HP laptop has used up all four primary partitions

[Marrea]

Hi

I’ve just bought a new laptop - an HP G62 with Windows 7 Home Premium preinstalled - on which I had been hoping to dual boot Linux. Imagine my dismay then when I discovered that HP in their wisdom have used up all four primary partitions as follows:

1. System 199MB
2. (C 219GB
3. (D Recovery 13.56GB
4. (E HP Tools 103MB

I am seriously considering therefore whether to reinstall Windows 7 from scratch and partition the drive the way I want it, rather than the way HP thinks I want it. As I assume there is no way of extracting the Windows operating system from the files on the recovery partition, I need to give some thought to how to achieve this.

I already have a desktop computer with Windows 7 Home Premium, for which I have the proper MS installation DVD. Both the desktop computer and the new laptop have OEM product IDs in the form of xxxxx-OEM-xxxxxxx-xxxxx, so would it work if I used the desktop’s DVD to do a fresh installation on the HP laptop - but obviously enter the laptop’s Windows Serial Number? Would MS accept that when I activate the installation? I realise of course I would need to download all the necessary hardware drivers for the laptop from the HP site as I assume they too are not separately extractable from the recovery partition. Don’t these computer manufacturers make life hard for us!!

I have created my own Recovery Discs using HP’s Recovery Manager, so I am not bothered about losing the recovery partition. I should be extremely grateful for any comments on my proposed way of proceeding. In the meantime I am having to make do by running Ubuntu 10.04 on VirtualBox in Windows.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello Marrea, welcome to Seven Forums!



As you have created the HP Recovery Disks and I assume you have everything backed-up that you want to save from the lappy. Have a look at these tutorials at the links below, to first, over-write everything on the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) so that you have the best possible space to install Windows 7 to and then do a clean install to that space.

You can use the activation key on the sticker attached to the PC to activate the new install though you may have to activate by phone.


SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Clean Install Windows 7

Activate Windows 7 by Phone

 

[Joan Archer]

Hi Ted wanted to rep you for your help and the tutorials you've done but it told me I had to spread it around, I don't think I've ever repped you, I don't do it very often and the last time I did was back in June.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hi Ted wanted to rep you for your help and the tutorials you've done but it told me I had to spread it around, I don't think I've ever repped you, I don't do it very often and the last time I did was back in June.

That's ok Joan, it's the thought that counts!

 

[gregrocker]

Yes you can use the retail Premium installer to clean reinstall to overcome the factory bloatware and repartition as you want. The Product Key on COA sticker is a batch key, so it requires the robocall to MS to sort out the actual key but I have done it many times and it always completes activation.

If you have favorite apps you want to extract from the HP recovery disks like WOrks, then you can use this method: http://www.sevenforums.com/installa...are-after-clean-win-7-install.html#post488270

The installer is mostly driver-complete, with newer arriving quickly via optional Windows Updates. Any drivers then missing in Device Manager can be found on the Support Downloads webpage for your model computer or device. I would not change any drivers given by installer/Updates unless performance dictates. Put your wireless or ethernet driver on a flash stick so if necessary you can get online quickly.

Install programs slowly over time to gauge performance after each. Don't let any programs write themselves into msconfig>Startup as they become freeloaders on your RAM/CPU and can spy on you. I only allow AV and gadgets.

Use a lightweight free AV like MS Security Essentials which works perfectly with Windows 7 Firewall.

When it is finished, clean and order the HD perfectly using state-of-the-art free CCleaner then Auslogics Disk and Registry defraggers monthly.

Then save a Win7 Backup image externally so you never have to reinstall again, just reimage the HD or replacement using DVD or Repair CD.

 

[Marrea]

Bare Foot Kid (many thanks for the welcome) and gregrocker

Just to say how extremely grateful I am to you both for providing such detailed information, which is really, really helpful. I am now going to study it all carefully before proceeding.

One thing I’m slightly concerned about. If I repartition and reinstall and then for some reason later decide I want to go back to the original set-up which came with the laptop when new, are the HP recovery discs able to recreate the original four partitions again, or will they simply fail if they find the partitioning has been changed?

 

[gregrocker]

Recovery Disks should recreate your partitioning as it came from factory since they are often needed when a HD is replaced.

Since this concerns you, I would also save externally a Win7 backup image of all drives so that you have another method. By booting the DVD Repair console or Repair CD you can reimage your HD in 15 minutes.

Then after your clean install and setup save another Win7 Backup image so you have "Before" and "After." To keep imaging utility from possibly overwriting the "Before" image, place it in a folder with another name. WindowsImageBackup files must be in the root of the external or secondary HD (and named only that) to be detected by Win7 backup imaging.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html

 

[Marrea]

gregrocker

Once again I am indebted to you.

I have a lot to get my head round here. I have done a large number of Windows XP installations and a couple of Windows 7 installations (and also numerous Linux installations!) but they have all been fairly simple set-ups and I didn't run into any major problems with any of them. But what I am hoping to do this time round is rather different so I need to take a bit of time to fully understand it all. However I enjoy a challenge and it's good to learn more about computer configurations in the process.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello again.





