[SOLVED] Can I set my recovery partition as logical?

I need an extra primary partition, as I'm going to install either Windows Server 2008 R2 or Win 7 Ultimate SP1 to create VM's on (on my desktop). Haven't decided which yet, as I want to see what I can do with the server OS, before going in that direction.

But my recovery partition, it's a primary one, and I need it. Not the space, but I have 3 primaries already, and can't have 4, w/o deleting data partitions (I want my data separate from my OS).

Can I convert it to logical, and use my Paragon boot disc to access it as needed? Or would it be better to copy the partition to my backup drive, and access it from there? I can do either, it doesn't matter to me, as long as I can use the boot disc to fire it up.

Many thanks for any suggestions.

Cat

There are a few problems to consider.

Changing the location of you restore partition will more than likely make a invalid link in the MBR to the restore partition. HP uses special code in MBR to boot the OS partition or the restore partition, if the user presses a specific key during boot. The way the MBR does this is by toggling the active partition during boot.

If you converted the restore partition to a extended/logical partition, the MBR would no longer be able to mark this partition active for booting. If you no longer wanted to use the MBR for the boot manager, you could use Windows Bootloader to boot into any partition regardless of partiton type.

As far as I know there is no way to convert partition types. Create, format, and then copy data from one partition to the other.

I see what you're saying. I tried this out with Mini Tool Partition Wizard Home Edition, you're right. It won't allow me to change it to Logical. But it will allow me to change my Data partition to Primary, and the HP (C) partition to Logical. However, we both know that won't work.

But there is an option to hide the partition. On my notebook, that partition is hidden, when I click Computer, it can't be seen. On the desktop, it's seen. If the partition is hidden, would that count as a Primary when creating a new one?

Cat

Hidden it just won't have a drive letter but it still counts; the limitation is a at a disk level and independent of whether your OS sees it.

A logical partition is just inside a "real" partition, it's just that you can have multiple logical partitions within one extended partition, basically a logical partition is like setting up cubicles inside a room, you can now call it office 1 and office 2, etc but in reality there is just the one room.

So I may be looking at deleting it if I want to install another OS? That's really not a problem, because I have good backups, and I have that partition backed up by itself, and a whole copy still on my backup drive, and on a pocket drive.

Plus I have recovery discs, 2 sets of them.

Were it not for the 100MB partition that's forcefully created (really, we have no choice when using the recovery console), this wouldn't be a issue at all.

Cat

I have never had the 100mb partition and so I doubt it could create one on recovery for me. Maybe if you started fresh, format first, and then install your OS. then maybe you will never see it again either.

There is also an option of restoring a backup image to the 100MB partition.

First you would need to delete the partition directly behind the 100MB partition and stretch the 100MB partition to hold the OS.

Next would most likely require a startup repair to restore the boot files that were damaged during the process.

I recall reading that in a thread a few months ago, but had forgotten about it. Thanks.

I'll bookmark this page so that I'll have the instructions. Now, I have to find out just what Windows Server 2008 R2 is all about, and what other software I need (MS & VM Ware offers a free hypervisor that works with the OS) to create powerful VM's that look like a real OS, once created.

What I like about working from the VM the best is that no matter what I do, or how bad of an infection I run into, it's totally contained within the VM, and with a few clicks, it's all gone, the OS, history, and any infection it picks up.

It's been reported that the next version of Windows will have some virtualization features, or at least a sandbox, built in.

Cat