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#11
"Clean" will take just a couple of minutes depending on your HDD size. "Clean all" can take hours to run.
"Clean" will take just a couple of minutes depending on your HDD size. "Clean all" can take hours to run.
As far as I know writing zeros to a HDD will take a lot of time no matter what program is used. The only better way but slower would be to overwrite the disk multiple times.
One more question: Is there any reason why I'd want the hidden recovery partition that Windows 7 will install if I'm going to be making a system image anyway?
What hidden Recovery partition? Win7 installs no such thing.
Are you referring to the 100mb System Reserved boot partition? If so you can avoid it if you worry that it will complicate image recovery by pre-formatting your HD as shown in Step 2.2 here: SSD - HDD Optimize for Windows Reinstallation
We have a different understanding of "hidden." To me, hidden means "purposely removed from visibility." The recovery partition is purposely kept away from users (with good reason.)
Anyway, I can't seem to find much information in support of keeping it or against keeping it. I have no interest in bitlocker, and I plan to use a recovery image as well as a Windows 7 install disk for repair operations, so I can't think of a reason to keep the partition. On the other hand, it appears that the partition sometimes causes problems when imaging. Therefore, unless someone wants to suggest a reason to keep it, I'm about to skip it.
Thanks for the method for doing so, gregrocker.
(And thanks for all the other help too, gregrocker and Britton30!)
And its not a Recovery partition by any definition of the term.
Well, everything's working great after my reinstall! Thanks!