Take your time and do the research before you start, just remember to post back to keep us informed.

 

[Marrea]

Take your time and do the research before you start, just remember to post back to keep us informed.

Will do - although it may be a little while before I get back to you!

 

[Marrea]

If you have favorite apps you want to extract from the HP recovery disks like WOrks, then you can use this method: http://www.sevenforums.com/installa...are-after-clean-win-7-install.html#post488270

gregrocker

I have had a look at the two videos and it seems an incredibly complicated and lengthy procedure.

This is probably a silly question but is it not possible somehow to copy folders from my present C:\SwSetup directory and then paste them somewhere - not too sure where - into my fresh install of Windows 7 (once I get round to attempting it that is) and run the various Windows Installers? Or is that a complete no no?

One program I would definitely like to try and keep is the CyberLink DVD Suite, but unfortunately HP do not seem to offer this as a download for my particular laptop on their support website.

 

[gregrocker]

I always back up SWsetup to save time reinstalling drivers. But I don't know if any HP system utilities you may want are in there. The only thing I would want off of the Recov disks myself is Works, which I already have. You may want to use the extraction method to get Cyberlink off of them.

 

[Marrea]

You may want to use the extraction method to get Cyberlink off of them.

OK, thanks. I'll probably give that a try. It just struck me as rather excessive having to download the entire Windows Automated Installation Kit to do this when all that is needed (I believe) is imagex and WIM driver.

 

[whs]

Since I am a lazy guy, I would not go thru all that trouble. I would backup the content of the tools partition, delete that partition and create a new extended partition. Then you can make many additional logical partitions. You can then still move the tools stuff back into one of those partitions.

Another alternative would be to delete the recovery partition. But that is a less attractive solution because you can never be sure whether the recovery DVDs that you burnt do really work. It is always reassuring to have the recovery partition as a backup. You could, of course, create an image of your system (even on DVD). Then you would have an extra backup.

And if you have difficulties doing that with Disk Management (which in principle should work), use this program. Especially the bootable CD version is handy to have.

 

[Marrea]

whs

Yes, but the Tools partition is only 103 MB in size so surely that is an absolute non-starter for creating an extended partition in? :huh:

If I deleted the Recovery partition (13.56 GB in size) that would make enough free space to create an extended partition with two logicals to install Linux in. And, if Disk Management/Diskpart permitted it, I could also shrink the adjacent C: partition to make even more space for the extended partition. However, I have had problems in the past using Disk Management to shrink C: partitions. Sometimes, depending on immovable system files on that partition, there is a limit to how much you can shrink.

So far I have created the HP recovery DVDs plus a Macrium Reflect image backup of the entire drive so hopefully one at least of these will work should I need them.

Thanks for the link to Partition Wizard. I had not heard of this program before.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Thanks for the link to Partition Wizard. I had not heard of this program before.

Have a look at these then.


Partition : Recover Space Used by an Older OS

Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD

 

[whs]

whs

Yes, but the Tools partition is only 103 MB in size so surely that is an absolute non-starter for creating an extended partition in? :huh:

If I deleted the Recovery partition (13.56 GB in size) that would make enough free space to create an extended partition with two logicals to install Linux in. And, if Disk Management/Diskpart permitted it, I could also shrink the adjacent C: partition to make even more space for the extended partition. However, I have had problems in the past using Disk Management to shrink C: partitions. Sometimes, depending on immovable system files on that partition, there is a limit to how much you can shrink.

So far I have created the HP recovery DVDs plus a Macrium Reflect image backup of the entire drive so hopefully one at least of these will work should I need them.

Thanks for the link to Partition Wizard. I had not heard of this program before.

My point was slightly different. I wanted to get you off the 4 primaries so that you could create an extended partition. Whether you did that then with the 103MBs and then shrunk more space off the C partition or whether you started with space off the C partition right away would not have mattered. The problem at hand was that you were stuck with the 4 primaries.
The problem with the Disk Management not being able to shrink beyond the MFT sitting in the middle of the partition can be overcome with Partition Wizard.

 

[gregrocker]

Tips for Cleaning Up Factory Bloatware

Clean Up Factory Bloatware

 

[Marrea]

Have a look at these then.


Partition : Recover Space Used by an Older OS

Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD

Bare Foot Kid

Cheers. I'll read through those articles.

 

[Marrea]

My point was slightly different. I wanted to get you off the 4 primaries so that you could create an extended partition. Whether you did that then with the 103MBs and then shrunk more space off the C partition or whether you started with space off the C partition right away would not have mattered. The problem at hand was that you were stuck with the 4 primaries.

Ah right. Sorry, I misunderstood.

The problem with the Disk Management not being able to shrink beyond the MFT sitting in the middle of the partition can be overcome with Partition Wizard.

Thanks. I'm just about to study the articles on Partition Wizard.