Samsung Recovery error, "insufficient space to create partition"

So, I decided to move back to Win 7 after having issues with 8 and 8.1. I'm attempting to restore my Series 7 laptop back to normal but am unable to reload the Samsung recovery partition using an admin USB tool. When I click initialize hard drive and attempt to add/change the size of the new partition I get the following error:

"Insufficient space to create partition. Please try again after freeing additional space by deleting another partition. "

For test purposes I loaded Acronis Disk Director and made sure I have at least 40gb of unallocated space on the hd. I also made an additional logical drive of about 200gb to attempt to resize in the bootable recovery admin tool. All partitions are Mbr. I've been searching for answers and troubleshooting for hours and it is driving me insane. Has anyone else had this problem or know how to fix it? Please help.

 

Which model number? Series 7 covers dozens of models and hundreds of sub-models over three years.

Was it delivered with Win7 (meaning you have Samsung Recovery Solution 5) or Win8 (meaning SRS6)?

This post describes briefly the different processes for re-creating Recovery on SRS5 and SRS6, respectively.

It sounds like you you have SRS5. If so, make sure you have EITHER a file and folder copy of the Recovery partition OR a backup of the Initial Image on a USB stick (Admin Tool won't read it from an external HDD). Then follow the steps in this post -- it also describes the backup steps.

In particular, use STEP 1 in Admin Tool's main menu, which will wipe and re-partition the disk. It sounds like you used STEP 2, which should leave your other partitions alone -- but usually it doesn't work if you have broken a F4 or deleted the Recovery partition.

Once Admin Tool has re-created the Recovery partition, it will offer to restore the Initial Image from a USB stick (if you have that). Otherwise restore the full file and folder contents to the newly created partition.

Once you have re-created and re-populated your Recovery partition, F4 boot Recovery and have it do a Complete Restore to create the Windows partition with the factory installation.

For SRS6 there is both a similar (but still different) procedure with Admin Tool and a much easier procedure with a self-contained bootable Factory Image Backup containing both the Recovery and the factory image.

Oh, and welcome to NBR

We have tons of Recovery discussions here, but very few like yours, that actually have a USB Admin Tool. Most users only discover they need that after losing their Recovery.

 

Thanks for the welcoming and your quick reply Dannemand. I have a Series 7 model NP700Z5B-S01UB delivered with Win7 and I should have SRS5 installed but I don't because the software is unable to find the recovery partition. Unfortunately, I do not have a file and folder copy of the Recovery partition before I formatted my HD. I found the SRS5 Admin tool iso online after doing some digging and now I'm at a roadblock. I've tried steps 1 and 2, both with "initialize HD" but the up and down arrows do not allow me to choose how big to make the partition in GBs. I am also not able to manually type in a number. When I click on add, it insists that I do not have room and that is just not true. Step 1 does not create the recovery partition and yields the same error from step 2. Also note, when I try to use the delete button to remove my worthless logical drive to "create" room as the error says to do, the delete does not stick. If I go through with the operation and click next, nothing happens, It pops up asking if I would also like to fix the MBR since the partition was created successfully (not true). When I am forwarded back to the home screen, clicking initialize the hard drive from step 1 or step 2 shows me my undeleted worthless logical drive. I hope this new detail helps describe exactly what I'm going through. At this point, I'm very close to giving up and looking at alternative backup solutions with hot key functionality but leaving this unsolved will create an itch in my brain that I can't scratch . I hate not understanding why.

 

Ah, too bad, I hoped you had a full backup (or Initial Image) and a properly created Admin Tool USB. Without those, you simply cannot recreate a functioning Recovery, it's that simple.

The Admin Tool you downloaded (assuming it's even the right version for your pc) is useless without an Initial Image - there is nothing to restore.

Is your Recovery partition intact? Forget about the SRS Windows App, it relies on a functional Recovery partition.

I'm in bed now, writing on my phone. But I'll try and post some pointers for you tomorrow.

Edit: Meantime, check the thread linked below, the recent posts (including today). My point is you have to ask yourself whether it is worth the effort.

 

Thank you for your time Dannermand. I did not realize I needed the initial image. All this time I thought the Admin tool would create/restore the partition. My recovery partition is completely gone. Is there a way for me to get it back some how by downloading the needed files or is it gone for good? I may want to try partition restoring software like Testdisk, I'd rather not go that route though. Let me know what you think tomorrow. Thanks again.

 

The only way to backup and restore Recovery on Samsung laptops is using the tools of SRS itself (Admin Tool + Initial Image or file & folder contents on SRS5; Bootable Factory Image backup on SRS6). Obviously, these backups must be made while Recovery is still working.

3rd party imaging tools generally cause the F4 link to be broken, so many users who thought they had a backup find that they have no Recovery after restoring. Some tools (such as EaseUS) even break the F4 link just by changing partition sizes on the disk.

I am a great proponent of users being careful to preserve their Recovery -- both in case their Windows installation gets messed up at some point (most do, although they never think they will), and in case they decide to sell the computer some day.

But in your case it really isn't worth the trouble: Being SRS5, you would have to obtain an Admin Tool AND an Initial Image from the exact same model (since it contains a pre-built Windows installation, drivers and all). And then you'd have to go through the full procedure of wipe & re-partition, restore Recovery contents or Initial Image, then factory restore from the newly created Recovery (again, as described in this post).

And what you gain is a Recovery tool that isn't compatible with newer Windows versions, and a relatively bloated and outdated Samsung factory installation of Win7 -- which you can download freely from Digital River anyway. Clean install of Win7 (using either your Samsung provided Win7 DVD or a downloaded ISO) is quite easy if you follow this Win7 install guide.

I understand completely about that itch in your brain, that's what caused me to look into this in the first place. But at this point, there are greater mysteries, far more deserving of your keen mind

 

Just to clarify SRS6 Admin tool does not require a "factory" image, just a valid windows DVD (which can be burned from ISO)

 

Fair enough. I assume you're referring to the Install Windows option in SRS6 Admin Tool. Strictly speaking, SRS5 doesn't require an initial image either, it can just create the Recovery partition, but with no images on it, then you clean install Windows.

But as I see it, there is little purpose in having Recovery without the factory/initial image: People need their Recovery for the following reasons:

1) If their Windows installation becomes messed up, so they can revert to a Samsung installation proven to work.

2) If they have a hardware problem and need to prove to Samsung Service (in order to get an RMA) that they didn't just mess up their Windows installation.

3) If they don't have other Windows install media. An issue for many Win8 users, since Microsoft doesn't provide a public download of Win8 ISOs, and Samsung doesn't provide Win8 discs with its computers.

4) If they want to sell the computer some day, and revert it to factory state before handing it over.

For all of these purpose, the factory/initial image is what makes Recovery valuable. Without it, there are better tools for pure backup, restore and cloning.