HP laptop has used up all four primary partitions

[Marrea]

gregrocker

Many thanks indeed for all the extra information you have provided, which I have taken note of.

I have actually had experience of Revo Uninstaller before on my desktop PC. Had to download it to get rid of a particularly stubborn Adobe program which refused to disappear via Windows Uninstall.

 

[whs]

gregrocker

Many thanks indeed for all the extra information you have provided, which I have taken note of.

I have actually had experience of Revo Uninstaller before on my desktop PC. Had to download it to get rid of a particularly stubborn Adobe program which refused to disappear via Windows Uninstall.

Just be aware that the free Revo works only on the x86 program files. Programs that are in the x64 program files cannot be uninstalled with free Revo - for that you need the Pro version.

 

[gregrocker]

Just be aware that the free Revo works only on the x86 program files. Programs that are in the x64 program files cannot be uninstalled with free Revo - for that you need the Pro version.

Thanks for the reminder Wolfgang.

Would you recommend using CCleaner for 64 bit uninstalls? Or just Windows uninstaller?

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.

If PW CD can't do it, then Perfect Disk 10 trial version is what I use to move System files: Offline Defrag, rightclick partition, select System files.

 

[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 thought I would have a go at this before carrying out my proposed Windows reinstallation just to see if I can actually get to the programs on the discs.

Not very successful so far I'm afraid. The first video says to download the automated installation kit for Windows Vista SP1 and that we will be told why he chose that one later. But then he doesn't explain why! Because I have Windows 7 I downloaded the automated installation kit for Windows 7. Unfortunately this version of the installation kit does not have a wimfltr.inf file in C:\Program Files\WindowsAIK\Tools\amd64 so I was not able to right-click on it and install.

However I carried on (thinking that maybe the wimfltr.inf file was already installed and ready to go in the Windows 7 version of the automated installation kit). I added the WIM tools folder to the system variables PATH rather than the user variables, as there was no PATH listed for the latter.

I copied all the base*.wim files from the four recovery DVDs' preload folders plus the base.wim file from the first DVD into a folder on my hard drive. But then after cd'ing into that folder and running the command:

imagex /export /ref *.wim base.wim 1 exported.wim "exported"

I received an error message:

'imagex' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

So, should I in fact have downloaded the AIK for Windows Vista SP1, even though I am running Windows 7?

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Download details: Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008

 

[Marrea]

Download details: Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008

I take it this is confirmation that I should in fact have downloaded the Vista SP1/Server 2008 AIK program, the supported operating systems for which are listed as:

• Windows Vista
• Windows Vista Service Pack 1
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 with KB926044
• Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2
• Windows XP Service Pack 2 with KB926044

even though I am running Windows 7? Very confusing. Is there a reason why the Windows 7 AIK program is not the one to use?

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello again, I wasn't confirming or denying, I just looked up the link for you.



The only time I've used the Windows AIK was for this.

Windows 7 Universal Installation Disc - Create

 

[Marrea]

OK, I have now replaced the Windows 7 AIK with the Vista SP1 AIK and installed the wimfltr.inf file.

But now when I run the command:

imagex /export /ref *.wim base.wim 1 exported.wim "exported"

It gets as far as

Progress: 70%, 21 secs remaining

Then it halts with

Error exporting image #1.
The system cannot find the file specified.

So what is the image #1 file it is looking for? Is there supposed to be a base1.wim file? On my first DVD I have a base.wim file and then it goes straight to base2.wim. Or is the image #1 referring to the "1" immediately before "exported.wim" in the initial command? I'm afraid I know nothing about imagex at all so I don't really understand the syntax of the command.

 

[Marrea]

While waiting to see if anyone could enlighten me on the "Error exporting image #1" problem, I have been spending some time reading about the imagex commands and syntax but I am none the wiser. It is all far too complicated. I am still not entirely clear about the connection between the command

imagex /export /ref *.wim base.wim 1 exported.wim "exported"

and the syntax

imagex [flags] /export src_file src_number src_name dest_file dest_name

I am thinking that:

/ref is the [flag], being used because there are multiple files
*.wim and base.wim are the src_files, the asterisk indicating that all files ending in .wim are to be referenced
1 is the src_number
exported.wim is the dest_file
"exported" is the dest_name

So we seem to have a src_name missing?

From the lack of replies, I have assumed that no one else has come across "Error exporting image #1". As I have absolutely no idea how to resolve the problem using imagex I have instead downloaded 7-Zip to extract the base.wim file. It took over an hour to do this and at the end produced a list of diagnostic messages which reported data errors in 38 files and that the files were broken. Again, I have no idea what to do about that.

However, from the extracted wim.base file I now have five folders called "1", "2", "3", "4" and "Files", plus one file called "1" which is an XML document.

In folder "2", there is a "SwSetup" folder which contains a "CyberDVD" folder. The CyberDVD folder contains two folders, "Stage 1" and "Stage 2", and two files "CyberLink DVD Suite.cva" and "Setup". If I click on "Setup" the installation starts but, as I already have the Suite installed and I didn't know if running it again would mess it up, I pressed Cancel. So I have no idea whether it would complete the installation if I did it for real on a fresh installation of Windows 7.

