I will find that hidden partition and KILL THE BASTARD

Dear god, I've searched Google and these forums and I have no idea how to unhide the recovery partition. Please, somebody, please tell me how to get rid of it. If I install my copy of Windows Vista Ultimate, the recovery partition isn't going to work anyway, so I might as well reclaim that ~5GB of space. I'M DYING HERE PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP!!!

 

Pop in a dos disk and fdisk that sucker

Bootdisk.com has some utilities if windows doesn't want to format the hidden partition.

 

Did you try a utility like GPartEd? It should see hidden NTFS partitions without problem, since it works from a Linux LiveCD. And it'll let you reformat and resize your partitions how you want much more easily than the Vista installer.

 

I deleted it very easily using diskpart from within Windows.

 

Is there a way to restore the partition onto a new drive? That way when I go to sell it, it's like I bought it...

 

Here's the thing: I'm actually fine with the ThinkVantage software and partition as long as it works. I know for a fact (after I tried it) that installing a clean copy of Vista will screw up the ThinkVantage feature even if you keep the hidden partition untouched. My question is: is it possible to keep the ThinkVantage software working while being able to install a version of Vista that didn't come with the computer?

 

what do you mean it screwed it up... did the button not work on boot anymore?
or did you just not get the software working after install?

i would also like to know the answer to your question.

 

Well I reinstalled all the drivers that came with my T61 and everything seems to be working fine instead of two things. First, Rescue and Recovery has been 100% hosed and so has Client Security Solution. I'm currently debating whether or not to just deal without them as R&R would only reinstall Vista basic for me anyway, but then again, CSS can manage fingerprinting for websites.....

 

I am also curious. I installed vista on my T60, but i'm having problems with the CSS and R&R. Every time I try to install R&R it fails out (I can't remember why, its been a while since i've tried), and every time I boot I get the UAC warning about CSS trying to start, but CSS will never be able to activate.

As for saving website passwords and such, i'm not worried about the software doing that, I simply want to be able to use my fingerprint to login to windows. I'm going to be doing a clean install of Vista Ultimate soon, and I'm hoping to get it right. I'm seriously considering deleting the hidden partition because i've paid for a 100 gb hard drive and I will probably need the extra space when all is said and done. I guess what we need to determine is if the CSS taps into the recovery partition or not.

 

I use Acronis True Image to save the entire Hardrive including the nasty partitions before wiping it all off and install XP.

 

I got everything to work again. Here's exactly what I did:

1. Backed-up the c:\swtools\drivers directory

2. Clean installed Vista Ultimate

3. Installed and ran System Update 3.

4. Installed any missing drivers that System Update 3 didn't catch from the directory I backed up, including but not limited to (sorry, I don't remember all, just double click all the setup files and see if you already have them installed):
*Fingerprint software
*Webcam
*Ultranav (Touchpad/Touchpoint)
*Keyboard Hotkeys
*Bluetooth
In short, System Update 3 touches on the essentials, but not everything!

5. Installed Rescue and Recovery which seemed to reconnect, if you will, the ThinkVantage button and the pre-OS environment. I even got the option to do a factory restore back.

6. Installed Client Security Solution and it worked fine.

7. I plan to backup my new setup with R&R so I don't have to go through this crap again.

 

I decided to delete my hidden partition and this method worked like a charm. Reps to you all the way.

 

Any tips on how to use diskpart?

also, are you able to use the fingerprint reader on websites? Ive only got it working on Vista login

 

Quick Googling does the trick:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300415

 

If I remember it correctly, you only need to boot into BIOS, and there are three options there for that hidden partition: 1) Hidden & Protected 2) Unhidden & Protected 3) Unhidden & UnProtected. Choose option 3), and you can do anything to that partition (delete, modify, and so on).

 

alrighty, diskpark works great. thanks.
So if we are doing Vista Ultimate clean installs, there is no need to save the hidden partition? Does it serve no purpose because it could not be used to recover anyways?

 

Pretty much the only reason why'd you want to keep it is if you are too lazy or DVD-R deprived to burn your own copies of the recovery disk that resotres your computer to factory settings. Otherwise, it's just eating up your HD, piece by piece.

 

Johnny thanks for the link but I must admit it's a little out of my league. Since it is a command line structure was there a particular command you just typed in that took care of that extra partition? I assume this isn't the actual rescue and recovery program partition but the other hidden partition with the system restore files? What is it again, X: I think? As I don't want to delete the ability to get to recovery and restore, just the hidden partition specifically.

Any help would be great, thanks.
S

 

No drive letter is assigned to it, and you don't need drive letters in diskpart. Just use the function to bring up the list of partitions (partition 0, partition 1, partition 2, partition 3, so on and so forth) and then refer the command to delete partitions to the particular partition number. Don't forget to use the override function as your system protects the hidden bastard.

I don't remember the exact specifics on what the functions are, they should be in the link somewhere.

 

Thanks I'll try that. So just to check before I do this, I assume this will erase the hidden partition but not the actual restore and recovery program correct (Those are two different hidden partitions?) I use that to restore my saved backups so I don't want to lose it. However I guess if needed I could always just use the recovery disks to boot up restore and recovery and then choose restore from USB?

And when I do the diskpart functions it doesn't affect my current system in any way, it should run fine as normal without a clean install?

Thanks again.

 

i just formatted the whole disk since i run Slackware on all my comps

 

Yes to both questions.

 

I used diskpart to delete the hidden partition which was around 6 GB. Now it shows only one partition, but the 6 GB space is lost.
Now how am i supposed to get back this amount of disk to my main partition?

Can anyone help me?

 

Best you can do is delete the other partition and then create a new one that emcompasses both old partitions. This, unfortunately, involves formatting the entire HD.

Here's an analogy. You had a loft filled with crap, so you moved all the crap out of the loft. You want to combine the loft with your bedroom, so before tearing down the wall, you needed to move your stuff out of your bedroom too. After that, you tore down the wall and also pulled up all the carpets and wallpaper and repainted and put in new marble flooring.

Now you have a bad ass bedroom.

 

I want a bedroom like that!

 

Johny I liked the analogy
But I found a different solution, I decided to convert my loft to a bathroom......... Hence I have both my bedroom and bathroom in the same house.................................
Using Vista's disk management tool I created a new volume on the deleted hidden partition and assigned it a new drive letter......As a result I now have 2 partitions one with 106 GB and the other with 6GB and both are accessible to me.........................

 

Acronis makes some awesome software and they have some awesome representatives. If you were you I would give them a call and ask them what to do. They will be sure to sell you a product to meet your needs