Install Windows XP on computer that has “System Reserved” partition?

[n3wb13]

My computer has Windows 7 pre-installed and it comes with 3 normal partitions plus a Recovery Partition and a "System Reserved" partition. I want to delete Windows 7 and install Windows XP but I don't know how to deal with this "System Reserved" partition (which is assigned with drive letter "C") and it seems to be dangerous to remove it. Can anybody help me please

[jaclaz]

My computer has Windows 7 pre-installed and it comes with 3 normal partitions plus a Recovery Partition and a "System Reserved" partition. I want to delete Windows 7 and install Windows XP but I don't know how to deal with this "System Reserved" partition (which is assigned with drive letter "C") and it seems to be dangerous to remove it. Can anybody help me please

I am not sure I get it.

The actual problem in your setup is preserving (if needed) the "recovery partition" (AND the whatever way it is used to access it if needed).

Is it a laptop? (usually desktop don't have "recovery partitions")

Which EXACT make/model?

Are you sure you want to delete Windows 7?

Basically on some setups Windows 7 uses two partitions (the "system reserved" and a "normal" one) instead of a single one.

There is no problem (if you REALLY want to get rid of Windows 7) to delete both partitions and install XP.

jaclaz

[n3wb13]

My computer has Windows 7 pre-installed and it comes with 3 normal partitions plus a Recovery Partition and a "System Reserved" partition. I want to delete Windows 7 and install Windows XP but I don't know how to deal with this "System Reserved" partition (which is assigned with drive letter "C") and it seems to be dangerous to remove it. Can anybody help me please

I am not sure I get it.

The actual problem in your setup is preserving (if needed) the "recovery partition" (AND the whatever way it is used to access it if needed).

Is it a laptop? (usually desktop don't have "recovery partitions")

Which EXACT make/model?

Are you sure you want to delete Windows 7?

Basically on some setups Windows 7 uses two partitions (the "system reserved" and a "normal" one) instead of a single one.

There is no problem (if you REALLY want to get rid of Windows 7) to delete both partitions and install XP.

jaclaz

I'm sorry for confusing. It's a laptop (Sony Vaio YB15FG). I want to keep the Recovery Partition in case I want to revert the computer back to Windows 7. My current Windows 7 (Home Premium 64-bit) uses two partitions (yes the "System Reserved" and a "normal" one). Some sites say deleting the "System Reserved" partition will make the computer unable to boot to the installed Windows 7 but I'm not sure if this action will affect the Recovery Partition or not? And If I deleted both of those partitions and install XP, will I ever be able to use the Recovery Partition to re-install Windows 7 again? I have took a screenshot of my Disk Management there : http://i.imgur.com/L41ve.png

[jaclaz]

I'm sorry for confusing. It's a laptop (Sony Vaio YB15FG). I want to keep the Recovery Partition in case I want to revert the computer back to Windows 7. My current Windows 7 (Home Premium 64-bit) uses two partitions (yes the "System Reserved" and a "normal" one). Some sites say deleting the "System Reserved" partition will make the computer unable to boot to the installed Windows 7 but I'm not sure if this action will affect the Recovery Partition or not? And If I deleted both of those partitions and install XP, will I ever be able to use the Recovery Partition to re-install Windows 7 again? I have took a screenshot of my Disk Management there : http://i.imgur.com/L41ve.png

It depends on the specific "mechanism" the "Recovery partition" is actually started on your specific machine.

Basically there are THREE main "ways" a provision to boot the "recovery" partition:

1. from an internal BIOS provision
   
2. from a "special" MBR code provision
   
3. from the BOOTMGR provision
   

If case #1 you can do whatever you want.

If case #2 you MUST backup the MBR code "as is" and restore it after having installed the XP.

If case #3 you NEED to have the BOOTMGR still be the "main" bootmanager (i.e. you will have to backup it and the BCD and restore it after the XP install AND add to it a provision to boot XP).

