removing hidden partition

[Marin85]

Hi,

since I need some more disk space on my ThinkPad and the hidden partition is totally useless to me I just want to ask if there is a way to entirely remove/erase the hidden partition from my HD in order to free some GBs.
Thanks in advance.

M.

[andyP]

You need to go into BIOS - Security and disable the pre desktop area. If I remember correctly you have 3 options; safe, normal and disabled. Once disabled you can delete / format the partition in drive management.

Are you sure you don't need it? Have you burned recovery cds?

[carbon_unit]

Yes, Be sure to make the recovery discs before blowing the recovery partition away. You might need them someday.

[Marin85]

Hi,
thx for your replies, guys. Well, the actual problem is that my TP has had many software problems since the very beginning. Additionally, it has been already checked for hardware issues. The techies stated they didn´t find out anything.
I reinstalled my system many many times using the hidden partition but it didn´t help much as I got a plenty of software errors again and again. Eventually, the predesktop area doesn´t work itself (I think this happened after updating the R&R). I called Lenovo and now they are about to send me the recovery_CDs.
I´m not a "softi" but it seems to me as though all issues come from the preinstallation which I - in fact - reproduced every time I used the hidden partition. I tried out almost everything possible: RFA Platinum, System Mechanic, TuneUp utilities, XP booster and other software of that kind but actually it made things worse. RFA Platinum seems to be good software; however, I´m almost sure it made my USBs almost useless as they can now identify only my printer (I have always corrected only the green/safe entries). I could observe a good "correlation" between using RFA and loosing my USBs, although probabely I don´t understand the reasons for it.
This was really annoying, but after Lenovo says the hardware is ok I can´t do much, can I...
Now I hope by reinstalling everything using the recovery CDs things may change.
I also have made the following observation: when my laptop gets hotter (for exampe by using it longer time), XP refuses to open some applications or it makes it really slowly.
O, sry, guys, it became now a thread about a completely other issue, but, you see, it´s almost hopeless
I´ve posted many times about different problems, but they are somehow too much to be resolved here.

Thanks again for your replies!

M.