Need to delete the Boot/system tools partition

[ElectricRider]

I see I have two partitions. Disk 1 is a small 99 MB partition with boot info and system info/tools whatever on it. Disk 2 is the main partition with Win 7 installed. I find myself needing another partition and since i can only have 4 Primary partitions, and windows is hogging 2 of them, i don't think this is fair and I want it back

So er.. i want to merge disk 1 with disk 2 somehow and get the ability to create a new primary partition back.. Windows is of course already installed and currently, I'd rather not uninstall it if possible.. Is there a way to do this?

 

[seavixen32]

One of Brink's tutorials is what you need: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71363-system-reserved-partition-delete.html

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello.


Removing the Windows 7 System Reserved partition is a very bad idea, sometime OEM manufacturers place important data there, needed to restore the PC back to 'factory' settings if the need ever arises.

Start with a look through Method Two of this tutorial linked below for some information and post a snip of disk mamagement for us to look at for you and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.

Partition / Extended : Logical Drives

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   Information

Before we make any specific recommendations will you please post a snip/screen-shot of the entire Windows 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
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[theog]

   Information

We always assume you have made your Recovery Disks using the OEM manufacturer's app the first day you had your new PC.
& made the Startup Repair CD​

.

First make your HP Recovery Disks.

How to make HP Recovery DVD disks:
Recover Windows Vista Operating System Using HP Recovery - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

How to make HP Recovery USB disk:
Creating a Recovery Disk on a USB Flash Disk HP Pavilion dv6700z CTO Entertainment Notebook PC - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

or
You can Order HP Recovery Disks from here:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsuppor...ortFAQ&prodSeriesId=4247485&prodTypeId=321957

 

[ElectricRider]

Thanks for the fast answers guys. I do have factory installed backups and also a new ghost type image from yesterday. if i have a big crash it's no big deal to reinstall.. BUT

The drive image was made with Windows Imaging built in tool. Since then I shrank the drive for windows 7 to make room for two more primary partitions. If I had a problem and had to reinstall, would I be able to image the system back to this now smaller partition?

Also.. assuming this does work with no problems.. I suppose I will have to make another ghost image.. because if I then use the one I made yesterday, it will want to put the system partition back in wouldn't it?

Oh yeah the size of this partition is 199 not 99 MB, it's using 35 MB's.

 

[gregrocker]

Are the two 25gb Primary partitions empty as shown in listings?

It's possible one is the REcovery partition, so try making your Recovery Disks now per Theog's post to see if it generates the disks which means one of those partitions is Recovery and not marked as such.

Otherwise you can browse into the partitions using Disk Mgmt or free Partition Wizard bootable CD to see what is on them. If there is nothing, you can delete them and create a third partition which Disk mgmt will make Logical Extended so you can then add as many partitions as you want.

Partition Wizard should unhide the partition contents for you, but Disk mgmt may not so go Control Panel>Folder Options>View to unhide Hidden and System files to be sure.

 

[ElectricRider]

Are the two 25gb Primary partitions empty as shown in listings?

It's possible one is the REcovery partition, so try making your Recovery Disks now per Theog's post to see if it generates the disks which means one of those partitions is Recovery and not marked as such.

Otherwise you can browse into the partitions using Disk Mgmt or free Partition Wizard bootable CD to see what is on them. If there is nothing, you can delete them and create a third partition which Disk mgmt will make Logical Extended so you can then add as many partitions as you want.

I also use Partition Wizard, have since ver 5 and I like it much better than Disk Mgmt. I use the bootable CD version.

No, those are being incorrectly reported as empty. They contain a wonderful PC-BSD operating system, one called Hubble and the other called Isotope. ( shameless plug)

Thats why I need another partition. The trypes of OS's I install can only be used with primary partitions, not extended partitions.

 

[dsperber]

Since then I shrank the drive for windows 7 to make room for two more primary partitions.

Just a thought...

Use Partition Wizard CD to change C-partition from primary to logical (full 182GB space per your screenshot). It's got 152GB free right now.

Then shrink it (also using PW) from 182GB to say 80GB.

That gives you free space for a new 100GB logical partition, just to the right of the C logical partition. Use PW to create the new logical partition in that space.

Win7 can be on a logical partition. Doesn't have to be on a primary partition.

Am I wrong? Anybody see a flaw in this plan? Perhaps Boot Manager (in System Partition) will need to be told about the fact that bootable Win7 is now in a logical partition, instead of the 2nd primary partition, but that seems doable.

