How to check which os on a recovery partition?

[dorronto]

Maybe an off the wall question but I get laptops which do not have the original os. There seems to be a recovery partition on the hard drive. How can I tell which os is actually on the hard drive. Using a Linux cd to read the partition????

Thanks,
Ron

[Brad]

I can't think of a way. You may find a tool to read the image files but even then how would you know. If it was me I would clone the drive including the recovery partition and then use the clone to begin a recovery. After the recovery is complete you may have your answer.

Of course you can just use the exisitng drive without cloning if you don't care about what is on the main partition.

Brad

[RealBlackStuff]

The images seem to have been made with some version of Powerquest DriveImage.
I think they have/had an Image-Explorer or something like that.
I have that program somewhere in one of over 70 (!) boxes in the basement, but am not willing to hunt for it...

[diaz1023]

just a thought, but wont the COA sticker on the bottom of the machine tell you what the original OS was?

[Harryc]

diaz1023 has a very good point. I am not 100% sure that it is even possible to install a R&R image of an OS that is not on the COA for that machine. Good question though, I've never tried it personally. The drivers and HAL would be insanely messed up for starters.

[RealBlackStuff]

The COA is not decisive.
I have e.g. Restore disks for a T23 (which also work on T20/21/22 and others) for both W2K and XPP.
Since you can install both of them regardless of COA, that check-method is non-conclusive.

[robert213]

What is the size of your hidden partition? Maybe this info might help???

I have a T30 running Windows XP Pro.

Norton's Partition Magic says that the IBM_SERVICE partition is:
1,490.0 used + 208.0 unused = 1,698 total KB

Windows Disk Management says that the IBM_SERVICE partition is:
File System: FAT32 Capacity: 1.66GB Free Space: 208MB

[GomJabbar]

I was able to look at my Service Partition from Mandriva Linux 2009.1. I found the file boot.ini in the root directory. Here is the contents of that file.

Code: Select all

[boot loader]
timeout=0
default=C:\
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(7)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
C:\ = "PC-DOS"

I also see some files named the following:
win51
win51ip
win51ip.sp1

I'll hazard a guess that means I have Windows XP Professional SP1 in the Service Partition.

[diaz1023]

i know that one time i was trying to fix a computer for a friend and did not have the recovery Cd's i made the recovery partition active and was able to restore the system that way, but it can tell you what os you have before fully restoring

[dorronto]

Thanks for all the comments so far, appreciate them....

Ron

[archer6]

I have that program somewhere in one of over 70 (!) boxes in the basement, but am not willing to hunt for it...

Thanks for sharing. I feel better already as I'm not up to 70 boxes yet, but I certainly have some sorting to do...ha..ha..ha..
.
Cheers!