I just installed the hard disk and re-installed Vista on my laptop, created a partition D as recovery.
Are the files/configuration of the recovery partition installed automatically? Or do I have to do this?
How-To Geek Forums » Windows Vista
Recovery Partition D
(30 posts)
Txs, WHS, when I re-installed Vista it asked me if I wanted to create the partition and what size, I selected, once installed I opened D and I got the request to format D, now it is empty. Did I do something wrong, is there a way to add the recovery part to D, will this happen if I run the first back-up?
That's a little strange. If you say /D: is empty (i.e. all of the space is marked "Empty" in COMPUTER and there is no folder called "Recovery" in it when you double click on it), Then you seem to have no Recovery Partition. You must have done something different than usual when you reinstalled Vista. If you ever have to reinstall the system again, you'll have to do it with the disk you used to reinstall it now since you would not be able to do it from the non-exsiting Recovery Partition. On the other hand, you can now use /D: to restore your files weekly or monthly or whatever.
NB: What are those "Sharing Folders"?
@whs: The "My Sharing Folders" item is a special folder created by Windows Live Messenger. It has something to do with sharing folders with users on ones Messenger Contact list.
Also why are you referring to the drive as "/D:"? In Windows Explorer it's listed as "D:\".
@FMZ: If you just create and format a partition then the normal function is for it to just be a normal empty data partition.
There is no method builtin to Windows Vista to create a recovery partition.
You can only get one made from the manufacturer of the computer.
You can create a recovery CD/DVD for Vista depending on the version of Vista and what you want the recovery to do.
If you want to create a disk that just repair a Windows Vista install you can download a repair ISO image and burn it to disc.
If you want a disc that installs Windows Vista and your favorite programs all at once you can use an imaging tool to backup the current install to a disc image that can be installed when you want. Windows Vista Ultimate has the ability for a complete backup like that. If you don't have that there are free programs to do it though I don't know how reliable they are.
A recovery CD/DVD is far more useful then a recovery partition as it can be used in the event that your hard drive fails and you get a new one.
The only reason recovery partitions exist is to save the manufacturer money. They save money from not including a recovery CD/DVD with the computer and if a drive fails or something that results in the loss of a recovery partition the customer has to pay them to get a recovery CD/DVD.
@whs: Ok. On the recovery disc creating a recovery partition that is interesting. I didn't know that as I have never used a recovery disc.
I use the normal Windows setup method to install Windows.
On this topic I think FMZ used a normal install disc which doesn't create a recovery partition.
FMZ is probably using an original MS installation disk. That I have never used because all My Vistas came with the box. Maybe FMZ comes back and tells us.
What is interesting in this context is that for File backup Vista grabs the D:-disk as default. For one, because it has to be different from C: and then because it assumes that D: is an empty partition as per the original MS installation procedure. Unfortunately the OEM's populated it with the recovery partition and quite a few guys ran into trouble when they were not watching and changing the partition/device assignments during their first file backup. One would think, that the OEM's could have picked a different partition letter (unless the lettering MUST be contiguous).
I guess the synopsis of this discussion is:
1. If you have an original MS Vista installation, there is no recovery partition. But you have the installation disk for reinstallation which is even better in case of hardware failure.
2. OEM installations have a recovery partition which serves 2 purposes:
a. To burn your own recovery disk (once)
b. To reinstall from there in case of software problems. Won't help much though if the Sata disk is damaged.
3. An OEM recovery disk creates a new recovery partition during a Vista reinstallation.
First I would keep the 10GB's for your weekly or monthly file backups (unless you use an external disk for that).
Then, you can shrink the D: (type "Change Partition Size" - without quotes - into the Help and Support window). It will tell you how to go about it. You can use the freed space to create an E: partition but I don't think you can add it to C:.
If you don't need the 10 GB partition, you can go to Disk Management, delete the partition, right click on the C: partition and click expand to make it take the space that partition took.
Note: Windows XP only has the expand feature for disks. If you decide to shrink the partition again for a new partition you will need to use GParted to shrink it.
Most likely though you only need the C: partition unless you are dualbooting or something like that.
Note 2: If the partition is empty I would recommend doing the above to remove it and expand the C: partition to use it.
You should get another disk or other device for backup. That would be better then using another partition for backup as it could be used in the event of a failure of the main hard drive.
Note 3 (Response to whs recovery question): The drive letters are first assigned by Windows how it sees fit.
Usually you can change the letter to anything you want after that in Windows.
I have no idea if when making a recovery partition the drive letter is configurable. It would depend on how much can be changed about the Windows installation that is installed.
If it can be then I think it was a big mistake to assign the letter D: to the recovery partition.
Windows 2000 and up have to ability to make volume mount points.
So in that case the recovery partition could be set to be accessed at the path "C:\RecoveryPartition".
Then it's clear to users who see it what is it and normal users don't see it at all. I don't think the backup program would list mount points in it's list either.
Maybe you did not stay in Disk Management. Try this:
Extending Windows Vista Partitions:
This allows you to extend a partition or merge two partitions. Follow these steps.
Step 1: The options are available at ‘Disk Management’.
Start Menu -> Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> Administrative Tools -> Double Click Computer Management -> Storage -> Disk Management.
Step 2: Now, right click the partition you want to extend and select the extend option.
Step 3: Click Next in the Extend Volume Wizard.
Step 4: It will list all the free space available that you can add to the particular partition that you want to extend.
Step 5: Select the amount of amount of space that you want to extend in by.
Step 6: Click Next and Confirm and Finish. That’s it! You have extended the partition.
PS: You can start by typing COMP into the Start Search field. That gets you directly to Computer Management
Hmm, Don't know what to say. This is the standard procedure that I just pasted for you (except for the first and last lines). I am as puzzled as you. Check this out. Maybe that works:
@whs: So you say a recovery dvd for an hp windows vista system re-installs the recovery partition if needed? its weird cuz i was just now online chatting with an hp rep telling me it wouldn't... maybe she was misinformed? I think my recovery partition is corrupt and I want to completely format it and reinstall it. I was dual-booting with xp (vista native machine) and i tried to install quickplay on xp and think I may have corrupted something cuz my vista quickplay is acting up and only installs dvdplay on update and restore... but thats another issue altogether :-(
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