Deleteing the Hidden service partition and Rescue & Reco

[hiyel]

I would like to delete the hidden service partition on my T43. I have done some reading about it on the forum but still I have some questions.

I have my system and applications on the partition c, and all my personal data on partition d. When I do a restore fraom a back up, I would want to reinstall windows and all its settings and all applications that I installed. There are two options when you click to "restore your system" in Rescue and Recovery software. First says "Restore my entire harddrive including personal data and settings", and second says "Restore my Windows OS and applications". The difference between them is not very clear on their descriptions. I read that the first option will wipe the harddrive clean, and delete all partitions. This is not suitable for me since I have all my data in d. So I look to the second option, but the description kinda scares me; it says "This option restores only Windows and "some" application files to a backed up state. What do they mean by some? It sounds like it doesn't format the partition, just replaces the windows files or something, is that correct?

What I would want to do is to format the partition c, install windows and all my apps with out touching the other partitions. Is this possible with this software?

My other question is just make sure that I got this correct so I don't bang my head against the wall later. If I go to create recovery media and do a create product media, I'll have two disks, one called "Rescue and Recovery Start up Disk" which will basically load that little OS that comes up when you hit the blue IBM Access button during boot and I will be able to use Rescue and Recovery software within this OS to do any recovery form a backup. And the second disc (a DVD) will contain the same stuff that's in the hidden partition, and will allow me to do a "restore to factory state". Therefore If I have these two disks, I can delete that partition, is that correct?

Thanks for taking the time.

[croooowe]

OK, it can get a little complicated, so before I write it all out are you still waiting for some help or have you already restored/deleted your partition?

[w0qj]

You strategy should not work... I've tried this exact thing a few weeks ago on my T42s...

a) Make sure you back up your data...
b) Make sure you have full set of verified Product Recovery CD's...

WARNING: Again, below DOES NOT WORK and will result in an unbootable hard drive that requires Product Recovery CD's to fix HDD...


1. I Imaged my HDD with Rescue and Recovery v3.01.0037 released 30-Dec-2005. At that time, my HDD had the Hidden Service Partition, and only the C:\ partition.
==>Hidden Service Partition
==>C:\ partition only


2. Then, I used a disk utility to delete the Hidden Service Partition, and used this freed space to make my new D:\ data partition. ie:
==>Hidden Service Partition
==>C:\ partition
==>D:\ data partition


3. Then I did a R&R restore on this partition setup, R&R SEEMS (mis-leadingly) to have made a complete restore back to.
After FIRST REBOOT, computer seems to work perfectly in all respects.
==>Hidden Service Partition
==>C:\ partition only

******BUT when upon SECOND REBOOT after R&R restore, the HDD was completely UNBOOTABLE.



Finally had to use my Product Recovery CD's to format HDD all over again...

My final solution was to upgrade to a 100 GB notebook HDD that can fit both programs & data onto the C:\ partition (even 60 GB HDD was getting so full I could not defrag it anymore...)

- - - -
WARNING: Again, above DOES NOT WORK and will result in an unbootable hard drive that requires Product Recovery CD's to fix HDD...