PQSERVICE - Do I need it?

Having already done a clean install of Vista Ultimate, and thoroughly configuring my system away from the Acer factory default, and having burned both Acer and my own recovery disks (the latter using Complete PC Backup right after the clean install), do I really need the PQSERVICE partition anymore?
If not, I'll make sure to delete it next time I clean install - when I get my new T8300 in a few weeks .

 

If you don't think you need it, why keep it?

 

It's really up to you. I've deleted mine, but i wouldn't suggest it to anyone else unless they were confident they knew what they were doing, and they won't screw their system. Also, if you lose your disks or they don't work, your screwed there aswell. If you do decide to delete it, just make sure your recovery disks work.

Here's a thread pretty much the same as yours:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=282423&highlight=do+i+need+the+pqservice+partition

 

Like I said, I've got both the Acer recovery disks AND my own creation, plus a weekly full backup of my system on an external hard drive. I've got a few safeguards against my system going kaplooey.

When I need to do the clean install, I'll test my recovery discs first, then bust out GParted to nuke PQSERVICE if they do, then proceed with the clean install.

@paten: I haven't had the need to until recently - I've begun to accumulate enough crap that I need the extra 10GB.

 

I don't trust cds for recovery especially in long term. If I were you I'd keep PQService..

 

Hence, the rolling backup on my external drive! Plus, how long term are we talking here? I figure I've got my Aspire 6920G until the warranty expires - sometime in 2011. By then, I'll be out of university and able to afford a new one to see me through again...and using Windows 7, too!

 

Well I happened to have cds which in 3 months started to give me defects for example...

Oh sorry I forgot about your external drive backup...Then I guess you're fine with the recovery cds only..

 

Ok, then. Actually, can I use GParted to make PQSERVICE visible to Windows? I'd honestly like to see what the donkey-nuts is on it.

 

You know what TehSuigi

You should know better. You try and help lots on this forum....

And then you ask a question like this. The most basic of stuff.

Best to LEAVE THE PARTION ALONE.

 

Thanks for your opinion, TeeJay. I understand the risks of deleting the recovery partition, but considering I've gotten my system configured to my preferences AND have recovery disks made for said configuration AND have a rolling external backup should anything go kerplooey AND have a copy of the original Acer recovery discs in an absolute-worst case scenario, I feel that I've mitigated that risk. Most people who ask that question probably haven't gotten as many safeguards in place that I do.

EDIT: Oh, and BigO himself deleted his PQSERVICE partition - said so in that topic bangert linked to. I think I'll just locate 10GB on my rolling backup external drive and copy a partition image over, as a fourth backup.

EDIT 2: THIS is interesting. I've done the copy-to-external, and despite GParted saying there was 3GB used on the drive, Windows Explorer says there is NOTHING in it. Maybe something I've done has unintentionally KO'd the thing. In any case, I'll keep it until my recovery discs are verified to work. Thanks for the help, guys.

 

For the record - I deleted my PQ too. A long time ago

 

I have another thread going that involves this (thanks to atthegates for pointing out the hidden partition to me), but this question is more general.

Why does one need this 9GB or so of partion backup? My 8 year old Sony and 2 year old Dell don't have such a thing and I've been fine. I have a 120GB external drive that I back everything to every other week or so. So what's the big need for this PQSERVICE partition?

 

As I said in the other thread, usually ACER do NOT provide CDs so if you don't have the partition and you screw up your OS installation you cannot recover/reinstall it.

 

Of course, once you make your recovery DVDs, the partition becomes your D2D Recovery mechanism, allowing you to recover your system to factory default without any discs.

 

And if you decide to do a System Recovery it is FAR quicker doing it from the PQ Service partition than from DVD's or CD's. (Noted many times here by old Acer regulars in the past).

So why erase it in the first place?

To save a few GB on a huge hard drive??

Still does not make sense to me why people do it :confused2:

Unless they have an itch that needs scratching.........

 

No argument about the speed, TeeJay - the hard drive is leaps and bounds faster than an optical disc.
But the system recovery partition can't be modified to use my recovery images, to my knowledge.
So, out it goes!

EDIT: Although I will say that it's funny how we can complain about not getting 10GB more of space on our hard drive when a few years ago, entire hard drives were that size!

 

Just delete it man

Oringnal Windows disc is the best, it doesnt install the crap acer puts on it

I have always deleted recovery partitions, i have deleted the acer one loads of times at work no problem, the recovery disc still work, but I still use the oringal xp or vista disc

 

I see what you are saying, IF the hard drive is huge. But when you lose 9GB of 74GB, that's a pretty big % of the hard drive. IMO And I wouldn't complain unless I was out of space, which I am. Many many songs and many many pictures and home videos have filled or will soon fill the hard drive.

Although, I am looking into the possibility of replacing the HD with a bigger one.. based on what you are saying above, that is probably a wiser move..