Removing the hidden partition

Just got my Dell E520 with Vista. I ended up formatting due to a
larger than expected amount of bloatware on the system.

When re-installing Windows, I was able to remove the Dell backup
partition. But under disk management in Windows I'm still seeing a
"hidden" 39 meg partition with no option to delete. How do I get rid
of this? Do I have to use Fdisk outside of Windows to remove it or is
there some other way? I don't mind reinstalling Windows one more time
if needed.

Why? It's 37 MEG, not GIG.

It contains the Dell built-in diagnostics. You access them with CTRL +
ALT + D at the Dell logo. I'd keep them around.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tracy [mailto:muppettracy@hotmail.com]
> Posted At: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 3:46 PM
> Posted To: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
> Conversation: Removing the hidden partition
> Subject: Removing the hidden partition
>
> Just got my Dell E520 with Vista. I ended up formatting due to a
> larger than expected amount of bloatware on the system.
>
> When re-installing Windows, I was able to remove the Dell backup
> partition. But under disk management in Windows I'm still seeing a
> "hidden" 39 meg partition with no option to delete. How do I get rid
> of this? Do I have to use Fdisk outside of Windows to remove it or is
> there some other way? I don't mind reinstalling Windows one more time
> if needed.

I just thought it would be better to clear out the entire drive since
the diagnostics were on CD when/if they were needed.

I used to delete it. I leave it there now. Your choice.

Tracy <muppettracy@hotmail.com> wrote in news:1182973577.240355.202340
@w5g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:

> Just got my Dell E520 with Vista. I ended up formatting due to a
> larger than expected amount of bloatware on the system.
>
> When re-installing Windows, I was able to remove the Dell backup
> partition. But under disk management in Windows I'm still seeing a
> "hidden" 39 meg partition with no option to delete. How do I get rid
> of this? Do I have to use Fdisk outside of Windows to remove it or is
> there some other way? I don't mind reinstalling Windows one more time
> if needed.
>

I'd leave it there, too. My dad gave his 1 1/2 year old XPHome, Dell
8400 to a friend. I was going to reformat/partition the hard drive to
delete all data, but I didn't want to hang around to reinstall XP and all
other apps for his friend. I decided to reset to factory conditions and
used the restore function to do that. It took under five minutes. Came
in very handy, and at only 39MB, that's only a dozen or so medium bit
rate mp3s.

<Boris> wrote in message news:O6-dnWi_s9p66RnbnZ2dnUVZ_ompnZ2d@comcast.com...
> Tracy <muppettracy@hotmail.com> wrote in news:1182973577.240355.202340

>> When re-installing Windows, I was able to remove the Dell backup
>> partition. But under disk management in Windows I'm still seeing a
>> "hidden" 39 meg partition with no option to delete. How do I get rid
>> of this? ..

> I'd leave it there, too. My dad gave his 1 1/2 year old XPHome, Dell
> 8400 to a friend. I was going to reformat/partition the hard drive to
> delete all data, but I didn't want to hang around to reinstall XP and all
> other apps for his friend. I decided to reset to factory conditions and
> used the restore function to do that. It took under five minutes. Came
> in very handy, and at only 39MB, that's only a dozen or so medium bit
> rate mp3s.

How does leaving the 39 MB diagnostic partition help in terms of
utilizing the X GB backup partition?

Do you believe the Dell restore process caused all of the data on the
OS partition to be wiped?

