Windows 7: Win 7 clean install

I'd like to have the 100 MB system reserved partition on my new installation. I see on the Clean Install tutorial that it will be installed by default if the whole disk is wiped.

I have an E: partition now that I want to remain intact. Does that rule out the possiblity of getting the System Reserved partition on the new install?
If so, can I get it to re-use the existing System Reserved partition?

Thanks

Is that E drive a partition on the drive you want Windows installed on or is it a separate physical hard drive?

If it is a partition copy the data to an external drive.

Why do you want the 100MB System Reserve partition? It really isn't needed. If you don't have one and the system is running OK there is no reason to bother going through a reinstall to get it.

There is just a single drive in the laptop, the E drive is a partition on it that contains a lot of data. I'd like to avoid copying the data off of it.

I've been under the impression that the 100 MB System Reserve partition gives the ability to access the repair console and do repairs, without the need to have an installation disk. And I'm not doing the install to get that feature, doing it for other reasons. And I already have the System Reserve Partition.

What my question boils down to is, I don't know if I should delete the existing System Reserve partition and the existing C partition and make them both unallocated, or leave the existing System Reserve Partition for use with the new install. Seems like I don't want to assume the existing System Reserve partition will be compatible with the new install, the existing install was done by someone using their retail install disk, not the install disk I am using.

Could you post a Snip of your Disk Management as we don't want to tell you wrong. Be sure it is expanded so we can read all of the print. This tutorial tells you how to post in case you are not familiar. Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums

System is unbootable, so I can't do that.

I'd delete System Reserved and C and do a clean install. If I ended up with System Reserved, fine. If I didn't, fine. Why wonder if the old System Reserved is fully compatible with the new C?

System Reserved is largely useless. I don't have it and have never missed it.

Going from memory, I think you are right about SR allowing access to the repair console without an installation disc. I'm not sure how big a deal that is since install discs are a dime a dozen if you ever need one.

You have more nerve than I do in doing a clean install with data on E that apparently is not backed up.

Actually I don't have a lot of nerve, the data on that partition is very low priority. In fact, I will probably just go ahead and delete all the partitions, and install Windows into the unallocated space so that I know the System Reserve partition will be created. I find it rather useful, especially when people call me up with problems and I can walk them through repairs without them needing to find their disk.

You should have System Recovery Options on F8 Advanced Boot Options menu even if you don't get System Reserved. The WinRe file resides on C and is hotlinked by the System boot files wherever they reside.

Thanks Greg. I expressed that incorrectly. What I was referring to was the option within the Advanced Boot Menu that says "Repair Your Computer". I only seem to find that when the install has the System Reserved partition. Am I correct about that?

Example is the computer I am on right now. I installed Win 7 to it, and the drive had an existing "E" data partition that I left intact. The install did not create System Reserved partition, and there is no Repair Your Computer option. I've assumed the two are tied together.

That Repair My Computer link is to WinRE, it resides on C and is linked from wherever the System Boot Files are written. So it shouldn't need a System Reserved partition to place it on Advanced Boot Tools menu.