Questions about deleting "System_Drv" partition

Hi all,

I've been wanting to delete this 1.17GB System_Drv partition for long, but not sure about what it will do or if it will render my system unbootable/unusable.

I've already deleted the Lenovo_Recovery(Q partition and merge into my data partition
about 1.5 month ago when I first received my T510. However, the hidden System_drv (only accessible through Win 7's disk management utility) still lingers around - I saw it was both an 'active' and 'boot' partition so I worried I couldn't boot my laptop after deleting the partition.

Tonight, I took the bold step of setting my C: partition (windows 7 installation partition) as active, instead of the default of 'System_Drv' being active.

After reboot, to my dismay, I couldn't boot into windows and it says there's some boot options error. I inserted the Windows 7 System Repair disc that I created previous - not the Lenovo Rescue & recovery startup disc, but the "Windows 7 System Repair" start up disc I made from the "Back up & Restore" console before, so I suppose it's solely a Windows 7 thing. Interestingly, it still boots into some sort of ThinkPad restore/repair/recovery related place (because I saw a rescue & recovery background, although I have R&R uninstalled completely); it detects my windows installation and claim a startup/boot error.

It apparently repaired the error and restarted into windows 7 again without error. I checked it by taking out the startup disc and it still boots alright after shutdown. Now, when going into the Disk Management console in windows 7, my C: Drive partition has the attributes "System, Boot, Active, Crash Dump, Primary Partition"; the "SYSTEM_DRV" hidden partition is only left with "Primary Partition" - not even boot nor active.

My question is that, is the SYSTEM_DRV partition still used during boot now? Can I delete it without affecting boot? What functionality do I lose by deleting it? And lastly, what is the proper way to delete it?

This is pretty clumsy, thanks so much for your help.

 

I'm trying to remember from when I had my U150. IIRC, there's a 200MB partition that Windows 7 uses to boot from, deleting this will render your system unbootable. If it's a hidden partition that you can't do anything with from within disk management, I think that would be it (but I don't know why it's 1.7GB vs. 200MB that I had). I would leave it alone personally.

 

risky business.

 

Yeah, it's indeed a bit risky.

I am curious, though, if I've already come over the 'unbootable' risk. The machine could not boot properly after I changed active partition from SYSTEM_DRV to C rive. The Win7 system repair disk repair it. Now only the C rive is shown as boot & active, while the SYSTEM_DRV is shown as a regular primary partition (albeit not logical). I wonder if the SYSTEM_DRV is now no longer a boot essential partition. And I am sure a regular non-OEM win 7 installation does not have this partition, as I verified on my wife's T43p on which I installed a regular Home Premium Win7. Is there anyway to check?

 

You could always use a third party software (trial Acronis true image for ex.) and backup the entire disk sector by sector to some external HDD. Then whack your system as you please.

 

Hi Aikimox. Can I do a system image of the SYSTEM_DRV with Win7's backup tool and restore it later? I wonder how much Acronis costs.

 

I wouldn't rely on the W7 tools.
You can use the trial version. Hopefully it won't ask for money if you need to restore .
BTW, do you really need those 1.7GB?

 

Actually the 1.7GB is not that critical, but I'm itchy to squeeze it out. On the other hand, I'm suspecting this has to do with my occasional slow boot. Whenever the slow boot happens, I notice the disk access LED light below the screen does not blink (just plain off) at the Win 7 logo - it's almost like the boot process was timed out and suspended until the disk access light starts to blink again that normal boot speed proceeds. I've already had the (Q)Lenovo_Recovery partition cleaned out, so not sure what the SYSTEM_DRV partition is telling the system to do during boot. I've already got it to be not an 'active' partition - I'll need to observe if the slow boot still resumes.

 

hide it and forget it.

 

If just for space, that'd be what I do. But the occasional slow boot.......

 

Why not? I've used both Vista's and 7's system image software a lot, and it's been totally reliable 100% of the time for me. Very good backup software if you ask me.

 

Then things definitely changed. Actually I noticed the improvement with the W7 disk management tool, but was reluctant to try their image soft.
Thanks for good news then. Will give it a shot for sure!

 

It's no longer CompletePC Backup like in Vista, it's now Windows Backup and Restore in 7, found in control panel. Just in case you didn't know.

 

Just an update to all. After getting all your advices here, I went ahead and deleted that SYSTEM_DRV volume from within Windows 7 Disk Management console. The machine rebooted without problem.

