Windows 7 up-grade

Wildie · 12-07-2009, 08:26 PM

My HP laptop (Vista) came with a hidden partition that contains the Vista OS installation files.
This information may be extracted if a problem occurs to the working OS on the C drive.

I am considering an up-grade to Win 7. My question is: What happens to the hidden partition and its info, if I made a 'clean' install of Win 7?
A 'clean' install means that the working OS on the C drive is erased and Win 7 installed in its place.
I'm wondering if Win 7 is also installed on the hidden partition also?
If not, if I made a restore at some time in the future, my system would revert back to Vista, rather than restoring Win 7.
Anybody heard of what happens to the hidden partition if a clean install of Win7 is made?

poppameth · 12-07-2009, 10:09 PM

If it's HP's partition then it should contain an image of Vista just like it was when HP shipped it. It will restore this way as well. You can use a fee program like Macrium Reflect or Paragon Backup and Recovery to make you own image, either on another partion, hard drive, or DVDs. I like an External HDD for this. You can periodically make an image and erase the old ones, keeping up to date backups of you machine.

cellophane · 12-07-2009, 10:14 PM

if you do a clean install (format instead of upgrade) you will have the option to arrange your partitions and you can keep or delete the HP provided partition. if for some reason that doesnt pop up you can just delete the partition and reallocate it to windows using the disk manager in 7 - it is extremely simple to do. i personally would nuke your entire drive (after appropriate backups) and do a full format / install and then if you are really worried about it do something like poppameth suggested and make an image on another drive or media source.

sdsester · 12-07-2009, 10:57 PM

My last laptop came with instructions to mirror that partition off somewhere, before doing anything else but enjoy the new computer smell, should anything ever go wrong with the drive it sits on. I burned it to DVDs. I guess an external hard drive would be faster and the things are relatively cheap. I would definitely back it off somewhere.

Haven't jumped to 7 yet but can you use the upgrade to do a brand new install on a srubbed disc? Won't it be looking for something existing?

cellophane · 12-08-2009, 08:56 AM

the upgrade disk will allow you to format / install, you usually will have to provide an old software key (vista / XP) to use it though.

Wildie · 12-08-2009, 04:58 PM

Thanks for your replies! I have researched this matter a little further and Win 7 will create a new hidden partition, so you could/would have two hidden partitions. One with Win 7 and the other with Vista.
Of course the HP Vista hidden partition contains third party programs as well.
Win 7 can be installed along side of Vista in a dual boot configuration, so I think that this is what I will do! I have lots of space on the C drive, so I'm planning to reduce this drive, leaving some unallocated space for Win 7 and its hidden partition!
While I was searching, I found a free partitioning program named EASEUS! I tried this out on my old desktop and it works quite well, so I'll use this to reduce the C drive space!

cellophane · 12-08-2009, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildie

Thanks for your replies! I have researched this matter a little further and Win 7 will create a new hidden partition, so you could/would have two hidden partitions. One with Win 7 and the other with Vista.
Of course the HP Vista hidden partition contains third party programs as well.
Win 7 can be installed along side of Vista in a dual boot configuration, so I think that this is what I will do! I have lots of space on the C drive, so I'm planning to reduce this drive, leaving some unallocated space for Win 7 and its hidden partition!
While I was searching, I found a free partitioning program named EASEUS! I tried this out on my old desktop and it works quite well, so I'll use this to reduce the C drive space!

the partition tools in Vista and 7 are super easy to use. much more so than any of the programs i have tried to use lately, which to be fair isnt much

Wildie · 12-08-2009, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cellophane

the partition tools in Vista and 7 are super easy to use. much more so than any of the programs i have tried to use lately, which to be fair isnt much

I have used Vista's partitioning tool, but it does have some limitations!
Have a look at EASEUS ( http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm ) i would be interested in your thoughts!
It can also change drive letter assignments, but I wouldn't recommend this! I tried this and all the pointers for my icons were wrong! Had a dickens of a time, getting everything back.

12-07-2009, 08:26 PM	#1
Wildie Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Canada (s/w ON.) Posts: 2,294	Windows 7 up-grade My HP laptop (Vista) came with a hidden partition that contains the Vista OS installation files. This information may be extracted if a problem occurs to the working OS on the C drive. I am considering an up-grade to Win 7. My question is: What happens to the hidden partition and its info, if I made a 'clean' install of Win 7? A 'clean' install means that the working OS on the C drive is erased and Win 7 installed in its place. I'm wondering if Win 7 is also installed on the hidden partition also? If not, if I made a restore at some time in the future, my system would revert back to Vista, rather than restoring Win 7. Anybody heard of what happens to the hidden partition if a clean install of Win7 is made?

12-07-2009, 10:09 PM	#2
poppameth Doer of Many Things Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Staunton, VA Posts: 1,119	Windows 7 up-grade If it's HP's partition then it should contain an image of Vista just like it was when HP shipped it. It will restore this way as well. You can use a fee program like Macrium Reflect or Paragon Backup and Recovery to make you own image, either on another partion, hard drive, or DVDs. I like an External HDD for this. You can periodically make an image and erase the old ones, keeping up to date backups of you machine.

12-07-2009, 10:14 PM	#3
cellophane Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Louisville Posts: 453	Windows 7 up-grade if you do a clean install (format instead of upgrade) you will have the option to arrange your partitions and you can keep or delete the HP provided partition. if for some reason that doesnt pop up you can just delete the partition and reallocate it to windows using the disk manager in 7 - it is extremely simple to do. i personally would nuke your entire drive (after appropriate backups) and do a full format / install and then if you are really worried about it do something like poppameth suggested and make an image on another drive or media source.

12-07-2009, 10:57 PM	#4
sdsester Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Chicago Posts: 8,918	Windows 7 up-grade My last laptop came with instructions to mirror that partition off somewhere, before doing anything else but enjoy the new computer smell, should anything ever go wrong with the drive it sits on. I burned it to DVDs. I guess an external hard drive would be faster and the things are relatively cheap. I would definitely back it off somewhere. Haven't jumped to 7 yet but can you use the upgrade to do a brand new install on a srubbed disc? Won't it be looking for something existing? Last edited by sdsester; 12-07-2009 at 11:05 PM.

12-08-2009, 08:56 AM	#5
cellophane Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Louisville Posts: 453	Windows 7 up-grade the upgrade disk will allow you to format / install, you usually will have to provide an old software key (vista / XP) to use it though.

Windows 7 up-grade