Partition / Extended : Logical Drives

sonovaio said:

Hi Bare Foot Kid,
First of all I'm sorry to bring up an old thread, but I figure there's no need to start a new thread as my question is very relevant to the previous ones.

I'm writing from Italy because I have a problem about partition of my new HP DV6 6170 (1 basic HD, 4 Primary partitions). I have some questions:

1) I have already created recovery discs, and an image backup. Now it's possible convert "Recovery" to logical instead of C:?
I think in this way you lose the function F11 (recovery partition) and the ability to create recovery discs, but in addition to this:
a) the C: drive, even if it leans to the drive "system", remains primary, and having inside the OS this may be better (I'm afraid that changing C: boot I
could lose some functionality), do you agree?;
b) even losing the functionality of the F11 key, often you can recover it only by marking the partition as "active" from "disk management" (Start>
Control Panel> Administrative Tools> Computer Management> Disk Management>), it's right?

2) Why if I want to convert C: to logical I have to use necessarily Partition Wizard Free Bootable CD and not the version installed on PC? It would
be the same if I wanted to convert Recovery to logical?

Thanks a lot

Hello Sonovaio, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You wouldn't want to convert the "Recovery" partition since that is your OEM factory recovery partition. If you do, you will no longer be able to use it to restore Windows 7 back to factory defaults with it. This also will cause you to lose the F11 function at boot to enter factory recovery.

If you wanted to convert the C: partition to logical to be able to shrink space from C: and create another partition from the unallocated space shrunk from C: , then you would need to use the Partition Wizard Free Bootable CD since the C: partition in the Windows 7 "system" partition and is in use. You would not be able to convert a "system" partition that is in use. You will not lose any functionality by converting the C: drive to logical instead of primary at boot.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Answers inline. :)

First, I would strongly recommend to not mess with the "Recovery" partition at all to avoid not being able to use it to do a factory recovery of Windows 7 with it anymore.

sonovaio said:

1) I know that converting the "Recovery" partition I will no longer be able to use it to restore Windows 7 back to factory defaults with it and this also will cause me to lose the F11 function at boot to enter factory recovery.
So I would like to know if I can resolve this problem with procedure of point 1b of my post ("even losing the functionality of the F11 key, often you can recover it only by marking the partition as "active" from "disk management": Start> Control Panel> Administrative Tools> Computer Management> Disk Management>. It's right?"), because someone in the italian forums says it's possible. Do you agree? Do you confirm this possibility?

Possibly, but not always. That's why it's best to not mess with it.

2) I understand that the Partition Wizard Free Bootable CD is necessary to convert C: to logical. Now I ask you:
a) Bootable CD is necessary also if I want to convert Recovery (and not C: to logical? Or it's possible to use version installed on PC?

You should be able to convert "Recovery" from within Windows 7, and not have to at boot unless you just wanted to.

However, again, messing with "Recovery" is not advised.

b) Someone has converted C: with the version installed on pc and then everything seems fine, it seems there aren't problems on pc. How it's possible if you reccomend to use bootable CD? There may be problems not yet visible?

You could use either method (at boot or in Windows 7) that you like. I personally just find it easier and to have less chances of an error to do it at boot using METHOD TWO in the tutorial instead. That's all. :)

You're welcome.

I would recommend to use the bootable CD version to have less chances of any issues. :)

You're most welcome Sonovaio.

There will be no other differences other than it being a logical partition instead of primary. :)

By default on a basic MBR disk, you can only create a maximum of 4 Primary partitions, or 3 Primary partitions and 1 Extended partition with up to 128 logical volumes in the extended partition on a single hard disk.