How Do I Delete Recovery Partition?

[John E. Golden]

Hello,

I would like to install a "dual boot" system with Windows XP Home and Linux
Mandrake 8.2.

I now have XP Home Edition on my new but "el cheapo" 2.5 GHz Celeron Compaq
Desktop.

This computer came without a Windows XP CD and without Recovery Disks.
However, it has a 'Recovery Partition' on the Hard Drive.

I just burned Seven Recovery CD's in case I should ever need them.

Before I install Linux, I want to delete this Recovery Partition. I have an
old version of Partition Magic 6.0, but this is not certified for use with
Windows XP. Is there some other way for me to get rid of this Recovery
Partition on my Hard Drive without buying more software?

Regards,
John E. Golden

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Test you 7 Recovery CD first!!!!!!!!!!!!

Disk Management "should" be able to delete partitions.

 

[Steve Nielsen]

Test you 7 Recovery CD first!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are the 7 Recovery CDs capable of doing a repair install of XP?

Disk Management "should" be able to delete partitions.

The Mandrake installation "should" be able to delete partitions, too.

Steve

 

[NobodyMan]

Hello,

I would like to install a "dual boot" system with Windows XP Home and Linux
Mandrake 8.2.

I now have XP Home Edition on my new but "el cheapo" 2.5 GHz Celeron Compaq
Desktop.

This computer came without a Windows XP CD and without Recovery Disks.
However, it has a 'Recovery Partition' on the Hard Drive.

I just burned Seven Recovery CD's in case I should ever need them.

Before I install Linux, I want to delete this Recovery Partition. I have an
old version of Partition Magic 6.0, but this is not certified for use with
Windows XP. Is there some other way for me to get rid of this Recovery
Partition on my Hard Drive without buying more software?

Regards,
John E. Golden

My god, your system has so much software on it that it needs SEVEN
recovery cds? Or did you just make seven "copies" of one recovery CD?

Beware: many times the "recovery cd" requires the hidden recovery
partition. IOW, many times you'll need both. Be cautious here and do
your homework.

Also, by deleting the recovery partition you probably void the
warranty. Putting a new OS on it will almost certainly void the
warranty.

 

[John E. Golden]

My god, your system has so much software on it that it needs SEVEN
recovery cds? Or did you just make seven "copies" of one recovery CD?

Yes, Seven recovery CD's. Actually, my "el cheapo" Compaq computer didn't
come with very much software. I think the Single Recovery CD that came
with my last Desktop (an IBM with lots of Software) was chock full of
zipped files. I think all the files I loaded onto the seven REcovery CD's
were not zipped.

Beware: many times the "recovery cd" requires the hidden recovery
partition. IOW, many times you'll need both. Be cautious here and do
your homework.

I'll call Compaq and ask them.

Also, by deleting the recovery partition you probably void the
warranty. Putting a new OS on it will almost certainly void the
warranty.

I don't see why it should, but I'll call Compaq and ask them about this
also.

Thanks for your response.

Regards,
John E. Golden

 

[John E. Golden]

Test you 7 Recovery CD first!!!!!!!!!!!!

How does one test REcovery CD's without using them?

Disk Management "should" be able to delete partitions.

Is Disk Management in Windows XP?

Regards,
John E. jGolden

 

[John E. Golden]

Are the 7 Recovery CDs capable of doing a repair install of XP?

As far as I know, the Recovery CD's just put the entire "as new" software
including the Recovery Partition back on the Hard Drive, But I'll ask
Compaq whether these Recovery CD's also have a the repair capability.

The Mandrake installation "should" be able to delete partitions, too.

Thanks for your response.

Regards,
John E. Golden

 

[Steve Nielsen]

My god, your system has so much software on it that it needs SEVEN
recovery cds? Or did you just make seven "copies" of one recovery CD?

Sounds like it must be an actual backup then, not just a Windows
Recovery CD.

Beware: many times the "recovery cd" requires the hidden recovery
partition. IOW, many times you'll need both. Be cautious here and do
your homework.

