HP laptop has used up all four primary partitions

Hi all.
I bought a new HP laptop - ProBook 4530s - and I am facing to the same described problem - HP used all 4 primary partitions:

• 200 MB - Win7 booting partition
• the rest of HDD - whole OS + programs + personal data
• 17GB - HP_RECOVERY
• 5GB - HP_TOOLS

The second problem is, that HP is today not providing any tool for creating HP Recovery discs, they only sends them via post, so if I make something wrong, I have no option to recover the origin state.

I want to repartition my hard drive - to have C: for system and programs and D: for data. But I cant, because all partitions are used.

My first propose:

• to delete main primary partition for OS+programs+personal data and to create one extended partition instead of it and inside extended partition I can create as many partitions as I want.
• then perform Recovery via F11, from partition HP_RECOVERY

Will this work?
Will Recovery from not touched partition recover my laptop to the state of first launch? I understand that it will work if main partition is primary (for OS+programs+data), but will this work for extended partition and first created logical partition inside of it??

My second propose:

• to delete all partitions and perform clean instal of Win7 64bit from DVD drive
• install drivers (not all HP software, but required) for laptop from HP site
• apply OEM activation number on the label and active Win7

The question is if something goes wrong and my laptop have to go to warranty, what will HP say??

Any more ideas and tested solutions for repartitioning HP laptop???

There's no reason to delete C to change it to Logical. Instead use free Partition Wizard bootable CD to
rightclick on C, choose Modify>Convert to Logical, OK, Apply.

Once it's converted, you can rightclick C>Resize to slide the right grey border to the left to make room for new partition(s), OK. Then create New partitions as you wish in the space, label and letter them, OK. Apply steps.

If you want to clean reinstall I'd be sure to make the Recovery Disks first and save the Recovery partition which will run on recent models even if C is reinstalled or all other partitions besides Recovery are deleted to repartition.

Preserving recovery and making the disks as a backup will allow you to restore to factory condition if you need to return to HP under warranty. When speaking with Tech Support do not tell them you clean reinstalled or they may not help you, although it will not void the parts warranty under law.

If you want to use a Win7 Installation DVD to clean reinstall follow these steps to get a perfect reinstall of factory OEM, with special notes included about HP's: Reinstalling Windows 7

Do you have a Win7 installation DVD for your licensed version?

As I wrote, I have no option to create HP Recovery discs, only to make an image of first start system (which takes 51GB!). HP did not provide any tool for creation of these discs today, they only send them via post, I have ordered them already.

I think I will perform clean install (I have some image of Windows 7 instalation DVD) and firstly backup and then restore OEM number and certificate via SLIC Toolkit.

   Information

We always assume you have made your Recovery Disks using the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Media Creator app the first day you had your new PC.
& made the Startup Repair CD.
startup repair disc-create

Did you make the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks?


How to make HP Recovery DVD disks:
Recover Windows Vista Operating System Using HP Recovery - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

How to make HP Recovery USB disk:
Creating a Recovery Disk on a USB Flash Disk HP Pavilion dv6700z CTO Entertainment Notebook PC - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

As I worte, HP is NOT providing any Recovery program for burning HP Recovery Discs for ProBook 4530s.
This feature (as I was used for several years - after buying a new laptop firstly burn Recovery discs) is not available anymore.

HP will only send these discs for free, but on your request. I ordered them already.

I am able only to create complete image of HDD after first start of computer with Windows 7 backup feature (this takes 51GB!). There is no HP Recovery Manager or any similiar program dedicated for burning HP Recovery discs..

The only one way how to recover PC to the stage of first launch is to perform Recovery from HP_RECOVERY partition, via F11 button during boot. If you delete (or make something wrong) this partition, you are not able to perform recovery to the first start of your PC without discs received from HP.

There is no reason to backup factory SLP activation using SLIC toolkit as the Product Key on COA sticker will reactivate as OEM-COA in MS Servers, rather than OEM-SLP factory offline activation.

my dear freind cool but confusing world of windows Seven
God lets go back to windows 98 loving Windows if their was a software them i will use it agin
to much fast