However, I could not merge the resulting 1.17 GB unallocated space with Win7 utility. I downloaded Partition Wizard (Home edition free, business edition with limited free license at the moment. Support both 32/64 bit) and merged them successfully.

One note, however: in the process of resizing my partitions to merge with the unallocated space, I had to reboot to apply the change. In the first reboot, the slow boot (1.5 min, and this is with a SSD drive) happened to me again; afterward, the pre-boot partition interface showed up and said 'Your disk configuration has changed. Cannot carry out actions' (something along that line).

I then boot into windows again, resize my partitions in the Partition Wizard GUI and rebooted once more. The machine booted very quick into preboot partitioning interface this time, and carried out the resize successfully.

This is quite a lengthy post - but I wonder if some configuration changes to my disk do happen behind the scene that's been causing the occasional slow boot? Would it be a problem that my C rive (win7 partition) was not in the beginning of the partition table (the SYSTEM_DRV volume came first)? I am operating on a SSD, however.

I really hope this venture have solved my occasional slow boot issue.

 

I'm in the same exact position right now, lol. Thanks for your post, I'll check out partition wizard. That 1.17GB of unallocated space is bugging me.

 

What if I wanted to do a clean install of Win7, can I reformat the whole hard drive, thus getting rid of everything before installing the OS?
Will this cause any problems?

 

You can reformat the whole drive, it wont cause any problems but you'll just lose the blue think vantage button functionality (which is tied to Lenovo's rescue and recovery partition). Personally I use windows backup and restore so it's of no consequence to me.

 

Hi guys,

looks like I got a BIG problem. I deleted System_DRV and now my laptop does not boot up. I even took out my HDD and put in my old HDD, that used to boot perfectly. That one does not boot as well. I would really appreciate any help!!! Thank you in advanced. Here I started topic on this issue:

Re: Please, help with boot up issue ! - Lenovo Community

 

So there not even a Thinkpad splash screen? For the Window 7 reinstallation disk is it a back up or the real os disk?

 

Thanks for the reply. Actually, I think my problem lays deeper. Looks like my mobo stopped working. It just accidentally happened at the same time I deleted that partition

 

Did you also decide to flash the BIOS at the same time or are you just extremely unlucky?

And FYI, the Windows "system" drive does contain required data. So before you whack a partition, it's a really good idea to know what is stored there and why. HINT: the BCD data.

From the Windows file explorer options, be sure to turn on the ability to see hidden and operating system files. That will give you a better idea of what you deleted.

You can combine the Windows system and boot partitions, but it isn't really recommended or necessary. However, some bozo at Lenovo decided to move the decimal point so instead of the normal 100MB default Windows 7 uses, the Lenovo factory allocated 1.2GB which is overkill. If they needed more than 100MB, the should have just sized it at a more reasonable number.

 

Yep, I thought I do not need that BIOS anyway. BIOS and System_DRV partition - away!

Honestly, it was hard for me to believe I was THAT "lucky" to get dead mobo right after deleting partition. Actually, I still think that there could be also problem with BIOS, I might did something wrong and it does not work properly. We'll see. I'll talk to lenovo support tonight. But what makes me think it is mobo, because for last 6 weeks I had two 4GB RAM modules stopped working in second slot. Also I was getting statik electricity discharge when I touch laptop on the right side. And espacially when I touch opened DVD dirve. The funniest thing is - my 1 year warranty just expired on March 24... You're right halobox, that is just my luck these days

 

Actually now it's sounding like an electrical problems. Discharge = bad.

 

How do you experience an electrical shock when you touch the right side of the machine? I thought that cannot happen if the palmrest etc are made of plastic. I had the same experience (the electrical shock) when I used to use my Sony laptop, the palmrest of which was metallic. Goes without saying that the Sony is now unuseable and I have not bothered getting it fixed.

 

I do not know. I think it is optical dirve. It is on the right side, so. Once I got it when DVD drive was open. It was very strong. I did not feel my finger well for the next 20 seconds. Usually I do get electrical shock from many things so, at that time I was thinking it is Ok that I feel it. Now, when machine died, I understand it was problem with the machine. I'm trying to make Lenovo fixed it. tech Support decline my request. Now I'm trying talk to their management. Will see what they say.

 

Tell them it caught fire. That will get their attention.

Seriously though, this sounds like a very dangerous situation now. I would be firm about your ask of them. The electrical problems you are now describing are not normal and could be VERY dangerous.