Query regarding checks made by FFS at each launch

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Posts: 55
Joined: 5 Aug 2006

gdhm

Hi Zenju,

Scenario: I found that Windows 10 default size for a clean install for the System Reserved Partition is 500MB (I had set it to 350MB when an upgrade complained it was too too small and at the time people online were suggesting 350MB).

Yesterday using a 3rd party partition application I decreased the size of my C: Partition (System partition) at the beginning and extended my System Reserved partition from 350MB to 500MB. This occurred totally successfully. (interesting file explorer says System Reserved is now 499MB when Disk Management and other apps says it 500MB - I assume this is down to rounding but it would be nice if Win 10 apps said the same thing).
Aomei Backupper was able to do a backup and restored that backup perfectly. Subsequent SFC /scannow confirmed all OK as did chkdsk on both resized partitions.

Effect when launching FFS after above partition resizing
All app used since are functioning perfectly. The only app to date that was not happy was FFS which, when launched shortly after the resizing, came up with an Error Message “Installation files are corrupted. Please reinstall FreeFileSync. Installation was registered on a different operating system”.
I reinstalled so and all is OK. I am assuming FFS file integrity and other checks when FFS is launched noticed the resizing. I am guessing the Error Message is slightly generic covering various scenario, as I do not believe any FFS files were corrupted and of course the OS had not changed.

I am interested in your confirmation (or not) that FFS would have noticed the change in partition size of the System partition and/or System Reserved and would by design triggered that Error Message and request to reinstall to make sure all its files were OK.

The reason I am posting is, naturally I have a concern that maybe FFS did find genuinely corrupted FFS files (even though I do not believe this to be the case) because, IF SO, so then that would suggest the partition resizing might have corrupted other files, settings apps (yet to be discovered).

May I have your comments Zenju on this matter please.
Many Thanks
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Posts: 7052
Joined: 9 Dec 2007

Zenju

Indeed, the error message is overly generic in this case. The first part is used for all failed start up consistency checks. After your partition changes the (local) FreeFileSync installation assumes a fatal error, thous the second part of the error message. Unlike the other consistency checks however (e.g. unexpected changes in the executable files) this one is not triggered by physcial data corruption.
Posts: 55
Joined: 5 Aug 2006

gdhm

Thanks for info Zenju. My mind is put to rest :)