Windows 7: HP laptop has used up all four primary partitions

Hi

I’ve just bought a new laptop - an HP G62 with Windows 7 Home Premium preinstalled - on which I had been hoping to dual boot Linux. Imagine my dismay then when I discovered that HP in their wisdom have used up all four primary partitions as follows:

1. System 199MB
2. (C:) 219GB
3. (D:) Recovery 13.56GB
4. (E:) HP Tools 103MB

I am seriously considering therefore whether to reinstall Windows 7 from scratch and partition the drive the way I want it, rather than the way HP thinks I want it. As I assume there is no way of extracting the Windows operating system from the files on the recovery partition, I need to give some thought to how to achieve this.

I already have a desktop computer with Windows 7 Home Premium, for which I have the proper MS installation DVD. Both the desktop computer and the new laptop have OEM product IDs in the form of xxxxx-OEM-xxxxxxx-xxxxx, so would it work if I used the desktop’s DVD to do a fresh installation on the HP laptop - but obviously enter the laptop’s Windows Serial Number? Would MS accept that when I activate the installation? I realise of course I would need to download all the necessary hardware drivers for the laptop from the HP site as I assume they too are not separately extractable from the recovery partition. Don’t these computer manufacturers make life hard for us!!

I have created my own Recovery Discs using HP’s Recovery Manager, so I am not bothered about losing the recovery partition. I should be extremely grateful for any comments on my proposed way of proceeding. In the meantime I am having to make do by running Ubuntu 10.04 on VirtualBox in Windows.

Hello Marrea, welcome to Seven Forums!



As you have created the HP Recovery Disks and I assume you have everything backed-up that you want to save from the lappy. Have a look at these tutorials at the links below, to first, over-write everything on the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) so that you have the best possible space to install Windows 7 to and then do a clean install to that space.

You can use the activation key on the sticker attached to the PC to activate the new install though you may have to activate by phone.


SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Clean Install Windows 7

Activate Windows 7 by Phone

Hi Ted wanted to rep you for your help and the tutorials you've done but it told me I had to spread it around, I don't think I've ever repped you, I don't do it very often and the last time I did was back in June.

That's ok Joan, it's the thought that counts!

Yes you can use the retail Premium installer to clean reinstall to overcome the factory bloatware and repartition as you want. The Product Key on COA sticker is a batch key, so it requires the robocall to MS to sort out the actual key but I have done it many times and it always completes activation.

If you have favorite apps you want to extract from the HP recovery disks like WOrks, then you can use this method: HP 3rd Party Software After Clean Win 7 Install

The installer is mostly driver-complete, with newer arriving quickly via optional Windows Updates. Any drivers then missing in Device Manager can be found on the Support Downloads webpage for your model computer or device. I would not change any drivers given by installer/Updates unless performance dictates. Put your wireless or ethernet driver on a flash stick so if necessary you can get online quickly.

Install programs slowly over time to gauge performance after each. Don't let any programs write themselves into msconfig>Startup as they become freeloaders on your RAM/CPU and can spy on you. I only allow AV and gadgets.

Use a lightweight free AV like MS Security Essentials which works perfectly with Windows 7 Firewall.

When it is finished, clean and order the HD perfectly using state-of-the-art free CCleaner then Auslogics Disk and Registry defraggers monthly.

Then save a Windows 7 Backup image externally so you never have to reinstall again, just reimage the HD or replacement using DVD or Repair CD.

Bare Foot Kid (many thanks for the welcome) and gregrocker

Just to say how extremely grateful I am to you both for providing such detailed information, which is really, really helpful. I am now going to study it all carefully before proceeding.

One thing I’m slightly concerned about. If I repartition and reinstall and then for some reason later decide I want to go back to the original set-up which came with the laptop when new, are the HP recovery discs able to recreate the original four partitions again, or will they simply fail if they find the partitioning has been changed?

Recovery Disks should recreate your partitioning as it came from factory since they are often needed when a HD is replaced.

Since this concerns you, I would also save externally a Windows 7 backup image of all drives so that you have another method. By booting the DVD Repair console or Repair CD you can reimage your HD in 15 minutes.

Then after your clean install and setup save another Windows 7 Backup image so you have "Before" and "After." To keep imaging utility from possibly overwriting the "Before" image, place it in a folder with another name. WindowsImageBackup files must be in the root of the external or secondary HD (and named only that) to be detected by Windows 7 backup imaging.

Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

gregrocker

Once again I am indebted to you.

I have a lot to get my head round here. I have done a large number of Windows XP installations and a couple of Windows 7 installations (and also numerous Linux installations!) but they have all been fairly simple set-ups and I didn't run into any major problems with any of them. But what I am hoping to do this time round is rather different so I need to take a bit of time to fully understand it all. However I enjoy a challenge and it's good to learn more about computer configurations in the process.

Hello again.





Take your time and do the research before you start, just remember to post back to keep us informed.

Will do - although it may be a little while before I get back to you!