Win7 installation boots into recovery partition?!

[gregrocker]

Why did you do it this way ?? to actually kinda make your own win7 recovery partition ??

plus was this a fresh FULL clean install or an upgrade ??

Just wondering as im dealing with something like this at the moment and trying to come up with some idea's for something to work for what i need / trying to do.

If you are trying to make a custom recovery partition for Win7, it is easy to do.

Just type backup into the start box, in the Backup Center click "Create an Image" and see how much space it wants for a recov image by clicking DVD choice temporarily.

Then go into Disk Management and shrink partition(s) to create a new one formatted primary. Now when you refresh "Create an Image" utility it will show that partition as a drive to save your recovery image.

Be sure to copy the Recov image to an external source in case of HDD failure.

If you need to reimage your HDD (or a replacement) boot into the Win7 installer or Repair disk and "Recover Using an Image" which will find the image in the HDD drive or external and reimage your HDD flawlessly in 15 minutes.

 

[SIW2]

I think they may be looking for a bootable recovery partition - that is reliable.

 

[gregrocker]

You know of one?

How is this superior to booting from the installer and having Repair console detect the recovery image on a drive or external, then reimage that or another HDD?

 

[SIW2]

They all do it afaik Paragon, Macrium , Acronis , etc.

Boot straight in and recover.

Somewhat similar to the oem recovery partitions - except you have your own images on there.

The programs are superior to the Windows one as well, imo.

They also do this:

A bootable archive is created by adding a special bootable section when backing up the data to CD/DVDs. Thus you will be able to restore the data from these archives by simply booting from these CD/DVDs.

 

[gregrocker]

They all do it afaik Paragon, Macrium , Acronis , etc.

Boot straight in and recover.

Somewhat similar to the oem recovery partitions - except you have your own images on there.

The programs are superior to the Windows one as well, imo.

They also do this:

A bootable archive is created by adding a special bootable section when backing up the data to CD/DVDs. Thus you will be able to restore the data from these archives by simply booting from these CD/DVDs.

Do you suggest deleting recov partition after making these disks, before installing 7?

OP here seems to have a recov part sitting on his boot sector which is not allowing to delete, possibly because it is locked. He thinks it is booting into this part.

Would forcing delete using diskpart or EISA override delete, then allow him to move active Vista onto that space and recover the boot by Win7 startup repair?

 

[SIW2]

Curious error.

Probably worth deleting the oem partition if the OP doesn't want it.
Diskpart override should do the job.

Depending on the construction the oem has chosen - PW may be able to do it - from the boot cd - not by starting it from within Windows.

Gparted may also do it.

 

[Lazume]

A big thank you to everyone who has been helping. The problem was solved by using the Diskpart override command. The OEM recovery partition has to be deleted for it to work. This problem is solved!

A note to those who wants to dual-boot Vista and 7--if your computer keeps booting to the OEM recovery partition, do this:

Reinstall Windows 7 again and take advantage of a boot menu that shows up in the middle of the installation in order to boot to Vista.

Then go to Vista, use diskpart override to delete recovery.

And then reinstall 7!

 

[SIW2]

You have Gateway with a vista rec partition - according to your specs.

Don't suppose you checked the partition type, before deleting it?

 

[Lazume]

You have Gateway with a vista rec partition - according to your specs.

Yes, Vista OEM.

Don't suppose you checked the partition type, before deleting it?

It's an NTFS...

 

[gregrocker]

Did you leave unallocated space where the recov partition was, or use Partition Wizard to extend Vista over into that space?

This is what you will also do when you want to get rid of Vista: use Partition Wizard to Mark Win7 active, delete Vista part, rightclick>Move/Resize Win7 sliding it's border over to include deleted Vista + Recov. unallocated space.

Then run Startup Repair 3 times.

 

[BSkiLLs]

No they do not. You can still use them just fine.

Done it before this on other OS's like xp and systems and just did it again now with 4 of my HP's. Upgraded to win7 and everything works fine. recovery partition is still there and works. i just reformatted back to vista using both of them and then back to win7 upgrade as well.

Is that true?
http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/36516-not-able-install-windows-7-64-bit.html

First I've heard of it. Maybe a reason to keep recov partition for awhile for quicker rollback to Vista just in case. But making recov disks accomplishes the same thing. And Vista doesn't need to be on it to do a reinstall of Win7 upgrade.

The problem with OP here is that the Recov partition is sitting on his HDD's boot sector and acting like a system drive, even booting into the recov. Solution seems to be to force delete it using Diskpart or EISA locked partition override commands given, then use PW to extend Vista into that space, run Win7 Startup repair 3 times to rewrite MBR.

Yup exactly on both parts. For the backup if he is imaging it and it being on the same boot sector.

Also with the vista expo.

Yeah it stays there and doesn't mess with the recov drive at all. unless you do it yourself and wipe it out first but.. it will always been there. the upgrade doesn't effect it at all. so you can roll back to vista as said. plus yes can also use or create the recovery disc's as well. it normally asks you during first start up right after to go ahead and burn them. plus there is a program in the program menu to also do it later if needed.

I mentioned to him i think it was in a reply email about maybe doing it with an image software as like im going to do right after the clean upgrade install. that way the programs i advised him with and delete all on a partition he created and/or also wipe out the partition or create one if he wanted to.

NOTE: If he uses one he will also have to back up / image the recovery drive as well along with his C drive or once he restore whether its by a bootable disc or just the recovery file the program creates it will then wipe out the recovery drive if he doesn't back it up on that same backup image.

Im actually doing it where it doesn't do that though, and im only backinup the C and restoring the C if needed so im like back at a fresh clean upgrade install. (with the factory recov partition there as well still)