how important is the recovery partition?

do you guys use the recovery partition often? i was thinkin of deleting it when i intall xp on my vostro 1400. is it useful?

i was wondering if i left the partition alone. will it work with the new xp installationg

 

It is pretty important, but no necessary. If you can assure yourself that your computer won't crash or anything, then you can delete it. But I would recommend keeping it.

I do not think that it will work with an XP installation, if you're using Vista right now.

 

what if i install vista ultimate?

 

The recovery partition and mediadirect were the first things to go when i got my computer.

I like to think I know what I'm doing when it comes to computers, so if anything ever happens I'll be able to handle it without a dummy proof option.

 

Dell usually included Recovery CDs...if have these then no need to have the Partition.
Though it's handy, but can be removed as long as you have the CDs.

 

Hey Guys,

I just got my hands on a Vostro 1500 & promptly removed the 2 partitions discussed above. Then continued my install of windows xp.

Before this, the remote control could be used for moving the mouse, now it does not (drivers or missing setting?)

Also I cannot install the Bluetooth driver from the setup DVDs, anyone know their location?

CK

 

Besides. can someone please clarify what happens when one used the recovery partition (on a vostro 1500)?
I have modified my partition table and now have several partitions, no media direct, two linux install and a shrinked vista partions (to 25 GB)

Suppose Vista dies on me right now.

I boot, fiddle with the boot menu, choose to recovery the original Vista... and then what happen?
Will the recovery utility wipe my whole hard disk clean to restore the original partition table (with media direct, no extended partition)?
Will it create a Vista partition 132 GB wide?

Seems more like a big danger than a recovery option, to me.

 

Since you modified your partition table, the issue is moot, since you've, in doing so, removed the ability to use that recovery functionality.

In theory, it restores your C Drive to factory settings, which would allow MD/diagnostics, etc. functionality without restoring those, as they should be untouched. To actually rewrite the partitions to include diag/MD, you would use the MD disc that came with the computer.

 

It cant wipe the whole hard disk since the Recovery partition files themselves reside on the hard disk..... Instead I bet what it is capable of doing is merely restore the Vista partition (C and possibly D: too if the laptop was pre-partitioned to include a data partition too...

 

I left the diagnostic and recovery partition untouched. Even the OS partition starts from the same sector of the disk it started when it came out of Dell's factory.

The point is: restoring the C partition means restoring its contents only or restoring its size, too?
In the first case I will end up with a brand new Vista install in C and will still have my data and linux installs.
In the second case I will end up in a mental asylum.
(Ok, ok, I back up, I back up :-] )

Seems logical. The only point is: will it touch the partition table entry relative to C? It seems logical no to. Has anybody tried?


(thanks for answering, by the way)

 

You have a strong point here. ;-)