Windows 7 - Windows XP Recovery Partition

I'm upgrading a Compaq Presario running XP that has a recovery partition installed by the manufacturer. It's my understanding that the recovery partition will be useless after the upgrade. Should the drive be reformatted and the partition deleted?

If you want XP do not delete the recovery partition.

ahmad12 is right, you should keep the XP recovery partition for now until you are certain that you like and only want Windows 7. It is a separate partition, so as long as you don't completely format the drive you should be able to install Windows 7 on the computer without disturbing the recovery partition. You can always get rid of the partition in the future, but you can't easily recover something that you have formated over.

I have the same problem. My recovery partition is in Fat32. After I install install Windows on my main partition, what do I need to do to format the recovery partition in NTFS and then delete so that I only have one big drive?

You can delete it using Diskpart command line - you may need to specify overrride if it is a non standard partition type.

Better check in Disk Management and see if it is marked Active first.

Then you would have Unallocated space.

If it on the left ( in Disk Management view) you will need a 3rd party tool to merge with the 7 partition.

If you are certain you don't want it - easiest to delete it before installing 7.

In any case - here is a very good free partitioning app.

Free Download Partition Wizard

Please post a screenshot of Disk Management window.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...en-forums.html

I want to be through with XP forever. When I am installing Win 7, I know that the disk gives you a choice of which partition to put Win 7 in and then it Formats. Does it give me a chance to format my partition that will not have Win 7 but currently has my XP recovery? If so I would like to format and remove both partitions on the install if possible.

I have the same quandary with my Vista computer...do I do a clean install and reformat the drive removing the partition with the Vista recovery, or just leave that partition. I think I'm going to leave it for now. If nothing else, I can replace it with some of the other OS's once I know 7 is working fine. Thanks for the input.

IF you made recovery Disks than YOU are safe to delete it.. BUT PLEASE CHECK WITH YOU COMPUTER MANUFACTOR..to check..

To me I talked to HP about this and they said you can delete the recovery partition when you install Windows 7 IF YOU made the recovery disk.I made a Thread about this..(HERE IT IS)

Again Please Check with you Computer Manufacturer to MAKE Sure..

Hope this Helps.