Which disk partition I can't delete without future problems

[Bulva]

Hi,

I need create simple disk partition but I can't because there are four primary disk partitions - System, HP Tools, HP Recovery and C. So my ask is which of these can I delete and keep current win functionality. I am not sure if HP Tools is not needed for recovery disk and I find that on System disk are important informations which are using by system.

Can I backup HP Tools disk on CD and computer will still work? Or it is better idea backup recovery disk? Information on internet are various. On one website says delete HP tools on the other says delete System. But there are other sizes of this disk than I have. My HP Tools partition have 2,4 Gb and System 300mb.

Thanks for reply

[erico · Accepted solution]

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@Bulva wrote:

Hi,

I need create simple disk partition but I can't because there are four primary disk partitions - System, HP Tools, HP Recovery and C. So my ask is which of these can I delete and keep current win functionality. I am not sure if HP Tools is not needed for recovery disk and I find that on System disk are important informations which are using by system.

Can I backup HP Tools disk on CD and computer will still work? Or it is better idea backup recovery disk? Information on internet are various. On one website says delete HP tools on the other says delete System. But there are other sizes of this disk than I have. My HP Tools partition have 2,4 Gb and System 300mb.

Thanks for reply

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HP_Tools partition has the Diagnostics

Recovery partition has the recovery manager that can be accessed with an F11 keystroke from powering it on.

System partition is required by the OS

C partition contains the OS and is also where you store everything and run the programs from.

If you have created a usb recovery flashdrive or disk set with the HP recover media creator already, then you can safely delete the recovery partition. Be aware that you will lose the built in functionality of having the recovery manager. F11 will no longer do anything.

[Bulva]

So do you think it is the best choice create backup USB and remove HP_Recovery partition.

Thanks for first reply

[erico]

If you don't create the HP Recovery flashdrive, you will be making a big mistake. That is the copy of the operating system and drivers that you paid for when you purchased the noptebook.

Once the HP Recovery media creator reports that the flashdrive was created successfully, you can safely delete the recovery partition.

The recovery partition is not really that large of a partition.

If I may ask, Why is it that you feel that you just have to have another partition?

[Bulva]

I need install linux distribution because of school and it needs for proper work some partitions.

[erico]

OK.  

Then as long as you have made the usb Recovery flashdrive all is good.

It gives you a plan B, just in case.

[Bulva]

Thanks a lot for you help.

I have a next one question - please could you provide me link for download HP recovery media creation? I don't have this program in my pc and it looks that I remove HP support asisstant probably because he still downloaded me bad driver for wifi  which ends with blue screen.

I can't find downloads in ProBook 4330s section on HP website.

[erico]

See the following image that was created on my current HP product loan Omen 15. Even though I have already created recovery media, the app is still there because I have not done anything other than run a couple of Factory image recoveries for practice. 

[skyeplus]

May I make a suggestion to HP to avoid that scheme in the future and allocate fourth partition as logical or even better, move to GPT style partitioning. This same question appears over and over again for people trying to install linux or allocate a separate partition for data.

[skyeplus]

This worked for me.

Initial disk layout was:
[...System...] [...Disk C:\ (Windows)...] [...D:\ (HP_RECOVERY)...] [...E:\ (HP_TOOLS)...]

End result:

[...System...] [...Disk C:\ (Windows)...<shrinked>] [...D:\ (HP_RECOVERY)...] [Extended partition[...E:\ (HP_TOOLS)...]

First we need to allocate free space.
- In Windows open disk management (Right click on 'My Computer' -> Manage -> Disk Management)
- Shrink disk C:\ (Windows) by the size you want to allocate for linux plus a little extra

For the next steps you will need a linux LiveCD  with GParted and fixparts. Ubuntu will do fine.
Boot to linux and start GParted.

- Move recovery partition (disk D:\) to front and apply changes

For the next part I assume your hard drive/SSD is /dev/sda. Open a terminal and run 'sudo fixparts /dev/sda'. Fixparts can convert primary partition to logical.

 - Type 'p' (print) to see if partition table is read correctly. You should see 4 preinstalled partitions.
 - Type 'l' (set partition as logical), then number 4 (HP_TOOLS partition)
 - Type 'w' to write changes to the partition table

Fixparts essentially wraps the target partition in extended partition and change it's type to logical. It requires unalocated space in front of partition, but that's what we have done in previous steps.

Return back to GParted
 - Move/resize extended partition to occupy all remaing space
 - Move HP_TOOLS partition to the front inside the extended partition
 - Apply changes

Now you have unallocated space. You could continue allocating partitions for a new linux or you can do it later during installation process.

I was worried if moving partition would break HP Diagnostics (F2 during boot) and HP Recovery (F11), but it seems to be ok. Diagnostic tests worked fine. I didn't run actual recovery, but it's loading to recovery manager shell as usual and I assume it will also be ok.