Additionally to the above the actual program that restores the system may "want" some specific settings in the partitioning scheme, or a given (hardcoded) size for the "target" partition or *whatever* else .

To find out which is which, the only thing is experimenting, to do this SAFELY you will need a dd-like (or "forensic sound") image of the disk, so that IF anything bad happens you have a way out.

AT THE VERY LEAST, you will need to backup a bunch of sectors, including the MBR the PBR's of the current partitions, the BOOTMGR and the \boot\BCD before even thinking of messing with that hard disk.

Also, those laptops should have a provision to make a set of "recovery" CD's or DVD's, if this is the case, NOW it's the perfect time to create them (itf you haven't already done so.

Even better, - IF possible - would be to create ADDITIONALLY a 7 install media, something like what is detailed here:

jaclaz

[n3wb13]

It depends on the specific "mechanism" the "Recovery partition" is actually started on your specific machine.

Basically there are THREE main "ways" a provision to boot the "recovery" partition:

1. from an internal BIOS provision
   
2. from a "special" MBR code provision
   
3. from the BOOTMGR provision
   

If case #1 you can do whatever you want.

If case #2 you MUST backup the MBR code "as is" and restore it after having installed the XP.

If case #3 you NEED to have the BOOTMGR still be the "main" bootmanager (i.e. you will have to backup it and the BCD and restore it after the XP install AND add to it a provision to boot XP).

Additionally to the above the actual program that restores the system may "want" some specific settings in the partitioning scheme, or a given (hardcoded) size for the "target" partition or *whatever* else .

To find out which is which, the only thing is experimenting, to do this SAFELY you will need a dd-like (or "forensic sound") image of the disk, so that IF anything bad happens you have a way out.

AT THE VERY LEAST, you will need to backup a bunch of sectors, including the MBR the PBR's of the current partitions, the BOOTMGR and the \boot\BCD before even thinking of messing with that hard disk.

Also, those laptops should have a provision to make a set of "recovery" CD's or DVD's, if this is the case, NOW it's the perfect time to create them (itf you haven't already done so.

Even better, - IF possible - would be to create ADDITIONALLY a 7 install media, something like what is detailed here:

jaclaz

Thank you so much for your detailed explanation. Actually my laptop doesn't have an optical drive and even no "recovery" CD's or DVD's therefore I rely all on this Recovery Partition. To play with the hard disk for experimenting now is definitely not a good idea for such a newbie to me I have backed up my Windows 7 license so even deleting this Recovery Partition (Sony surely gets a lot of bloatwares on this partition) and "System Reserved" partition is not a problem as I can re-installed Windows 7 any time and restore the license back, but I think this will void (or affect) my warranty

Edited December 19, 2011 by n3wb13

[n3wb13]

BTW I think booting to Recovery Partition on my laptop is from an internal BIOS provision because when the computer is stopped and I press the "Assist" key on the keyboard (not the power button), the computer automatically turns on and boot to that partition

[jaclaz]

I have backed up my Windows 7 license so even deleting this Recovery Partition (Sony surely gets a lot of bloatwares on this partition) and "System Reserved" partition is not a problem as I can re-installed Windows 7 any time and restore the license back, but I think this will void (or affect) my warranty

Having backed up the license does not really mean that you will be able to re-install Windows 7 using a "generic" media, Sony, HP and similar "large OEM's" have a knack for adding *any* type of "road-blocks".

It is very possible that your backup is only valid for the specific install that you can get through the recovery partition.

BTW YB15FG is not found on the Sony site, are you sure about the model number?

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-find.pl?mdl=YB15FG

can you try and find it?

jaclaz

[Tripredacus]

Since it seems that Sony uses a separate method for booting, we couldn't say exactly how that recovery software works. What is the assist key? Is it a function key?

[n3wb13]

Having backed up the license does not really mean that you will be able to re-install Windows 7 using a "generic" media, Sony, HP and similar "large OEM's" have a knack for adding *any* type of "road-blocks".

It is very possible that your backup is only valid for the specific install that you can get through the recovery partition.

