recovery partition

vodcas · 02 Jan 2010

just want to know if it is safe to delete the recovery partition so i can unlock more gb in my hp notebook. when i first bought it, it was with vista preinstalled. so the recovery partition is vista, but i did make a complete rescue disk of my computer the first time i turned it on with windows recovery. so my question is, is it ok and with no problem, that i can just format the recovery partition, since i actually never use vista, but windows 7. it wounldt mess my laptop??

Venths · 02 Jan 2010

vodcas said:

just want to know if it is safe to delete the recovery partition so i can unlock more gb in my hp notebook. when i first bought it, it was with vista preinstalled. so the recovery partition is vista, but i did make a complete rescue disk of my computer the first time i turned it on with windows recovery. so my question is, is it ok and with no problem, that i can just format the recovery partition, since i actually never use vista, but windows 7. it wounldt mess my laptop??

Its not advisable to delete the recovery partition. Though you my use Windows 7 at present, the recovery partition may help you in future.

Lets say, if your laptop has crashed during some important works and that time you do not have a Windows 7 disk handy. You can just recover your PC using this and start continuing your work. However, you can create a back up of your recovery partition in a DVD and then delete it.

richc46 · 02 Jan 2010

In addition, if you are still under warranty, you may have to return it with the original OS, etc,. Many mfg, will void the warranty if OS is changed. There is not guarantee that the recovery partion is still functional, however.

fireberd · 02 Jan 2010

It wasn't mentioned what PC this is, but on a Dell if a different OS is installed the Recovery Partition will be corrupted and not useable to reinstall the original OS. The only way to reinstall the original OS is from the CD/DVD's.

Venths · 02 Jan 2010

fireberd said:

It wasn't mentioned what PC this is, but on a Dell if a different OS is installed the Recovery Partition will be corrupted and not useable to reinstall the original OS. The only way to reinstall the original OS is from the CD/DVD's.

Yeah, you are right. I never thought of this... Good update !!!

Ryan2320 · 02 Jan 2010

If you got the Recovery Disks That you made when you first bought the computer. Then you really can delete it because for one you can't get to it under Windows 7. The only way to reinstall Vista is by the Recovery Disk(s) If you have those than you are good to go. Because with those Recovery Disks they will put the Recovery Partition back on for you and reinstall Vista.(if you ever needed to back) Like richc46 said if it is still under Warranty you might void it depending if they support upgrading you PC to Windows 7. If they do then I don't think it will void the warranty. I would contact HP support.. To be on the safe side..

Hope this Helps.

gregrocker · 03 Jan 2010

Please post back a screenshot of your full Disk Management map so we can advise you better. Use Snipping Tool in Start Menu and attach file using paper clip in reply box.

Since you stated that you already made the Vista Recovery Disks and now have Win7 installed, there isn't any reason to keep the Recov partition. It stopped working from Windows when you installed Win7, and now could only possibly work by tapping the key given on first bootup screen for Recovery - try it to see.

One use for it now is to store a Win7 backup image which can be used to reimage your HD in 15 minutes from the Win7 DVD repair console "Recover Using a Backup Image." Format it Primary in Disk Management first, the built-in Backup Imaging app will autodetect the partition for saving it there.