Except that the 39MB partition isn't the restore partition, it is the
diags partition. The bigger hidden partition (around 5-8GB) is the
restore partition. He already blew that one away.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Boris [mailto:Boris]
> Posted At: Thursday, June 28, 2007 10:57 PM
> Posted To: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell
> Conversation: Removing the hidden partition
> Subject: Re: Removing the hidden partition
>
> Tracy <muppettracy@hotmail.com> wrote in news:1182973577.240355.202340
> @w5g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:
>
> > Just got my Dell E520 with Vista. I ended up formatting due to a
> > larger than expected amount of bloatware on the system.
> >
> > When re-installing Windows, I was able to remove the Dell backup
> > partition. But under disk management in Windows I'm still seeing a
> > "hidden" 39 meg partition with no option to delete. How do I get rid
> > of this? Do I have to use Fdisk outside of Windows to remove it or
is
> > there some other way? I don't mind reinstalling Windows one more
time
> > if needed.
> >
>
> I'd leave it there, too. My dad gave his 1 1/2 year old XPHome, Dell
> 8400 to a friend. I was going to reformat/partition the hard drive to
> delete all data, but I didn't want to hang around to reinstall XP and
> all
> other apps for his friend. I decided to reset to factory conditions
> and
> used the restore function to do that. It took under five minutes.
> Came
> in very handy, and at only 39MB, that's only a dozen or so medium bit
> rate mp3s.

There is no way that 39MB can hold a restore image of Windows XP. It
requires at least 400 to 600MB.


Boris wrote:
> Tracy <muppettracy@hotmail.com> wrote in news:1182973577.240355.202340
> @w5g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:
>
>> Just got my Dell E520 with Vista. I ended up formatting due to a
>> larger than expected amount of bloatware on the system.
>>
>> When re-installing Windows, I was able to remove the Dell backup
>> partition. But under disk management in Windows I'm still seeing a
>> "hidden" 39 meg partition with no option to delete. How do I get rid
>> of this? Do I have to use Fdisk outside of Windows to remove it or is
>> there some other way? I don't mind reinstalling Windows one more time
>> if needed.
>>
>
> I'd leave it there, too. My dad gave his 1 1/2 year old XPHome, Dell
> 8400 to a friend. I was going to reformat/partition the hard drive to
> delete all data, but I didn't want to hang around to reinstall XP and all
> other apps for his friend. I decided to reset to factory conditions and
> used the restore function to do that. It took under five minutes. Came
> in very handy, and at only 39MB, that's only a dozen or so medium bit
> rate mp3s.

I guess that compressing the Windows restore image with lossy JPEG won't do it?
Maybe that's what happened to Windows to introduce all the bugs? The other day
in another newsgroup someone asked if the Windows OS restore image was burned
into the system BIOS... Ben Myers

On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:43:58 -0400, Barry Watzman <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com>
wrote:

>There is no way that 39MB can hold a restore image of Windows XP. It
>requires at least 400 to 600MB.
>
>
>Boris wrote:
>> Tracy <muppettracy@hotmail.com> wrote in news:1182973577.240355.202340
>> @w5g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:
>>
>>> Just got my Dell E520 with Vista. I ended up formatting due to a
>>> larger than expected amount of bloatware on the system.
>>>
>>> When re-installing Windows, I was able to remove the Dell backup
>>> partition. But under disk management in Windows I'm still seeing a
>>> "hidden" 39 meg partition with no option to delete. How do I get rid
>>> of this? Do I have to use Fdisk outside of Windows to remove it or is
>>> there some other way? I don't mind reinstalling Windows one more time
>>> if needed.
>>>
>>
>> I'd leave it there, too. My dad gave his 1 1/2 year old XPHome, Dell
>> 8400 to a friend. I was going to reformat/partition the hard drive to
>> delete all data, but I didn't want to hang around to reinstall XP and all
>> other apps for his friend. I decided to reset to factory conditions and
>> used the restore function to do that. It took under five minutes. Came
>> in very handy, and at only 39MB, that's only a dozen or so medium bit
>> rate mp3s.

On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:43:58 -0400, Barry Watzman
<WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote:

>There is no way that 39MB can hold a restore image of Windows XP. It
>requires at least 400 to 600MB.
>

Barry, I think he just mixed up some of the sizes. Probably the
39megs is the partition with diagnostics. Bottom line is I think you
are correct. Sometimes tho it might get confusing as Dell puts 2 or 3
special partitions on a new hd (ie: diagnostics, backup, recovery and
who knows what else?? ).

Actually I just wipe them all off as I don't trust any corporation wrt
to spyware, etc... . Then I just make my own special partition so I
know what I actually have or don't have as well as the size of the
partition .