If I had a OEM computer which I wanted to reinstall Windows 7 from a retail disc, can I keep the system recovery partition if I do a custom installation and only choose the partition with the operating system on it?
When installing win7 you select on which partition to install (or in unused space). Win7 comes there. The win7 bootmanager and bootmenu come in the partition where it always was.... or (if no partition was marked active) in the win7 partition itself. So ... it doesn't touch the recovery partition
Thank you for that.
One more question. Does the same hold true if I go from a 32-bit to 64-bit installation?
Thank you very much.
I had read an article at Microsoft Support regarding the installation of a 64-bit version of Windows 7 over a 32-bit and the instructions stated to do a custom installation and choose the partition I wanted to use. But there is a person who has questionable computer knowledge who is emphatic that this would wipe the whole hdd.
It depends upon how Recovery is run from boot. If it uses the F8 Advanced Boot Options
key to trigger Recovery then it will be wiped out as that is reinstalled with Windows. So there's no point in keeping Recovery partition.
In HP's and Dell, the bootable Diagnostics (OEM) partiition is worth keeping, but I would test it first to see that it runs the valuable hardware diagnostics from boot. HP's will also run Recovery after a reinstall, and even have a Minimal Recovery option which is close to a Clean Reinstall. Dells will not run Recovery after a Reinstall but the bootable diagnostics first OEM partition is worth keeping if it runs now.
All of this is covered in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 along with tips to get and keep a perfect install, based on what's worked best with tens of thousands we've helped with here.
I always install 32 bit when there is 4gb or less RAM for better performance.
Thank you for the useful information.
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