What's this unallocated space in my C: drive?

[Anak]

The first partition on the screenshot with 1.46GB is the Windows recovery environment partition. It has nothing to do with the Toshiba HDD recovery partition.

The second partition is Windows itself and the third partition should be the Toshiba HDD recovery partition.

Anyway, if HDD recovery doesn’t work (who knows why…) you have to use the Toshiba recovery disk. With this disk it’s always possible to restore factory settings.

Do you have the Toshiba recovery disk? If not start the preinstalled Toshiba recovery media creator and follow the screen instructions.

Toshiba Support Forums: No HDD recovery area ...

1. 1,46 GB (Recovery partition) – please note this partition has nothing to do with Toshiba recovery procedure
2. 453,89 GB partition – it is C partition shown in Windows Explorer
3. 10,46 GB hidden partition – on this partition is saved Toshiba recovery image so if you want to use HDD recovery option do not delete it.

Toshiba Support Forums: Extra partition on Satellite A660 ...

The size of the HDD partition is around 1.4 GB.
That would be the System partition, which contains the Recovery Environment and boot files and which should be set active.

using the recovery partition - Toshiba Forums


In Jerry Lippey's earlier post where he talks about system recovery

See the section System Recovery, which begins on p. 4-25 of the User's Manual (attached).
-Jerry
Attachments:

R840_EN.pdf 3942 KB

At the end of the chapter on page 4-28 it states:


So, if gln can return the HDD to its earlier state without any changes (but I kind if doubt it) gln can then make a "Recovery Media Disk" to help restore the Drive to its "Out of Box State".
From my second quote above:

10,46 GB hidden partition – on this partition is saved Toshiba recovery image so if you want to use HDD recovery option do not delete it.

And that is the one s/he moved into the C:\ drive.


To me it sound like that 1.46 is just an environment that works in conjunction with the recovery media disk to return the HDD to its "Factory State"

 

[vStone1K]

@Anak Yes, I did move the unallocated partition with my main one. That's it, I moved it. I should have just used the word 'moved' instead to make it easier to understand. Since It's in there, where would it be inside the C: drive, to actually check that it's there?

 

[gregrocker]

Anak has confirmed that that the missing partition is the Recovery Partition. It was deleted because it appeared as unallocated space.

The way to recover it now is to order rrecovery Disks from Tech Support to restore the entire HD to factory condition.

However another option is if Win7 becomes irreparable you can find a Win7 installation DVD to clean reinstall with the Product Key on COA sticker to get a much superior install. Follow these steps to get it perfect: Reinstalling Windows 7

 

[vStone1K]

@gregrocker I've burned my own Windows 7 dvd anyway, from an ISO. I then reinstalled my system using the dvd. But I reinstalled it over a month ago. I don't think I'm going to worry about the recovery partition, since I've already got a dvd. The only thing I need to do when using that is the drivers, which is easy to get anyway. Thanks for all your info though.

 

[Murd3rd]

@gregrocker I've burned my own Windows 7 dvd anyway, from an ISO. I then reinstalled my system using the dvd. But I reinstalled it over a month ago. I don't think I'm going to worry about the recovery partition, since I've already got a dvd. The only thing I need to do when using that is the drivers, which is easy to get anyway. Thanks for all your info though.

you never mentioned that before (could have missed it, but don't think so) that is the exact reason why you don't have a recovery partition any longer, you more than likely deleted it when you reinstalled windows last, only way to recoup the "recovery" stuff, like stated earlier, is to contact Toshiba directly and get some discs

 

[vStone1K]

@gregrocker I've burned my own Windows 7 dvd anyway, from an ISO. I then reinstalled my system using the dvd. But I reinstalled it over a month ago. I don't think I'm going to worry about the recovery partition, since I've already got a dvd. The only thing I need to do when using that is the drivers, which is easy to get anyway. Thanks for all your info though.

you never mentioned that before (could have missed it, but don't think so) that is the exact reason why you don't have a recovery partition any longer, you more than likely deleted it when you reinstalled windows last, only way to recoup the "recovery" stuff, like stated earlier, is to contact Toshiba directly and get some discs

You know, when I think of it, it seems pointless ordering discs just for the software. I realize the software is just bloatware. I suppose just using a normal iso is helping me rid of it. Well, in fact, It doesn't give me any bloatware at all. I see your point, I think I just solved it. Ordering discs is just going to give me programs I'll never use.

 

[Murd3rd]

@gregrocker I've burned my own Windows 7 dvd anyway, from an ISO. I then reinstalled my system using the dvd. But I reinstalled it over a month ago. I don't think I'm going to worry about the recovery partition, since I've already got a dvd. The only thing I need to do when using that is the drivers, which is easy to get anyway. Thanks for all your info though.

you never mentioned that before (could have missed it, but don't think so) that is the exact reason why you don't have a recovery partition any longer, you more than likely deleted it when you reinstalled windows last, only way to recoup the "recovery" stuff, like stated earlier, is to contact Toshiba directly and get some discs

You know, when I think of it, it seems pointless ordering discs just for the software. I realize the software is just bloatware. I suppose just using a normal ISO is helping me rid of it. Well, in fact, It doesn't give me any bloatware at all. I see your point, I think I just solved it. Ordering discs is just going to give me programs I'll never use.

EXAAAAAACTLY...clean Windows 7 install FTW!!! trust me you are much better off without all that manufacturer installed crap/bloatware

 

[gregrocker]

It often cripples the OS to remove all of the factory preinstalled bloatware. The solution is what tech enthusiasts have been doing all along: Clean Reinstalling Windows 7 Factory OEM

It would have been helpful to tell us earlier that you clean reinstalled as we could have told you then that the Recovery partition in most cases will not work anyway. The exception is sometimes when Recovery is not pinned to the F8 Repair console, on new HP's which also feature a Minimal Recovery, and I just had a new Asus laptop have Factory Recovery work after clean reinstalling C.

 

[vStone1K]

@ gregrocker I forgot, sorry :/ I didn't really know how to explain that I clean installed at the time. Yeah, the partition was probably deleted, but that doesn't matter anymore, since I have the dvd. Anyway, as I said earlier, if I ordered discs anyway, I'd just get software I wouldn't use. I'm glad you guys can help me, it's really nice