Also, by deleting the recovery partition you probably void the
warranty. Putting a new OS on it will almost certainly void the
warranty.

If that is the case then installing Linux will, too. I would hope that a
user would be able to install any software, including OSes, they wanted
to on a machine and it would not void any warranty. Seem rediculous to
me if it would.

Steve

 

[NobodyMan]

If that is the case then installing Linux will, too. I would hope that a
user would be able to install any software, including OSes, they wanted
to on a machine and it would not void any warranty. Seem rediculous to
me if it would.

Steve

OK, how about this: installing a new OS may violate any tech support
agreements, but not the full hardware warranty.

I have seen manufacturers void full warranties when the OS was changed
though. It is something to think about!

 

[Malcolm]

OK, how about this: installing a new OS may violate any tech support
agreements, but not the full hardware warranty.

I have seen manufacturers void full warranties when the OS was changed
though. It is something to think about!

Hi,

I bought a HP 510 machine a year or two ago for a local computer club.
They gave no recovery CD's with the machine (recovery partition only).
I called them and told them I wanted recovery CD's. They would not
send them to me because I had a recovery partition. I explained I
wanted to install two or three operating systems on the machine and
needed the recovery CD's if problems arose. They told me they would
only sell me the CD's if the recovery partition was trashed. I held
them on the phone while I deleted the recovery partition with
Partition Magic. They then shipped me the recovery CD's ($10 S/H).
They never said a word about voiding a warranty, but we never had any
trouble with the machine to use the warranty. Anyway I deleted the
recovery partition and installed WinXP - Win Me and created an
application partition and still running well today.



To reply by email, remove NOT from email address
Later,
Malcolm

 

[John E. Golden]

Hi,

I bought a HP 510 machine a year or two ago for a local computer club.
They gave no recovery CD's with the machine (recovery partition only).
I called them and told them I wanted recovery CD's. They would not
send them to me because I had a recovery partition. I explained I
wanted to install two or three operating systems on the machine and
needed the recovery CD's if problems arose. They told me they would
only sell me the CD's if the recovery partition was trashed. I held
them on the phone while I deleted the recovery partition with
Partition Magic. They then shipped me the recovery CD's ($10 S/H).
They never said a word about voiding a warranty, but we never had any
trouble with the machine to use the warranty. Anyway I deleted the
recovery partition and installed WinXP - Win Me and created an
application partition and still running well today.

To reply by email, remove NOT from email address
Later,
Malcolm

Thanks for the tip, Malcolm.

I did burn the seven recovery CD's from the recovery partition, but I am
not confident that these CD's are good because it took twelve blank
CD'R's to get those seven CD's burned.

I'm going to call Compaq and tell them my recovery partition has been
trashed.

Regards,
John E. Golden

 

[D.Currie]

Hi,

I bought a HP 510 machine a year or two ago for a local computer club.
They gave no recovery CD's with the machine (recovery partition only).
I called them and told them I wanted recovery CD's. They would not
send them to me because I had a recovery partition. I explained I
wanted to install two or three operating systems on the machine and
needed the recovery CD's if problems arose. They told me they would
only sell me the CD's if the recovery partition was trashed. I held
them on the phone while I deleted the recovery partition with
Partition Magic. They then shipped me the recovery CD's ($10 S/H).
They never said a word about voiding a warranty, but we never had any
trouble with the machine to use the warranty. Anyway I deleted the
recovery partition and installed WinXP - Win Me and created an
application partition and still running well today.

Sometimes, in order to invoke the warranty on suspected bad hardware, the
company will require you to restore the computer back to factory new
condition. That way they can verify that the problem is indeed the hardware
and not a software issue that the user has created.

As long as you can get back to that factory new condition, they don't need
to know about any modifications you've made in the interim.

The problem is that if someone deletes the partition without having some way
to recover, they may not get the support they expect.

I think it's kind of an unfair way for these companies to handle their
warranties, but it's the way some of them do.