Delete Windows 7 Boot Partition

[Marionumber1]

Hello SevenForums! I'm new here, and this is my first post. Anyway, I discovered the boot partition in Disk Management. It is marked active, and has Bootmgr plus the Boot folder. Due to this, I presume it is some boot partition separate. However, my C: drive also has a valid Bootmgr and Boot folder. I was wondering if I could delete this, and mark the C: drive active.

Note 1: I'm using GRUB2 in the MBR, so it may not matter.
Note 2: It is called "Recovery", so it most likely has the WinRE on it. But I have a recovery disk, so it may not matter.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello Marionumber1, welcome to Seven Forums!



Before we make any specific recommendations will you please post a snip/screen-shot of the entire disk management drive map with a full description as to which drive/partition is which, so we can see what you have going on as there may be a fairly simple way to resolve the situation.

In the Windows start menu right click computer and click manage, in the left pane of the "Computer Management" window that opens click disk management and post a maximized snip of that.


How to Upload and Post a Screenshot and File in Seven Forums

 

[Marionumber1]

Disk Management


The first is an OEM partition. Then we have the partition I'm talking about, called "Recovery". Then we have my C: drive. After that is my Ubuntu partition. Then my E: drive, for shared data. Then my Ubuntu swap partition.

Also, I confirmed that Bootmgr can load from the C: drive.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

I just want to make sure you to know that "Recovery" partition is the one used to recover the PC back to "Factory" specs, like it was when you purchased and set it up for the first time.

Before you change anything: have you created the set of recovery disks in case you ever want to take it back to "Factory" condition?


I can help you remove that partition and recover that space into the C: partition if you choose.

 

[Marionumber1]

Yeah, I made a recovery disc. And I know how to partition hard drives, so if you think it's safe, I'll remove it and resize C: and mark C: as active. Don't even know if it matters with GRUB2 in the MBR anyway.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

[Disclaimer]I don't know how this will affect Grub[/disclaimer]



You can use the outline in this tutorial at the link below to do as you like, be sure to mark the Windows 7 partition Active first to make sure there will be no issues with that side of it.

Do the wipes to the 2 partition to the left of C: don't just delete them, the recovery partition may cause errors if you just delete that one.

Partition : Recover Space Used by an Older OS


If you have any issues marking C: active, Option Two of this tutorial shows how to correct for that.

Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times



Be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep me informed.

 

[whs]

I am puzzled. In your disk management snip I see the Recovery Partition as active partition. So the bootmgr must have somehow ended up there. I do not understand the Grub deal. The MBR should be pointing to the recovery partition.

 

[Marionumber1]

The Recovery partition has Bootmgr. But the C: drive does too. And I'm dual booting, so I have GRUB in the MBR.

 

[Shootist]

View attachment 150959
The first is an OEM partition. Then we have the partition I'm talking about, called "Recovery". Then we have my C: drive. After that is my Ubuntu partition. Then my E: drive, for shared data. Then my Ubuntu swap partition.

Also, I confirmed that Bootmgr can load from the C: drive.

that first partition, the 100MB one, is supposed to be the active partition and hold the BASE boot files for Win 7.
Somehow those BASE boot files got put on the recovery partition, Maybe.

What I would suggest is getting a boot CD/USB utility program, something like Hirens boot CD, that has a file manager included and take a look at what is on both of those partitions. Until you know what is on them I would not delete/move/resize anything. you could end up with a non booting system.
Of course if you do delete that partition and then move the space into the C drive and the system doesn't boot you could always run a repair install to place the needed boot files back on that 100MB partition.

 

[whs]

Well, if you are sure that C has a full bootmgr, I guess you can make it active. I have no idea though how the bootmgr would have gotten there. A bootmgr looks like in the picture below.

You then still have to make Grub point to C, but I have no idea how this is done.

 

[SIW2]

Don't use grub myself - I believe it points to hd and partition number.

If you remove a partition - you would need to alter that to match

 

[Marionumber1]

GRUB chainloads Windows bootsectors. In my case, that would be (hd0,3), or my C: drive. And the 100MB partition, called "DELLUTILITY", has no Windows boot files. It has some DOS ones, and what are (presumably) some Dell Utilities.

 

[SIW2]

Yes, so if you get rid of the 100mb, you would need to change it to (hd0,2) I assume.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Yes, so if you get rid of the 100mb, you would need to change it to (hd0,2) I assume.

He's got 2 partitions to the left of C: that need removed, that will change this correct?

 

[SIW2]

Does he want to get rid of both of them? - too lazy to look back- whatever, Marionumber knows what to do already. Looks like he's using grub2.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Does he want to get rid of both of them? - too lazy to look back- whatever, Marionumber knows what to do already. Looks like he's using grub2.

I think he does, it would serve him better if he wiped and recovered both partitions into C:

 

[Marionumber1]

Okay, I'll wipe it. And in case of emergency, I got a Windows 7 repair disc and Ubuntu LiveCD.

 

[mjf]

I am puzzled. In your disk management snip I see the Recovery Partition as active partition. So the bootmgr must have somehow ended up there. I do not understand the Grub deal. The MBR should be pointing to the recovery partition.

It's the MBR boot code which determines what to do with the partition flagged active in the partition table.
I don't know much about Grub but I believe it can change the MBR code. So normal MBR booting may not apply.

Edit: I would not just delete the recovery partition without seeing what is inside it. Partition Wizard mini tool allows you to easily explore the recovery partition.
When you say "I'm using Grub2 in the MBR" what do you actually mean?

Dell routinely use the Recovery partition as active, system.

 

[SIW2]

No need to wipe anything - just delete the partitions before incorporating the unallocated space into your windows partition.

You would need a 3rd party partitioner for that - one made for windows.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

If he's going to recover 2 partitions to the left of C: into C: he's going to need a 3rd party SW, the best is the Partition Wizard boot disk and a wipe will only take a few minutes on factory recovery partitions and there's been instances of disk management not allowing a "Recovery" partition marked as active to be simply deleted, it had to be wiped first, he might as well save the trouble and just do the wipes.