Solved Reinstalling Windows 7 starter - how do I create a recovery partition

[hazel123]

Hello. I'm new. I have an Asus Eee netbook which came with Windows 7 Starter and a recovery partition. However, I decided to sell it and wiped the drive with dban before selling. Unfortunately, I wiped everything, including the recovery partition! So I decided to sell it with Linux on, then decided to keep it after all (sorry - I'll get there eventually!) so sent of for Windows 7 Starter recovery discs from Asus, which I now have.

So - here's the point. When installing from the discs, it doesn't give me the option to create partitions or even a recovery partition. It gives me two options - install to primary drive (which seems to be the whole drive plus a 15mb partition) or to install to the whole drive. So I have installed to the whole drive.

I would like to have the recovery partition back, just in case I decide to sell it again and lose or damage the discs.

I looked at trying to shrink the drive, once installed, to create a separate partition for the Windows software (although still no idea if this would then be a 'recovery' partition. But it would only allow me to shrink it in half and I though 100gb odd was a bit big for a recovery partition and only left 120gb odd storage then.

So - is there anyway I can partition the drive and create a recovery partition now I have installed W7 starter on the whole drive. Or, if not, and I have to start the reinstall again - how do I create a recovery partition at the installation stage please? As both options seemed the same except one had a 15mb partition (which surely isn't big enough for a recovery drive!)

Thanks.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello and welcome Hazel mate did you doa job or what LOL!!

Seriously take a look at this probably the best option if you have an activation code on the sticker on the bottom of the machine.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164

 

[Golden]

Lets have a look at the partitions first:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/274797-disk-management-post-screen-capture-image.html

 

[hazel123]

Hi. Thanks for your reply. You know what - before I sent for the recovery discs from Asus I tried something like suggested in your link, after reading how to on a microsoft community website. ie downloaded the iso from digital river - did the ef thingy to be able to choose Windows Starter, installed, entered the numbers - phoned the microsoft number for validation (I had my licence key number to hand) and ended up being put through to someone in the US, grilled - my email and phone number taken - wouldn't let me off the phone till I told them the post that had given me the info and the download link etc - and told me I needed to get recovery discs from the manufacturer. I explained this would cost £35 and I already had a licence key - but the guy wasn't having it! Hence getting the recovery discs from Asus.

 

[hazel123]

Hi Golden. I don't seem to have a snipping tool in my accessories folder - I did a search for it and nothing came up - maybe because I haven't done the Windows updates yet. Anyway, if this helps, what I have is:

1) Volume - (blank space), Layout - Simple, Type - Basic, Status - Healthy (EFI System Partition), Capacity - 16mb, Free Space - 16mb, % Free - 100%, Fault Tolerance - No, Overhead - 0%
2) Volume WIN7 (C, Layout - Simple, Type - Basic, File System - NTFS, Status - Healthy (System, Boot, Page File, Active, Crash Dump, Primary Partition), Capacity - 232.87GB, Free Space - 218.32GB, % Free - 94%, Fault Tolerance - No, Overhead - 0%

Then underneath, in the boxes it says to the left "Disk 0 Basic 232.88GB Online". In the next wider box it says "WIN7 (C 232.87GB NTFS Healthy (System, Boot, Page File, Active, Crash Dump, Primary Partition). Then in the smaller right hand box it says "16mb Healthy (EFI System Partition).

 

[hazel123]

Ha ha - colon and close bracket came up as a smiley!

 

[theog]

Hi Golden. I don't seem to have a snipping tool in my accessories folder - I did a search for it and nothing came up - maybe because I haven't done the Windows updates yet. Anyway, if this helps, what I have is:

1) Volume - (blank space), Layout - Simple, Type - Basic, Status - Healthy (EFI System Partition), Capacity - 16mb, Free Space - 16mb, % Free - 100%, Fault Tolerance - No, Overhead - 0%
2) Volume WIN7 (C, Layout - Simple, Type - Basic, File System - NTFS, Status - Healthy (System, Boot, Page File, Active, Crash Dump, Primary Partition), Capacity - 232.87GB, Free Space - 218.32GB, % Free - 94%, Fault Tolerance - No, Overhead - 0%

Then underneath, in the boxes it says to the left "Disk 0 Basic 232.88GB Online". In the next wider box it says "WIN7 (C 232.87GB NTFS Healthy (System, Boot, Page File, Active, Crash Dump, Primary Partition). Then in the smaller right hand box it says "16mb Healthy (EFI System Partition).

Reinstalling Windows 7 starter

Windows 7 starter is not x64, only x32,
What Windows 7 have you installed?

 

[gregrocker]

Are you happy with the install you have? If not I would start over to get a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. This avoids the Asus bloatware which interferes with better versions built into Win7.

It shows how to unlock Starter in the ISO to write to flash stick or burn to DVD in Step 1.

Afterwards when it is all set up and running good, save externally a Win7 backup image which is the modern way to do Recovery of your customized install. It should never be on the same HD.

It sounds like you were scammed on the phone so avoid that unless you need hardware replacement under warranty. We can help you here get it installed and backed up perfectly.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hazel I agree with Greg and as per my original post which was to clean install and you don't get the bloat.

 

[hazel123]

Hi, and thanks for the replies.

Windows 7 starter is not x64, only x32,
What Windows 7 have you installed?

When registering on here it asked what equipment and software I had. The Windows 7 64 bit is on my laptop. The Windows 7 starter 32 bit is on my netbook (well - trying to be!)

The software I am trying to reinstall on the netbook is the Asus recovery disc which I ended up having to purchase. Yep, maybe I should have spent a bit more and got the OEM disc, but I thought that was just for people who were building laptops to sell.

