Is my OS install f-ed (or, why can't I add my 4tb drive as one volume)

[JediKnight]

Just installed Win7 on a new build. I have two storage drives in the system, a 480GB Intel 730 SSD and a 4TB WD Green HDD.

On install, I created a 100GB partition on the SSD for the OS. I left the remainder of the drive and the HDD as unallocated space at that time. I clicked through (without really understanding at the time) a message saying Windows may create additional partitions in the unallocated space.

Fast forward...
I went into disk management, wanting to turn the HDD into a single 4TB partition.
This is what I see:

This 100MB "System Reserved" partition is troubling.
1) I'm worried about performance of having this on the slow HDD (After a search, I realize it's essentially for OS files)
2) It appears that it's blocking me from formatting the HDD in the way I want to do it:
a) My only option on either of the unallocated space areas is a simple volume.
b) If I format the first one, the option to extend the volume is greyed out. As is the option to even create a simple volume in the second area of unallocated space!

I'm either doing it wrong.. or I've missed something. Or Windows f-ed up on the initial install by putting this partition on the HDD instead of the SSD.

Any ideas how to fix this? I'd rather not blow it all up and start over again with the OS install, but given it's a new build, that still is a feasible option.

 

[postmortemIA]

Don't remove it just yet, looks like boot loader is there. that is what System flag is for. You can install the bootloader onto Disk 1, but that would require booting from DVD and doing a repair. And disconnecting the Disk 0.

That's why most of people unplug the other drives when they install the windows.

 

[JediKnight]

So what do I need to do to fix?
Is it something like:
1) Disconnect HDD
2) Boot to Windows installation disc and choose repair.
3) Reconnect HDD
4) Delete (hopefully now unused) partition on HDD
5) Format HDD as single 4TB volume
6) ???
7) Profit!!

 

[Ketchup]

Yeah, if you can get the boot drive to boot on its own, you can plug your other drive back in and re-partition it as you like.

 

[JediKnight]

When I get to the recovery step, my installation of Windows doesn't show up and it says I need to load drivers for my hard drive??!

 

[Ketchup]

When I get to the recovery step, my installation of Windows doesn't show up and it says I need to load drivers for my hard drive??!

Well, that's your answer then. There are some things a repair can't fix. Looks like the boot loader is on the wrong drive, so at this point it would be easiest to:

a. live with it, or
b. full reinstall