BTW YB15FG is not found on the Sony site, are you sure about the model number?

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-find.pl?mdl=YB15FG

can you try and find it?

jaclaz

It was my mistypo. My model number is YA15FG and here is the link : http://www.sony-asia.com/product/vpcya15fg

Since it seems that Sony uses a separate method for booting, we couldn't say exactly how that recovery software works. What is the assist key? Is it a function key?

I think it's a function key and I took a picture of it there : http://i.imgur.com/W6MEi.jpg On the side of the laptop is the power button which has green light.

Edited December 19, 2011 by n3wb13

[Tripredacus]

Well the Assist button is not a function key. It may be related to HotStart, or it could just have a macro assigned to it by the OS. The instructions say that the notebook needs to be on to use it. By "on" does it mean when you are in Windows? Or does it work if you are in the BIOS?

So we would need to know exactly how this button works, in addition to how recovery works on this notebook. If it is controlled by Windows (or HotStart) the removal of said Windows would make the button inoperable. Can pressing any other button during boot get into recovery too? What about using F8, do you see the "Repair your computer" option in the Windows 7 boot manager?

TBH since the possibility of losing the ability to use your recovery partition is possible in this case, it is advisable to connect a USB DVD-RW drive and burn those Recovery Discs as a fallback.

[n3wb13]

I have restarted the computer to try :

- It doesn't need to be on to use this button. When the notebook really turned off (Windows is shut-down, the green light in the picture above is off too), if the "Assist" button is pressed, then the notebook starts as normal (the green light is now on) except that it go to the recovery mode (Vaio Care Rescue)

- When I press this button in BIOS, nothing happened.

- When I press "F8" while loading Windows, there is an option "Repair Your Computer", however it won't come to the recovery mode (Vaio Care Rescue).

- When I'm in Windows and press the button, an application shows up.

I want to backup the recovery partition but is it OK to use a software to do it or I have to burn it to a disc (if so I don't know how to make it bootable to )?

[Tripredacus]

Possibly a sector based imager, like Ghost, would be the best to image the system. The other problem is that if you just capture the partition it may be difficult to get it to work properly again, since we don't know exactly how it works.

Since you are already considering doing things to void your warranty anyways, wouldn't it just be safer to put a different hard drive in there and install XP on that?

[cannie]

... I want to delete Windows 7 and install Windows XP...

Hi n3wb13:

IMHO the first thing to do is finding the needed XP drivers for the new hardware.

I had a similar experience with a new laptop and I could not find them, so I had to restore the previously saved image file.

HTH

[jaclaz]

Possibly a sector based imager, like Ghost, would be the best to image the system. The other problem is that if you just capture the partition it may be difficult to get it to work properly again, since we don't know exactly how it works.

Please be aware that Ghost (besides being a Commercial software) is not necessarily a sector based tool for disk imaging (it is , but only if use the right switches/settings).

You want to image the WHOLE disk from it's first sector to it's last one, and NOT "only" a partition on it.

It is debatable whether you can use software capable of skipping blank/unindexed sectors, but to be on the safe side there is ONLY the INTEGRAL "dd-like" or "forensic sound" approach.

Since you are already considering doing things to void your warranty anyways, wouldn't it just be safer to put a different hard drive in there and install XP on that?

I strongly doubt that if you - by accident - delete a partition or wipe the whole disk it is in ANY way considered a voiding of a warranty.

If you open up the notebook and change internal parts, it SURELY is.

jaclaz

[n3wb13]

I would try some boot CDs to backup that partition in case something happens. Also, on Sony website they have a tutorial on "How to Create a Set of VAIO Recovery Discs" but my laptop doesn't have optical drive to burn a recovery disc and it's way too fun when the Vaio Care application constantly crashes and turns to be not responding. Now I will leave the notebook as it until the warranty is over and till Sony has XP drivers for it (haven't noticed it until I saw cannie's post but IMO they won't release the XP drivers since it's an old OS). Anyway thank you all very much for your help