New Toshiba laptop with Windows 7

[Mike Tomlinson]

I wonder if I can just change the partition type from 17 to 07, then
it'll become a standard NTFS. I should then be able to just back it up
with my imaging program.

Just changing the partition type should not be data-destructive, but if
you're ultra-cautious, as a precaution you could make an image of the
partition elsewhere and change the type on that to 07, then see if it
appears as a normal NTFS filesystem.

 

[Rod Speed]

Yousuf Khan wrote

Mike Tomlinson wrote

I wonder if I can just change the partition type from 17 to 07, then
it'll become a standard NTFS. I should then be able to just back it up
with my imaging program.

Any decent imaging program can back it up regardless of whether it recognised the file system or not.

 

[Paul]

I wonder if I can just change the partition type from 17 to 07, then
it'll become a standard NTFS. I should then be able to just back it up
with my imaging program.

Yousuf Khan

There is a good chance that will work.

But if I had doubts, I'd use "disktype". I have a USB flash with
Ubuntu on it, with a copy of disktype loaded. I can plug that into
a machine and have an answer in about 3 minutes or so (slow slow boot,
partially the fault of the flash).

Paul

 

[Yousuf Khan]

If you do a sector-image, the partition type should not matter.

I've gone ahead and let Ptedit32 change the partition types, and then
after a reboot, the two partitions were actually automatically mounted
by Windows as E: and F:.

Yousuf Khan

 

[Rod Speed]

Yousuf Khan wrote

Arno wrote

I've gone ahead and let Ptedit32 change the partition types, and then after a reboot, the two partitions were actually
automatically mounted by Windows as E: and F:.

And thats presumably why Toshiba chooses to fake the partition type, so that doesnt happen.

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Yousuf Khan wrote


And thats presumably why Toshiba chooses to fake the partition type, so that doesnt happen.

I've now made an image of both partitions and blown away the original
partitions, and it looks like the two partitions are almost identical,
both seem to be Windows recovery partitions, even though only one of
them is listed as a Windows recovery partition. In fact, the 13GB is all
either of them needed, I'm not sure why Toshiba decided to make one
24GB, it was nearly half empty. I'm not sure if maybe one of them was a
32-bit Windows image, while the other one was 64-bit. But they both seem
to contain directories named "64" inside. One could be a Toshiba-centric
customization of Windows 7, or something.

Yousuf Khan

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Yousuf Khan wrote

Any decent imaging program can back it up regardless of whether it recognised the file system or not.

The Windows imaging programs tend to be a bit smart, so they need to
know a little bit about the overlying filesystem.

Yousuf Khan

 

[a1pcfixer]

Yousuf,

But they both seem
to contain directories named "64" inside. One could be a Toshiba-centric
customization of Windows 7, or something.

Maybe one was for the OS itself to be restored, the other maybe drivers &
apps? HP & Gateway have their restore's like that, but not split as in your
case.

You don't by chance happen to have a version of Windows with bitlocker
encryption do ya? Windows Ultimate is one of two it's offered on.

 

[Rod Speed]

Yousuf Khan wrote

Rod Speed wrote

I've now made an image of both partitions and blown away the original partitions, and it looks like the two partitions
are almost identical, both seem to be Windows recovery partitions, even though only one of them is listed as a Windows
recovery partition.

Andy said that someone told him, forget who he said it was now, that
one is the diskless recovery and the other creates the recovery disks.

In fact, the 13GB is all either of them needed, I'm not sure why Toshiba decided to make one 24GB, it was nearly half
empty.

Presumably it uses the free space when doing the diskless recovery,
maybe as where it puts some of the settings etc so you dont have
just the option of a return to the factory config as supplied etc.

I'm not sure if maybe one of them was a 32-bit Windows image, while the other one was 64-bit. But they both seem to
contain directories named "64" inside.

That appears to blow that theory up.

One could be a Toshiba-centric customization of Windows 7, or something.

Yeah, tho that doesnt explain the free space.

Bet the small one creates the recovery disks and the larger one does
the diskless recovery with at least optionally some way of preserving
settings or additional installs etc if the story Andy got is correct.

 

[Rod Speed]

Yousuf Khan wrote

Rod Speed wrote

The Windows imaging programs tend to be a bit smart, so they need to know a little bit about the overlying filesystem.

Thats not true of Acronis True Image. It will be smart enough to save only
the parts of the partition that are actually used with file systems that it
recognises and does a sector by sector image of those where it doesnt.

I've never tried it with a partition whose partition type is faked
to see if it can pick file systems with faked partition types.

It certainly handles more than just FAT and NTFS file systems.