The business on the phone was a nightmare! My first experience of phoning Microsoft!

As I now have £35 worth of recovery disc I may as well use it - I like the idea of doing a system back up image instead of having a recovery partition. The recovery disc isn't as bad as the original Windows Starter that was on the netbook. Hardly any bloatware - just Asus Hotkeys and the other Hotkey program thingy - and that's it.

So - it looks like my two options are 1) System back up image (presumably after all Windows updates done) or 2) Using some partitioning software to create a recovery partition (is that possible?) Would gparted work (kind of vaguely known about it from using Linux once or twice)?

 

[theog]

Lets have a look at the partitions first:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/274797-disk-management-post-screen-capture-image.html

Hi Golden. I don't seem to have a snipping tool in my accessories folder - I did a search for it and nothing came up - maybe because I haven't done the Windows updates yet. Anyway, if this helps, what I have is:

1) Volume - (blank space), Layout - Simple, Type - Basic, Status - Healthy (EFI System Partition), Capacity - 16mb, Free Space - 16mb, % Free - 100%, Fault Tolerance - No, Overhead - 0%
2) Volume WIN7 (C, Layout - Simple, Type - Basic, File System - NTFS, Status - Healthy (System, Boot, Page File, Active, Crash Dump, Primary Partition), Capacity - 232.87GB, Free Space - 218.32GB, % Free - 94%, Fault Tolerance - No, Overhead - 0%

Then underneath, in the boxes it says to the left "Disk 0 Basic 232.88GB Online". In the next wider box it says "WIN7 (C 232.87GB NTFS Healthy (System, Boot, Page File, Active, Crash Dump, Primary Partition). Then in the smaller right hand box it says "16mb Healthy (EFI System Partition).

Reinstalling Windows 7 starter

Windows 7 starter is not x64, only x32,
What Windows 7 have you installed?

Golden ask you to post a screenshot of Disk Management on NETBOOK with Windows 7 Starter, not your NOTEBOOK with Windows 7 x64.

When registering on here it asked what equipment and software I had. The Windows 7 64 bit is on my laptop. The Windows 7 starter 32 bit is on my netbook (well - trying to be!)

As I now have £35 worth of recovery disc I may as well use it - I like the idea of doing a system back up image instead of having a recovery partition. The recovery disc isn't as bad as the original Windows Starter that was on the netbook. Hardly any bloatware - just Asus Hotkeys and the other Hotkey program thingy - and that's it.

When you reinstall with the Microsoft official ASUS Recovery disks, the Recovery Partition will be remade.

 

[gregrocker]

Are you sure the Recov disks didn't restore the Recov partition as they normally will? We can help you check for sure and also spot anything else and advise you best when we see http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/274797-disk-management-post-screen-capture-image.html

 

[hazel123]

Hi and thanks for the replies.

• Yes, the 'screenshot' info I posted was from the netbook (I'm not that silly that I posted info from perfectly working laptop!). Sorry I didn't have the snipping tool.
• The reinstallation was with official Asus Microsoft disc. I described how it was partitioned above. The Windows 7 is on the main 232.87GB partition. The only other partion is the '16mb Healthy EFI System Partition'. Does this mean Windows 7 starter recovery is on the 16mb partition then?
• Sorry I couldn't do the screen capture - as I mentioned, the snipping tool isn't in my accessories folder, so I wrote out the info above.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Well Hazel I don't exactly know but the only netbooks I have ever had dealings with come with that Starter version and it is pretty basic. The one thing that I do not know for sure is if these machines come with a factory default setting. Something I have probably said already or missed.

Personally I think the devices are ok for lolling about on a laptop is a slightly more expensive way to go but a heck of a lot easier to use and fix.

 

[gregrocker]

You can also maximize the Disk Mgmt window and press Print Screen on your Keyboard, copy into Paint to save and attach. Screenshot with Paint
Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums - Windows 7 Forums


Either way the best Recovery you can have is to Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup to an external HD. There are other freeware apps that work well too like Macrium - Image your system

 

[SIW2]

Is it normal for Asus to have an efi partition on netbook?

Anybody got one of those to check what Asus is doing?

@hazel, your best bet is to use partition wizard (free) home edition . It has a screenshot function.



http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html

 

[gregrocker]

If it's installed in UEFI mode, yes, it must have one. The size seems a bit odd, though.

Boot into BIOS setup, see if there are UEFI settings like Compatibility Support Module (CSM) or Legacy Mode disabled, and whether in the BIOS Boot Priority order the DVD drive is booting in UEFI mode.

There really wouldn't be a EFI partition unless it's installed in UEFI, though.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Type Snipping tool in Start Search box just above the rb:.

Then follow the steps in Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image - Windows 7 Help Forums.

Either way the best Recovery you can have is to Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup to an external HD. There are other freeware apps that work well too like Macrium - Image your system

Greg I have an idea that the Starter version doesn't come with the snipping tool but there is this

need snipping tool for windows 7 starter - Microsoft Community

 

[gregrocker]

Thanks, John. I'm not that familar with Starter except reinstalling it.

Sweet find on PW screenshot, SIW2.

 

[SIW2]

Hazel has 32 bit win7, apparently.

If it's installed in UEFI mode, yes, it must have one. The size seems a bit odd, though.

Boot into BIOS setup, see if there are UEFI settings like Compatibility Support Module (CSM) or Legacy Mode disabled, and whether in the BIOS Boot Priority order the DVD drive is booting in UEFI mode.

There really wouldn't be a EFI partition unless it's installed in UEFI, though.