How to prevent a folder from being deleted during a format?

pyro · 16 Jun 2007 at 10:02

I have a T40 IBM laptop, I did a clean installation when I first got it, then realised that IBM instead of having recovery CDs, has all the recovery information on the hard disk. So I though that, naturally, by formatting and installing Windows, the recovery files would be gone.

But nope, they where there and I managed to recover Windows using it. How did that happen? There is just one partition on the drive, there's no Recovery partition, well, I can't see one on the disk defrag anyway, so how come the files are still there even after formatting the drive?

I am going to replace the drive in a bit and I need to know how to find these files and copy them (in a way that they don't get deleted during a format or a recovery) to the new drive.

Also, is it possible to do this on a USB flash disk?

PhillyDee · 16 Jun 2007 at 11:15

It must be on a hidden partition. Nothing in Disk Manager?

pyro · 16 Jun 2007 at 22:11

Nothing

Any ideas? Maybe I can see with some other kind of software?

ByteJuggler · 16 Jun 2007 at 23:15

Are you very sure there's nothing shown in Disk Manager showing for that partition? (Right click My computer->"Manage"->"Disk Management") Does it show as unallocated/empty space then or what? Because it must show that space as *something* in Disk Management, really.

Anyway, Manufacturers disk diagnostics/LiveCD's like Knoppix or other rescue CD's will be able to see/delete the partition in any case and/or delete the entire disk if desired.

silversurfer · 17 Jun 2007 at 16:53

Try partition magic and acronis true image. They should spot it

pyro · 18 Jun 2007 at 22:01

ByteJuggler said:
Anyway, Manufacturers disk diagnostics/LiveCD's like Knoppix or other rescue CD's will be able to see/delete the partition in any case and/or delete the entire disk if desired.

That's why I was baffled, there is only one partition showing, there's nothing else :confused:

Will have a look at Knoppix, ta for that mate!

silversurfer said:
Try partition magic and acronis true image. They should spot it

Jesus it has been ages since I have used partition magic! Will give that a go too if the one Byte Juggler doesn't do it.

p.s. going from an 8meg connection to dial up really is for the lose, you know how much time it takes for a page to open? I am going to have to let the laptop run all night just to dl these