Windows 7: Recovery partition after upgrade from Vista

I have just upgraded my wife's Acer 4810 from Vista to Windows 7 using the free upgrade. It all came out OK and is working just fine.
The recovery partition will still be Vista so is no longer needed, I do have the recovery DVDs I burnt when we received the machine.
I use Acronis True Image 2010 and I'm thinking of removing the recovery partition and replacing it with the Acronis Startup Recovery Manager. If that is OK, I'm not sure how to delete the Vista partition, as I can't see a way of getting to it.

As an aside, does the Windows 7 upgrade disk 'behave' in the same way as a standard disk? Can I do another instal from it if this machine has serious problems?



Also, when I make a repair disk for the Acer, what will that allow me to do? I'm aware that I can repair any startup problems but I don't know what else it will do (apart from allowing me to restore an image or do a system restore point restore and memory test. Beyond that I don't know what it can do?
Obviously I am concerned about the lack of a full Windows 7 disk, as in XP I used to do a repair instal 'over the top' of an existing installation to get out of trouble.

The Acer Upgrade Kits contain a white Windows 7 DVD which is a full bootable installer with the repair console on the second screen. It should have a product key insert; save this in case you decide to do a clean reinstall. The green CD has apps/drivers to choose from.

The Windows 7 installer is the same for full retail as it is for the Upgrade version - only the keys differentiate the version. You can do a clean reinstall by booting the DVD and it will scan the HD to see another OS to allow use of an Upgrade version key. If you pre-format or have a new HD, use a workaround given here: Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

However, reinstalls are never again necessary if you save a Windows 7 backup image, which can reimage the HD or a replacement in 15 minutes from the DVD repair console. I store a copy of the backup image in a primary partition on each of our computers, with a copy on an external HD. The DVD reimaging app autodetects the images on a primary partition or in the root of the external.

Repair Install in Windows 7 is done from the desktop, while the DVD Repair console has the standard repair tools you mention.

If you'd like to remove the Recov partition, post back a screenshot of your full Disk Management map so we can advise you better. Use the Snipping tool in Start Menu; attach file with paper clip in reply box.

gregrocker,

Thanks for response. I'm still considering all this!
Your news is comforting as I was feeling a bit exposed, thinking no disk! So, how do you define a clean install, to me, it sounds like onto a clean, formatted disk? I already only) have Window 7 on the disk (upgraded from Vista) so if necessary, I might need to install it again 'over the top' of that installation. If I do that, will it alter anything, apart from repairing any files etc?
I'm asking this as since I did the upgrade, the DVD drive keeps going missing from Device Manager, if I open the drive and close it while watching DM the first time all is OK, but if I do that again, the drive disappears and the only way to get it back is to reboot! The drive worked fine in Vista, only in Win 7 dies this happen. Also, I sometimes need to use a paper clip to open the drive. I have uninstalled the DVD and let 7 find it again, but no change.
It has been suggested in the Hardware forum that I need to do another install, hence my questions.
I will address the screenshot of Disk Management when I've got the drive working again.
Many thanks.

Clean install

Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version