 

[gregrocker]

In that case I'd use PW CD to convert Win7 OS partition to Logical Extended, which will work since it is booting off the 199mb SysReserved partition. Any subsequent OS's installed to a Logical subpartition will likely place their boot files on SysReserved.

If Logical is not practical for the type of OS you want to install, then you can remove the Sys Reserved partition along with any OEM tools it may contain which you don't need if you are not relying on useless factory utilities and using the better versions built into Win7.

To remove the System Reserved partition, backup your files and save a backup image of it along with Win7 so you have a path back. Then delete it with PW CD, Resize Win7 into its space to take advantage of the lower address for faster read/writes, mark Win7 partition Active, boot the DVD Repair console or Repair CD to run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times or until WIn7 starts on its own.

You can then shrink to make a fourth Primary partition using PW CD.

 

[ElectricRider]

Is it possible to cheat even more, by using getting rid of the system primary partition, set up another primary for another os, create with some unused space in that an extended logical partition for windows 7? This would give me 4 primaries for other OS's besides windows which would be stuck off in an extended logicall connected to one of the primaries.

I have no reason to do that ATM, just want to know if that's possible because I may need it in the future.

Tell me more about the lower address space.. you mean the space the System partition is in now? It's going to be faster than the last 25 gig OS just because of where it is placed?

If this is the case, I may want to install Isotope in that slot because it is not as optimized as well as windows for speed, and I may get some performance gain.

You see, I have been using Windows since 3.1, Windows for workgroups and swore to myself I wanted to learn something new, (besides my adventures with Linux) so PC-BSD (Hubble and Isotope) got my vote and I really like it. I'm thinking of only using Win 7 for games and use the PC-BSD's for a while for all other things. but if would be nice if they were a lil faster.

 

[dsperber]

Is it possible to cheat even more, by using getting rid of the system primary partition, set up another primary for another os, create with some unused space in that an extended logical partition for windows 7? This would give me 4 primaries for other OS's besides windows which would be stuck off in an extended logicall connected to one of the primaries.

Sorry... I hadn't seen your later post where you described your intent for the additional partition, which was to install yet another OS. I had originally read that you wanted another partition, strictly for data.

However as Greg points out, it is likely that the other OS would want yet another primary partition.

Now, the one or more (i.e. any number) logical partitions you create all fit inside of one "extended partition". However that extended partition is, itself, one of the four allowed primary partitions.

So if you want any number of logical partitions (and, as I said before, Win7 has no problem being installed into a logical partition) you must have the one "extended partition" present as one of your four primary partitions, thus leaving only three real primary partitions for other use.

And since there must be a primary partition as "active" (that's your current 199MB System Reserved partition) where boot manager goes, that leaves only two remaining primary partitions available, which you've already got allocated and in use.

Having said that, it seems that Greg's suggestion of moving the boot manager files over to the Win7 system partition (retained as primary, not changed to logical, since the "active" boot partition MUST be primary) which will require that you also change it to "active" so that the BIOS boots there, which you can do with PW CD. You'd resize the Win7 partition and move it to the right, and then you resize the small 199MB partition to its left to pick up the space freed up by the resize/move of the Win7 partition to the right.

And that will give you your fourth primary partition, in what is currently the System Reserved partition... but enlarged. And the Win7 partition remains primary and becomes "active", and shrinks and moves to the right to free up space to give to the System Reserved partition to its left, for your new OS.

All with PW CD. Win7 System Repair can transplant the boot manager files over to the newly "active" Win7 partition, in the absence of System Reserved.

Should work.

 

[gregrocker]

If you delete SysReserved and create a Fourth Primary partition using PW (only), you will not be allowed to have a Logical Extended which must be created as the fourth or less partition.

Disk Mgmt should offer Logical as fourth, while PW will create Logical at any time until there are four Primary partitions when it will refuse.

If offered Dynamic - which is used to span partitions on multiple HD's - do not accept it.

The additional speed gained from having OS in the lowest address (left side) of HD where the disk reader parks is small but we still like to Resize the OS that direction if an opportunity arises, and PW makes it as easy as dragging the grey slider bar.

Be aware if you're booting with GRUB on the same HD that we see Win7 corrupted irreparably by GRUB fairly often here. It's always best if possible to put OS's on separate HD's booted via BIOS boot order and one-time BIOS Boot menu key, not GRUB or even Windows boot manager. This keeps HD's independent to come and go as you please.

 

[ElectricRider]

Got it. Thanks again for all the info folks. Sorry I haven't been around in a couple of days, been busy with PC-BSD.

 

[seavixen32]

You're welcome. Please mark the thread as resolved if you get a moment to spare. Thanks.