Clean install of Windows 7, I see 3 partitions after my install. EFI, OEM.

My inspiron 15R se came with Windows 8. I blew it away and after some trial and error, realized I Needed to delete some of the extra partitions that were hanging around.

However, there were 2 others that I didn't want to touch..and doing some research I think would probably be ok to.

I have a 500MB Healthy EFI System partition, a 40MB Healthy OEM partition, and my main HDD with Windows 7 x64.

I see Windows 8 show up as a bootup option, with my Windows 7. I "assume" that is the OEM Partition talking.

Is it ok to blow those other 2 away? I likely will be installing Ubuntu as an OS, so I will need to make a partition for that as well.

Thanks

 

Before you do that do you have the recovery cd/dvd premade or did you create those before wiping it clean? After you do that I can gesture it should be find to wipe the HDD all clean of any trances of W8 installs and it that doesn't work you at least have the recovery cd/dvd to reboot back to factory install of which it will most likely create its partition again.

 

No recovery dvd premade. I didn't check the box maybe it's in there..but I have an MSDN account so I can get OEM installs of Windows all day long, just not dell specific.

I decided to leave those partitions, as they don't hurt anything being htere..and 500mb + 40mb is nothing.

Besides, I went into the system settings in Windows 7 and told it to just skip the bootup OS options so now I boot straight to Windows 7.

This was all a test anyways, because I will have to redo the entire process on the SSD when my HDD caddy comes in.

 

I believe the 40 MB OEM partition is the Dell diagnostics. It's an infinitesimal amount of space, so I would recommend leaving as you seemed to have settled on.