Recovery Partition

If I erase the recovery partition what will i lose exactly? Just system restore and factory image?

If i right click computer>manage>disk management, can I format then delete the recovery partition then extend my os: partition or can you only extend to the right? if not, how can i merge the two partitions without doing a clean install>?

 

Use a bootable partitioning program such as GParted. Check on the Dell website to see if they have a special procedure for removing the partition (or a program on the computer to do it for you - HP has this feature). Someone here might know too. Always make a recovery CD before you delete your partition, then feel free to get rid of it. With your recovery CD's, you should be able to restore the entire HD image to factory settings (including the recovery partition) should you want to do that later.

 

I couldnt install gparted....it was a .bz2 and I did not know what to do with it

 

They should have a burnable and bootable ISO image on the website.

 

use the CD included in your XPS.

reformat you system and you can choose to create additional partition.

 

I'm pretty sure I unzipped one of those using 7-zip maybe 3 months ago.

 

7-zip and WinRAR can both unzip bz2, but here's the link to the ISO:

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=115843&package_id=271779

 

so do i just burn the iso, reboot, f12 for boot menu, click cd/dvd and then run it from there?

 

Yes. It will create a ramdisk and bring up a GUI. Select your partition, delete. Select your os partition, click Resize/Movie and fix it up. It should be a quick operation since it doesn't have to move any data.

 

thanks a bunch! the iso's just being burnt now. ill let you know as soon as i reboot whether it worked or not.

 

i couldnt get gparted to work....i reboot, f12, cd/dvd

it goes through a bunch of stuff asks me something about a keyboard
then screen resolution, i pick 1280 x 800
then language i press 02 (british english)
then it goes through some writing but wont work, i have to hold the power button and restart....it just says error....please help

 

What is the error you are getting? Maybe PartedMagic or a distros live cd will work better for you.

 

i had tried parted magic before. it also got an error. i got an older version of gparted, and it worked...well its working. its taking a long time, it has to go over the entire 250gb hard drive or something...it says growing hard drive...its got about 20mins left. on it, its been going for about 45 minutes now. seems to be working though...i did get it to merge the space before the c: with it, and it says 23x gb. i forge the last number but it was only 22x....i guess it just has to move some stuff around...we'll see!

 

it worked...it ended up not being done when i thought...it took an hour to read then 2:20 to move....it was done at like 3 in the morning. i was asleep. this morning after doing that it wouldnt boot. that was easy to fix, i popped in the vista cd, hit repair, clicked the repair and reboot option and it worked fine...

 

Yea the new vista MBR kinda blows when it comes to altering partitions. Seems to always break.

 

How can we clone the entire hard disk...in exactly the way we got it wen we got a new dell system.

So that we can restore it to factory condition wen ever we want...

I herd changing the partitions creates a new MBR and we can never restore it to factory conditions.

 

Just make (or use the pre-existing) dell recovery CD's before you wipe the partition. The MBR has nothing to do with your ability to restore to factory conditions, however.

 

Hi Bauer418,

How can I make recovery CDs ?
Well im a novice....cud you be a bit more elaborate and explain the process.

It wud be really helpful of u

 

I don't have a Dell currently to try this on but when you put in the recovery CD there should be an option to wipe your entire hard drive and start from the factory image. That is, if your computer came with a recovery partition in the first place.

 

Well my laptop will be arriving in some days. So i cant be sure if it has the recovery partition.

I basically want to remove Vista and plug in XP.
That will require that I resize the partitions ( I hv ordered without any partitions)

I hv herd that resizing the factory set partitions in a Dell system ...changes the MBR and that wud not allow the recovery partition to let the system come back to factory settings.

I am sure that the package does not include the OS CD ... so I stand a chance of loosing up on the original Vista Premium which comes installed and maybe on a recovery partition too.

So i am wondering if

• 
  There is any way to clone the recovery partition along with the entire hard drive including Media Direct
  
  So that if anything goes wrong I can be sure that I can restore the recovery partition along with Media Direct and other partitions and then can restore from the same to the default factory settings.
  

Thanks in advance

 

all ya got to do is,

pop in the media direct disc thast will come with your new laptop
press f-12 for one time boot menu at bios spash screen
pick cd/DVD

it will load, and you will be able to format the hard drive and create partitions from there. once it is formatted it will ask you to insert windows cd to install the operating system...instead of installing vista, pop in an xp cd....it works fine....just get all the drivers first and save them to a disc so you dont have to go looking