Backup Partition

[carbon6]

I have a HP laptop with 2 partitions, one being the main vista install and the other is a restore partition.

If I were to say format the vista partition to install Win7 would this destroy the boot settings required to enter the restore partition?

I have to press F11 to enter the restore partition buring the boot process, Is that a bios process rather than a command in the vista boot process.

The long and the short of it is that i want to install Win7 and keep the vista restore working so that i can restore the laptop to factory settings if I later sell it.

Any insight would be hepfull...

Thanks.

 

[paradigm]

It completely depends on how the disk's partition table and bootloaders are laid out. It could be BIOS EEPROM based, it could just call a sector of the disk.

The safest way would be to either do a vista > 7 upgrade (assuming keeping the same architecture such as x86 to x86), replace the HDD and do a fresh install, keeping the vista drive intact, or finally ghosting the entire drive to a backup location and re-using the old disk.

Most likely though just going ahead with a format should be ok, as typically the restore partitions are marked as hidden anyway.

 

[TwoSaints]

I have a HP laptop with 2 partitions, one being the main vista install and the other is a restore partition.

If I were to say format the vista partition to install Win7 would this destroy the boot settings required to enter the restore partition?

I have to press F11 to enter the restore partition buring the boot process, Is that a bios process rather than a command in the vista boot process.

The long and the short of it is that i want to install Win7 and keep the vista restore working so that i can restore the laptop to factory settings if I later sell it.

Any insight would be hepfull...

Thanks.

If it helps, on most HP laptops there is a program included which will make a DVD version of the restore partition

I can't remember the name of it as I've not had my HP laptop in a while, but once you have burned the disc it doesn't matter what happens to the partition because you can boot the recovery from your disc.

 

[startrek2]

no using the f11 to invoke restore will not disappear once you format remove vista,,

only if you change c drive ie make another partition will it loose track of the restore but most often these software will keep it so in reality install win7 use and when you want to sell it on u can invoke the restore partition.