Hiding partitions for recovery possible?

Hello,

I have a question about hiding partitions:

I own a HP-Notebook. It was delivered with 2 Partitions C (NTFS with the OS) and D (Fat32 as recovery partition).
I added 2 more partitions for my purposes (both NTFS), but now I need to make a recovery of the system with the hp-recovery-dvds and have to find a way to protect my two new partitions.
Is it possible to change that partitions in a way, that the recovery-dvd won't see/notice them?

Regards,
Tom

 

Hi Tom welcome to Wilders

INFO ONLY.
I don't know about your system but my system is basically the same.it has a hidden partition with windows XP on it.
When I do a recovery with the reload CD it only loads windows into the C Partition all other partitions stay the same
I know you can hide partitions because mine is hid and I don't know of any software that can see it or access it.
I'm sure someone with the same system as you will come along and advise

 

Ah, I see .... so if I hide those 2 partitions now with acronis and then start the recovery-dvds, the recovery will only notice c and d (the pre-installed partitions) and leave the hidden ones untouched.
After the recovery I can use Acronis again to unhide them?

 

As I said my post was for INFO ONLY
I'm not too sure what your system will do, I would wait until someone comes along who has done it on the same system as yours.

 

If it were me, I'd backup all the data in the partitions you want to keep (use TI or whatever backup program you use).

Most "Recovery CDs" I've used will restore the computer to a Factory state and that will restore the drive to the same partition structure it had when the computer was sold (your partitions would be lost).

Some Recovery setups give you the option of doing a recovery "over the top" of your current setup (sort of like a Windows Repair Install). You might want to look at the instructions or the Recovery Options available and see what choices you have. Ususally, if you start the procedure it will list the options and tell you what each one will do.

I would still recommend having a backup of any important data. If something goes wrong you don't want to lose anything.

 

I know that the partitions won't be destroyed (from a former recovery), but the recovery installed everything on all partitions (kind of dummy-installs)....of course only the c:-install worked.
But I want to avoid that dummy-installs in the other partitions....

 

Are you saying that the recovery process restored your "Windows System" into each of the partitions instead of only the C: partition?

If so, then give hiding a try and see if it works correctly. I still recommend you have anything important backed up just in case.

 

The recovery installed everything correct on drive c without changing the partitions, but all the data was also copied on the other two partitions.

 

By "all the data" I assume you mean the same data that was copied to the C: drive (\Windows; \Program Files; \Documents and Settings\; etc.).

That is very weird. I have only used "Brand" Recovery Methods when working on other people's computers. Mine are all custom, setup with Microsoft OEM installs or Retail Installs so I can have the computer the way I want it.

If the partitions are hidden, then hopefully the recovery process will leave them alone. Have you tried it yet?