create bootable/recovery CD, and also carve partions into C drive?

[Guest]

I have an external Maxtor USB drive with a couple partitions on it. I use
Redux software to automatically update daily/weekly images of my C (system)
drive to the two Maxtor drive partitions. But I need something to boot from
in the event of a problem with my C drive. This HP pavilion desktop machine
does not appear to have anything so straightforward as "create emergency
recovery disk on CD." In fact, HP Help documentation on my machine suggested
that because there was a manufacturer installed D: recovery partition, that
it was unnecessary to create a removable recovery disk. (I guess this would
be my first option in the event of failure: boot from the D partition, then
copy from the Maxtor image back onto the C drive. But I'd still like to have
a bootable CD in case something really ugly happens.)

Also, in a similar fashion to what I did on the external Maxtor drive, I'd
like to carve this internal C drive into a couple partitions, but can't seem
to do that under Computer Management/Disk Management -- presumably because
I've booted from C. I imagine if I could boot from an alternate drive (such
as a CD recovery disk), that perhaps I could safely(?) allocate unused space
on the C drive into another partition. Is that correct?

So here's what I'm thinking, if someone can help understand how to create a
bootable CD from my existing system: A) in the event of disaster to my C
drive, I could boot from the CD, locate the external backup image on the
Maxtor and copy from it back to the C drive. And seperately B) I could carve
up some of that unused extra space on my C drive and use it for something
else (such as a backup copy of my laptop's C drive).

I'd appreciate any confirmation (or correction) of my thinking, and any
expert advice on how to accomplish what I've described. Thanks much!

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

The only way you can create, delete, resize or merge existing partitions,
and not harm your existing Windows XP installation, is to purchase and use
a third-party partitioning program such as Partition Magic 8.0
http://www.powerquest.com/partitionmagic/

HP Pavilions that ship with Microsoft Windows XP do
not come with Recovery CDs. Instead, they use a hidden
space (partition) on the hard drive to store the recovery
information.

Read the following article thoroughly, then follow
the steps outlined to perform a "non-destructive"
recovery operation if required:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...docname=bph07145&product=71013&dlc=en&lang=en

If a "non-destructive" recovery will not work, then you'll have
to resort to a "destructive recovery" which will reformat the
drive, thus wiping it clean of all files before Windows XP is
reinstalled.

Obtaining HP Recovery CDs
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...3&lang=en&cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&docname=bph07143

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I have an external Maxtor USB drive with a couple partitions on it. I use
| Redux software to automatically update daily/weekly images of my C (system)
| drive to the two Maxtor drive partitions. But I need something to boot from
| in the event of a problem with my C drive. This HP pavilion desktop machine
| does not appear to have anything so straightforward as "create emergency
| recovery disk on CD." In fact, HP Help documentation on my machine suggested
| that because there was a manufacturer installed D: recovery partition, that
| it was unnecessary to create a removable recovery disk. (I guess this would
| be my first option in the event of failure: boot from the D partition, then
| copy from the Maxtor image back onto the C drive. But I'd still like to have
| a bootable CD in case something really ugly happens.)
|
| Also, in a similar fashion to what I did on the external Maxtor drive, I'd
| like to carve this internal C drive into a couple partitions, but can't seem
| to do that under Computer Management/Disk Management -- presumably because
| I've booted from C. I imagine if I could boot from an alternate drive (such
| as a CD recovery disk), that perhaps I could safely(?) allocate unused space
| on the C drive into another partition. Is that correct?
|
| So here's what I'm thinking, if someone can help understand how to create a
| bootable CD from my existing system: A) in the event of disaster to my C
| drive, I could boot from the CD, locate the external backup image on the
| Maxtor and copy from it back to the C drive. And seperately B) I could carve
| up some of that unused extra space on my C drive and use it for something
| else (such as a backup copy of my laptop's C drive).
|
| I'd appreciate any confirmation (or correction) of my thinking, and any
| expert advice on how to accomplish what I've described. Thanks much!

 

[D.Currie]

I have an external Maxtor USB drive with a couple partitions on it. I use
Redux software to automatically update daily/weekly images of my C
(system)
drive to the two Maxtor drive partitions. But I need something to boot
from
in the event of a problem with my C drive. This HP pavilion desktop
machine
does not appear to have anything so straightforward as "create emergency
recovery disk on CD." In fact, HP Help documentation on my machine
suggested
that because there was a manufacturer installed D: recovery partition,
that
it was unnecessary to create a removable recovery disk. (I guess this
would
be my first option in the event of failure: boot from the D partition,
then
copy from the Maxtor image back onto the C drive. But I'd still like to
have
a bootable CD in case something really ugly happens.)

You can use the HP recovery to go back to factory-new, then you'll have
access to your USB drive.

Also, in a similar fashion to what I did on the external Maxtor drive, I'd
like to carve this internal C drive into a couple partitions, but can't
seem
to do that under Computer Management/Disk Management -- presumably because
I've booted from C. I imagine if I could boot from an alternate drive
(such
as a CD recovery disk), that perhaps I could safely(?) allocate unused
space
on the C drive into another partition. Is that correct?

You're misinterpreting the idea of unused space. From the computer's point
of view, the space is used if there's a partition there, whether or not
there's free space on your partition. In your case, the whole drive is used
with the partition you're using, plus the hidden HP partition, so there's no
unallocated space for you to create a new partition.

You could use Partition Magic to shrink the partition you have and create a
new one, but if you ever have to use that HP recovery partition, it's likely
to kill everything on the drive -- it's not going to respect the fact that
you've created custom partitions.

So here's what I'm thinking, if someone can help understand how to create
a
bootable CD from my existing system: A) in the event of disaster to my C
drive, I could boot from the CD, locate the external backup image on the
Maxtor and copy from it back to the C drive. And seperately B) I could
carve
up some of that unused extra space on my C drive and use it for something
else (such as a backup copy of my laptop's C drive).

Check with HP. Some people have reported that HP offers a way to create a
bootable recovery CD which may or may not be what you need. You might also
look into the backup software you're using. If it offers a way to back up to
a USB device, it should also offer a way to recover from that device. Maybe
not, but it would make sense.

 

[Guest]

Great info, thanks very much.

You can use the HP recovery to go back to factory-new, then you'll have
access to your USB drive.


You're misinterpreting the idea of unused space. From the computer's point
of view, the space is used if there's a partition there, whether or not
there's free space on your partition. In your case, the whole drive is used
with the partition you're using, plus the hidden HP partition, so there's no
unallocated space for you to create a new partition.

You could use Partition Magic to shrink the partition you have and create a
new one, but if you ever have to use that HP recovery partition, it's likely
to kill everything on the drive -- it's not going to respect the fact that
you've created custom partitions.


Check with HP. Some people have reported that HP offers a way to create a
bootable recovery CD which may or may not be what you need. You might also
look into the backup software you're using. If it offers a way to back up to
a USB device, it should also offer a way to recover from that device. Maybe
not, but it would make sense.

 

[Guest]

Thanks much... your information was very helpful.