UNKNOWN PARTITION

[mpctek]

I need some help please. I have a Dell Inspirion laptop with a 40gig hard
drive, running Win XP. It has a 55MB FAT partition for EISA configuration, a
NTFS partition, and a 2.95gig FAT partition listed as unknown. I was
wondering what could possibly be the unknown partition. I cannot find it in
the cmd prompt or explorer. Please help because if it is not used by XP I
would like to delete it.

 

[Brian Scholfield]

My recent experience with Dell computers is that the "hidden" partition
contains recovery files. You most likely did not receive any disks with
your computer and all the information to repair your system is included in
that partition.

I may be wrong in your case, but that has been my experience with Dell
computers.

Brian

 

[mpctek]

I do have a reinstall disk. Could I delete this partition?

 

[MAP]

I need some help please. I have a Dell Inspirion laptop with a 40gig
hard drive, running Win XP. It has a 55MB FAT partition for EISA
configuration, a NTFS partition, and a 2.95gig FAT partition listed
as unknown. I was wondering what could possibly be the unknown
partition. I cannot find it in the cmd prompt or explorer. Please
help because if it is not used by XP I would like to delete it.

It's most likely from the factory leave it alone.
The first computer I ever owned I had an unknown partition and deleted it
several months later I tried to reformat....well things did not turn out so
well.
I have learned the hard way "if it's not broke....don't fix it"

 

[Guest]

You called it "FAT". this is reference to file system type.
"Unknown" is usually refers to file system.

So not sure what you are looking at.

Definitely a Question" for Dell computer support!!

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

No.. do not delete the partition.. there is a very good chance that your
re-install disk works in conjunction with the 'unknown' partition..

 

[Guest]

It is a utility partition that contains the dell 32 bit diagnostic tests and
IDE drive diagnostics. If you call in for warranty tech support for some
reason, they use these. You can delete the partition though. The 32 bit tests
are on the drivers cd.

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

T

2.95Gb seems to be a little excessive for a set of diagnostic routines.. how
sure are you of your information?.. is this what Dell have told you?..

 

[deebs]

I need some help please. I have a Dell Inspirion laptop with a 40gig hard
drive, running Win XP. It has a 55MB FAT partition for EISA configuration, a
NTFS partition, and a 2.95gig FAT partition listed as unknown. I was
wondering what could possibly be the unknown partition. I cannot find it in
the cmd prompt or explorer. Please help because if it is not used by XP I
would like to delete it.

<sharp intake of breathe>

Don't delete it unless you know what you are about to delete (and have
your restore disk to hand just in case)

BTW: aren't Dell the best people to ask?

 

[Guest]

If the system was shipped after 11.04.04, there is a partition on it that
contains the original factory image. Dell PC Restore is a compressed copy of
all the factory-installed software on your computer when it is shipped. The
image is placed on the hard drive in a separate unmounted partition.
Depending on the operating system and software installed on your computer, up
to 4.5 gigabytes of space can be used by the image. The partition can be
accessed with FDISK or the Microsoft Windows Disk Management Utility.

I know this because I to tech support for Dell corporate accounts.