Update Recovery Partition

[mpv1887]

i think hp / compaq should create a software update utitlity that would allow a consumer user to update their recovery partition, so that if they had to perform system recovery they wouldn't erase let's say an OS - Operating System upgrade.  ex: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, I'd like to upgrade to HP/Compaq Windows 7 Home Premium.  In other words the recovery partition wouldn't revert to factory installed OS but rather to the OS upgrade.

[N-Dub · Accepted solution]

More than likely, that violates the licensing agreement with Microsoft. At least, I imagine it would. You are talking about two separate copies of separate operating system software. 

[Michaelmarr2100]

I might as well delete the system recovery partition since I do not want to revert my Windows 8 OS to Windows 7 Home Premium.   Nor my Windows 7 Ultimate OS to Windows Vista.  I think Norton Ghost or Acronis will let me populate a partition with a working version of the operating system although the F11 function will no longer be the convenient way to recover.

[Cloud_Strider]

Norton Ghost or Acronis would be two options to restore a system in a more timely fashion than reinstalling the OS.  I typically create an image of the HDD once I complete the installation of the OS.  I have also used CloneZilla to create images and it works quite well for my needs.

[astrotone]

Obviously this doesn't violate any licensing agreement otherwise Microsoft would not offer the upgrade

[astrotone]

By NOT allowing to replace the restore partition with a recovery of the upgraded software,

HP is in fact allowing 2 copies of Microsoft Operating System Software.

One on the live partition and one on the recovery partition.

So why can't the approved Microsoft upgrade be updated to the recovery partition?

[RogerM-Ohio]

Not sure how having a copy of an OS on a hidden partition or even on a DVD or other media would violate the license agreement given you were only running the copy on the running system.

I just finished doing a complete recovery and restore of an HP PC usinf the Win 8 recovery partition. I then did the Win 10 upgrade.  Definately not going to waste that time again so when done I will make an image of the HP and then I can get rid of the recovery partition and have a larger and more useful HD on the PC

22GB just isn't enough space for Win 10 and a reasonable number of apps.

[mdklassen]

> 22GB just isn't enough space for Win 10 and a reasonable number of apps.

Agreed.

How small is your disk-drive, that your 'C:' drive is only 22 GB?

Buy a new SEAGATE or WESTERN DIGITAL disk-drive, and then download the free(!) "disk-cloning" software from the (respective) manufacturer's web-site.  During the "cloning", your 'C:' drive will automatically "expand" to fill all the space on the "target" drive.

[Michaelmarr2100]

Search Youtube for "create recovery partition."

[mdklassen]

> By NOT allowing to replace the restore partition with a recovery of the upgraded software, HP is in fact allowing 2 copies of Microsoft Operating System Software -- one on the live partition and one on the recovery partition. 

Correct, but both are properly "licensed" by Microsoft to be used on the one computer.

Microsoft licensed the original OS to the original manufacturer, as witnessed by the product-decal affixed to the computer's case.

Microsoft either granted the "free upgrade to Windows 10 ending on July 29, 2016" license, or the user purchased a "retail" license for Windows 10.

> So why can't the approved Microsoft upgrade be updated to the recovery partition?

If the upgrade fails, or the user wants to exercise the "30-day back-out" privilege, the original software must be available.

Also, the "system recovery" set of files for Windows 10 might not fit into the disk-space allocated for the original "system recovery" partition.  Ouch!

Basically, it is what it is -- the onus is on the user to "image" or "clone" their original disk-drive, before doing any major upgrade.