close the utility, press any button and enter the number “ 5 " to exit.

• 
  To create a backup copy of a partition using this method, you must do the following:

  • Launch Flashtool.
  • Connect the device to the computer using a USB cable.
  • In the main menu of the program, click File > Switch Pro, after which point Advanced will become active.
  • Then select Advanced > Trim Area > Raw Devices > Backup. The backup will begin.
  • At the end of the operation, check for the presence of the created backup in the folder (by default) " C:\Flashtool\custom\mydevices\».

• Restoring a TA partition is also possible in two ways. This operation will lock the bootloader and therefore the internal memory of the smartphone will be formatted. Therefore, before restoring, it is advisable to save all the necessary information.

  At the same time, it is worth remembering that it is strongly recommended to restore the DRM key storage from a file created from the same smartphone and with a stock kernel installed (even one not based on stock), ideally on firmware from Sony. Otherwise, there is a high probability of receiving the so-called. bricks

  Method 1 (using the Backup-TA.bat utility)
  To restore using this method you will need:

  • Connect your phone to your computer via a USB cable.
  • Run the script " Backup-TA.bat" and enter the number in the menu " 2 ».

• Method 2 (using Flashtool application)
  To restore a partition using this method, you must do the following:

  • Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable.
  • Launch Flashtool.
  • In the main menu of the program select Advanced > Trim Area > Raw Devices > Restore.

• At the end of the operation, the bootloader will be automatically locked. You can check its status by dialing the code on your phone *#*#7378423#*#* , then go to Service info > Configuration > Rooting Status. The bootloader status will be written at the very bottom line.

  To re-unlock the bootloader, you can use this instruction.