New OS: Can I return to old one from recovery partition?

[Muse]

My T60 has the original configuration, still running XP Pro. I intend to upgrade to Windows 7, do a clean install. If I keep the recovery partition, if I so choose, could I restore the original configuration (including XP) even after formatting the larger partition and installing Windows 7?

[emtee3511]

I'm pretty sure that's what the recovery partition is for -- it restores the original factory configuration --

[msb0b]

Make the recovery CD/DVDs. It will restore your ThinkPad to factory configuration regardless of what operating system is on the disk.

[sktn77a]

In principle, your proposal should work just fine. However, who knows what Windows 7 might do to an image that wasn't designed for it. Make the recovery CDs first, just to be on the safe side!

[frankausmtank]

It won't work. Accessing the rnr partition via the 'blue button' on startup involves a special bootloader that gets overwritten when installing the new os. You'll need the recovery cds.

[emtee3511]

I wondered about that -- any thinkpads I upgraded OS have lost the recovery partition? So at least there would be extra space on the unpartitioned drive? Is that right? The original OS can be recovered with the original IBM or Lenovo recovery disks?

Another question -- when you use the recovery disks, would that re-partition the drive -- also, what about the rescue and recovery download from system update -- would that re-partition the drive?

[AIX]

I tested Win 7 and after a week I reverted back to XP _using_ recovery partition - so, the recovery partition was not lost when I upgraded the OS.