Although your rationale regarding the value of personal data is right, I would not worry about imaging it. You can always open an image (at least a Macrium image - not so easy with a Win7 image) and retrieve the data one by one without restoring the image.but if your personal data (D) is backed up only within an image, you may lose it forever if you can't get at the image for whatever reason.
I would be deeply concerned about any compression or encryption applied to a backup. All my backups open in Windows native NTFS file system. I can ever read them from Ubuntu and MAC... I've always thought that the more "open" the storage format the better your chances of getting it back...
I guess if you want to be extra careful, that is a point to be considered. In principle, I also like to do it "manually" - then I know what I have done. But with the images, I never had a problem. I ususally keep a whole bunch of them until my 640GB external disk is full. Then I weed them out. I still have some from 2009.
How can I be sure if it's truly empty, or not?
Actually, it's ASUS, not Acer.
I've got a disc that came with PC that says:
Windows 7 Recovery Media for Windows 7 Products
The software included on this Recovery DVD was preinstalled on your hard disk at the factory and may only be used for the backup and recovery of your ASUS system.
Recovery DVD 1 of 1
Microsoft - This disc contains 64-bit software only.
It is NOT empty, believe me. Probably all hidden files of your recovery set.How can I be sure if it's truly empty, or not?
I'm tempted to say it must be empty if Disk Management says so. Does it also read empty when you right click it in Windows Explorer?
Does that partition appear at all in Windows Explorer? I build my own PCs so have no personal experience with factory partitions. It may be a hidden partition that typically does not show in Windows Explorer.
Does it show as empty from a DOS prompt?
The writing on the Asus recovery disk says the software on that disk has been preinstalled on your hard disk. If so, where is it? I would have expected to find it on your 8 GB partition. Yet maybe that partition is empty.
Do you have any written documentation that might give further clues?
Does the Asus website offer any clues?
I can't imagine they would ship a PC with an empty 8 gig partition, but I suppose stranger things have happened.
What choices do you have in a menu when you boot from that recovery CD?
You might turn on "view hidden files" and see if anything shows up.
I'd bow to people with more experience on this particular issue. Maybe SIW2 or Greg will have a better idea than I do.
It does not appear in Windows Explorer.
I wouldn't know.
Not that I know of.
Not that I know of.
I'll have to insert it and see, get back to you on that.
I always keep hidden files unhidden, and the partition doesn't even display in WinExplorer.
I just spent 15 minutes fumbling around on the net trying to resolve this.
Most of the time was spent at the Asus website, where I was instantly reminded of why I swore off Asus products some time ago. The site is clumsy, slow, poorly organized, with a poor search capability.
Having said that, my 15 minutes leads me to believe that the hidden partition may be configured in such a way as to minimize access to it by any user. It may be accessible only by F9 when booting. Look at this from an Asus manual; it may apply to your case even though you have Windows 7.
The short story may be that the partition is occupied and your best move is to ignore it until and unless you need to restore your PC to factory specs, which is not what you want to do at this time.
That's exactly what it is.
A hidden oem partition will not be visible in explorer, and in Disk Management will typically show as empty - it isn't.
If you rt click it in Disk mgmt, you won't get many options.
That is to protect it so the unaware do not delete it.
It's likely a type 12 compaq/acer partition.
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