I am just wondering whether my best course of action would be simply to back up the complete SwSetup folder from my current HP installed Windows system (ie from Windows Explorer) and hope I can reinstall any programs I want from that following my own fresh Windows installation.

 

[gregrocker]

That's what I would do.

Have no idea why you are running into such problems extracting the program from Recov Disks as others haven't reported any.

 

[Marrea]

Well I created the DVDs using HP's Recovery Manager, so they were created with whatever program that uses. I simply inserted the blank discs when prompted and let it get on with it!

 

[Marrea]

Just to let you know that I have decided (for the present at least) to take the easy way out. I have a Macrium Reflect backup of the entire hard drive, and a separate Macrium Reflect backup of the D: Recovery Partition on its own, plus my Recovery DVDs - so hopefully I am covered for all eventualities should disaster strike.

Today I deleted the D: Recovery Partition and, using Disk Management in Windows, created two partitions in the newly available free space (to which I added a little extra by shrinking the C: partition slightly), one for Linux root and one for Linux swap, and have just finished installing Ubuntu 10.04.

I may well at some stage in the future attempt a complete fresh installation of Windows 7 but the set-up I have now is quite satisfactory.

Many thanks to all of you for your help.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello again Marrea.





Glad to see you found a suitable solution and thanks for the update.

 

[Marrea]

Just one slightly bizarre thing. Following the installation of Ubuntu, Windows Disk Management now shows five primary partitions, although it was previously showing the extended partition containing the two logicals. Ubuntu itself however correctly shows the right partitioning. See screenshots below. Anyone else come across this before?


Originally correctly showing extended partition with two logicals


Following installation of Ubuntu, incorrectly showing five primary partitions


However, Ubuntu shows correct partitioning

 

[madtownidiot]

Yes....
That's because windows doesn't recognize file systems other that FAT FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS, and sees all other partition formats as free space, even if there's a fully functional operating system
Ubuntu, however, uses the EXT file system, and can be expanded to work with almost all other file systems.

In other words, Windows sees Ubuntu as unformatted free space, and since Mr. Gates doesn't want any competition, Windows refuses to play nice with other operating systems, in the hopes that people like you will see that "free space", format it, and in the process, erase the linux installation that now has the MBR.. in the further hope that people like you will then blame ubuntu for wrecking your computer

 

[gregrocker]

It's now showing 2 Primary Partitions where the Extended Logical was, which is interesting since Ubuntu contradicts it as shown.

I would use free Partition Wizard bootable CD to get the second opinion, as it is the best partition manager we have.

 

[madtownidiot]

It's now showing 2 Primary Partitions where the Extended Logical was, which is interesting since Ubuntu contradicts it as shown.

I would use free Partition Wizard bootable CD to get the second opinion, as it is the best partition manager we have.

Supported File System - Partition Wizard Help

partition wizard only supports windows file systems.

Ubuntu uses EXT2/EXT3/EXT4 and SWAP file system formats in its partitions, which partition wizard will only see as free space.

 

[gregrocker]

Well it's gotta be Disk Mgmt error, which is likely given it doesn't like the Ubuntu format.

Disk Mgmt can even be wrong in Windows, which is why I use PW as a second opinion. It's CD version is almost always correct but can also differ from PW Windows version.

I was thinking OP might try emailing the guy who posted the video on extracting HP programs from Recov disks as he might have a workaround or answer to the probs you were experiencing.

My only experience with WAIK is avoiding its install in Vlite by installing newer version over old one before slipstreaming drivers/apps into Win7/Vista. Why this only takes 2-3 minutes tops while downloading WAIK takes hours is perplexing.

 

[madtownidiot]

On top of that.. it's possible windows can't even detect a swapfile partition.. (swap is the linux equivalent of the windows pagefile)

 

[Marrea]

Right, here we go. This is what Partition Wizard shows. As you will see, it correctly identifies the three primary and two logical partitions:



Therefore I think we can assume that it is Windows Disk Management which is up the creek.

Interestingly, Disk Management on my separate Win XP/Linux multiboot desktop computer, although not able to identify the Linux file systems, does at least correctly show the extended partition containing the logicals.



The only difference being that on my desktop I created the partitions with Partition Magic and on my laptop I created them with Disk Management.

… and in the process, erase the linux installation that now has the MBR..

Not a scenario I am familiar with, thank goodness. I’ve been using Linux for about seven years and I never, ever, let it take control of the MBR in a dual/multi boot situation with Windows. I always put Grub on the Linux root partition.

I was thinking OP might try emailing the guy who posted the video on extracting HP programs from Recov disks as he might have a workaround or answer to the probs you were experiencing.

I’m not really bothered about pursuing this further at the moment quite honestly. The only pre-installed software I really wanted was the CyberLink DVD Suite and, as I haven’t hosed my system, I still have that. I’ve uninstalled most of the other programs. I’m not interested in Works as I have Microsoft Office 2010. As a personal secretary by profession I simply must have my MS Office.