reinstalling Windows on x300

[krzysioo]

I've bought x300 with Vista Business, this is my first ThinkPad. I would like to install XP, however, I faced some complications. My computer has some recovery partition, which I wouldn't like to break. As far as I know it is necessary to use ThinkVantage button while booting. Is that true? Vista shows me SW_PRELOAD partition with size of 59,5 GB, while my disk should be 64 GB. Is missing 4.5 GB recovery partition? While I run XP installator, it shows me one partition with size of 61 GB, which seems pretty strange to me. Why is it 61 GB? And why don't I see recovery partition here?

The question is. Is there a way to get rid of Vista, divide my disk into two partitions, install Windows on the first one and Linux on the second one, not damaging recovery partition? Is there any manual how to do it?

[Marin85]

For Vista: Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Disk Management: If there is a hidden partition, you should be able to see it there. Those "64GB" SSDs are actually ~60 GB, hence I´m really wondering if your X300 has a hidden partition. But you should be able to verify this with the method above. Alternatively, you can press the ThinkVantage button in the very beginning of the boot process, this should bring you to the Rescue&Recovery predesktop area, then choose some of the recovery options there and it should respond (you don´t need to start the actual recovery process). If some of those steps fail, then either the predesktop area is broken or you don´t have the hidden partition.

To your question: AFAIK, yes, it´s possible to install XP and Linux in dual-boot configuration and in the same time keep the hidden partition. You simply need to be careful with your preferred partitioning utility. My experience is that the XP installation program doesn´t like multiple partitions (I don´t count the hidden one here), so here is how I see you should proceed:
1. Verify the existence of the hidden partition
2. Install XP on the Vista partition -> if needed, format only the Vista partition
3. After having installed XP, install Rescue&Recovery to restore the predesktop area (AFAIK, that´s the only way you can use the hidden partition for recovery purposes), in my experience if R&R disappears, then so does the predesktop area (or becomes unusable). However, I can´t tell for sure if that will work. But even if you manage to restore it (provided it´s gone after installing XP), it might not remain bootable after the following steps.
5. Use some universal partitioning tool to shrink the windows partition and create the linux partitions on the remaining free space.
6. Install linux on the already created partitions.

The tricky part of all is actually not to keep the hidden partition, but to keep/restore Rescue&Recovery predekstop area. Because otherwise the hidden partition becomes simply unusable (to my best knowledge).

Apart from that, IMHO the best thing you can do is to create recovery CDs after the first boot into Vista Rescue&Recovery. The you could wipe out the hidden partition, thus freeing up some space, and you will be able to restore the ThinkPad to its factory contents (Lenovo preloaded image of Vista) at any time you want.

Hope this helps, and btw welcome to our forum!

Marin