Sugestion of Install with or whitout "system reserved partition" ?

[doctortonic]

Sugestion of Install with or whitout "system reserved partition" ?

Hello, I atached an printscreen to this thread with disk management.

Is there any advantages of this " hidden partition / system reserved " at all?

I will make a windows 7 reinstall and I am planning to install it in only one partition, without this 100 / 200 mb hidden partition, but I'm not entirely decided. What are the reasons should I left it there?

I currently dual boot windows xp / windows 7 from this hdd, and as for backup I use acronis to create system images so I do not intend or wish to use microsoft windows 7 backup, restore points, system restore etc.

Thank you in advance!


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[gregrocker]

Since there is no System Active flag on XP, if XP is booting then according to the screenshot SysReserved contains the boot files for XP as well.

In this case during reinstall of Win7 I would use Custom>Drive Options to delete SysReserved and Win7 partitions, create a partition in that space, then format and click Next to install.

Win7 should configure a Dual Boot menu during install. If not, afterwards install EasyBCD 2.02 to Win7 to Add XP, accept boot files, let it autocomplete, Save, Reboot to Dual Boot menu.

Is 30gb large enough for your Win7 install? I would want it larger myself. If you'd like to borrow some space from the data partition, use free Partition Wizard bootable CD to Resize E from the left by the amount you wish to increase C's size before the reinstall. Back up your data and be sure not to touch E during reinstall.

Tips for getting a perfect one: Reinstalling Windows 7

 

[theog]

Where did you buy your Windows 7 Enterprise from?

 

[doctortonic]

Since there is no System Active flag on XP, if XP is booting then according to the screenshot SysReserved contains the boot files for XP as well.

In this case during reinstall of Win7 I would use Custom>Drive Options to delete SysReserved and Win7 partitions, create a partition in that space, then format and click Next to install.

Win7 should configure a Dual Boot menu during install. If not, afterwards install EasyBCD 2.02 to Win7 to Add XP, accept boot files, let it autocomplete, Save, Reboot to Dual Boot menu.

Is 30gb large enough for your Win7 install? I would want it larger myself. If you'd like to borrow some space from the data partition, use free Partition Wizard bootable CD to Resize E from the left by the amount you wish to increase C's size before the reinstall. Back up your data and be sure not to touch E during reinstall.

Tips for getting a perfect one: Reinstalling Windows 7

Is there any other use of this hidden partition or is just for system restore / recovery disaster?
I am thinking that is usless for me in this case because I use acronis, or is there something I am missing?

Thank you a lot for the tip " EasyBCD ", I am already using this for making my life easy
First I installed winxp in the first partition (primary, active) because it's a little bit faster and I am using xp for Photoshop and some gaming and on my laptop it's seem's to be moving faster and to be more responsive(the delay opening menu's and start menu it's a lillte tweaked, plus just 380 mb ram used).

Then, the next partition wich was between win xp and data I maked active, and rebooted and booted the windows 7 setup dvd.
In this way win 7 did not known that I have another sys/winxp installed, I was afraid for not having systems files from win 7 in the win xp partition.
With setup I deleted the second partition and the setup created this 100 mb and the other partition wich is fine, but I consider it usless if it's only for recovery/backup propouse.

Yes, indeed, the hdd space seem's to be smaller for now, but I hope will be fine, I'm using xp for working and some gaming, and windows 7 just for internet related stuff, and acomodating with it. I have seen that some .mkv full hd movie was freezing/delaying between images, sound just with the divx codec installed and in xp was fine, but that is another story, maybe involves the video driver to and so on.

 

[doctortonic]

Where did you buy your Windows 7 Enterprise from?

I don't know if it dose help you, but I did not buyed my Windows 7 Enterprise.

I usually tend to use only original enterprise / corporate software and hardware because some of them seem's to be more reliable, but not in all cases.

My windows xp is also corporate edition and that is a legitimate copy from the university I worked in the past.


If you wish to get a original copy of Windows 7 Enterprise you can get it directly from Microsoft.

Here are two links, I got the image from the first link:

Windows 7 Enterprise | Trial, Evaluation, Test, Download

But it dose not have Service Pack1 installed and you will have to update the system and then install service pack1.
Or if you have a MDSN subscription you could download Windows 7 Enterprise with service pack 1 incorporated from here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/downloads/default.aspxhttp://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/cc442495

Anyway, you have the:

Filename: en_windows_7_enterprise_with_sp1_x86_dvd_u_677710.iso


and


SHA1: 4E0450AC73AB6F9F755EB422990CD9C7A1F3509C


To bad there isn't the md5 also.

 

[gregrocker]

I think the question should be how are you activating Enterprise on a reinstall. These Volume Licensing keys are controlled by SysOps for large organizations. Are they activating your reinstall for you?

System Reserved is the boot partition where the boot files are stored. It isn't needed unless you want it. You can leave it and just direct install to C partition and it should refresh the boot files on it now and preserved the Dual Boot, or you can remove it and write new System boot files to Win7 partition. If you do the latter you may need to add XP using EasyBCD from Win7.

 

[doctortonic]

Thank's for your answer, I will reinstall it with one partition only, whitout the hidden one.

I don't need to activate for reinstall. After I installed this version of Windows 7 Enterprise from the first link I gaved (with no service pack) I got 10 Day's for activate. If I will reinstall it again after this period expires, I will get another 10 days for activate. Anyway, after reinstalling, when the 10 day's expires I will rearm windows for another period. If this trick will not work, well then I figure out another one at the appropiate moment.

I am courious about windows 7 enterprise with service pack 1 if it's like this one, with 10 days for eval or has another mechanism, I think I will try the service pack 1 version with this reinstall.

 

[gregrocker]

If you do not have support from a SysOp who will activate Enterprise for you under a Volume Licensing Agreement with MS, then you should not be using Enterprise as it is not meant for consumers. Sorry.

I suggest buying Win7 Family 3 pack Home Premium Upgrades which is on sale now for about the price of a single license. These are three licenses that last for life.

 

[doctortonic]

If you do not have support from a SysOp who will activate Enterprise for you under a Volume Licensing Agreement with MS, then you should not be using Enterprise as it is not meant for consumers. Sorry.

I suggest buying Win7 Family 3 pack Home Premium Upgrades which is on sale now for about the price of a single license. These are three licenses that last for life.

My license should not be one of your concern, only if you do this for a living, as I am not a what you belive I am (regular casual consumer), because I fit perfectly in the enterprise / corporate market beside this, the family edition is to crippled and I can not fully bennefit from it as it's not exactly as my working enviroment requires. Maybe an ultimate edition will be just fine, but I don't have enough time to play with as I have to finish my Cisco exams.

My Kind Regards

 

[gregrocker]

You used up your Enterprise trial, it is not renewable, nor will a rearm work. Buy Win7.

 

[doctortonic]

You should not take it so personally, I am glad when someone help me and I do also help others, and sometimes I am doing it also as a volunteer. However I will soon have the service laptop provided/promised by Emerson. With enterprise edition.