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Topic: creating partitions on a dell machine with a hidden partition

i am very new to partitioning hard dives, i have just a copy of the windows vista and would like to install it on my comp. It has two partitions(a)for windows XP c: and (b) a hidden partition for symantic PC Restore( that i cant see, except using UBCD4win). Do you think that i would be able to create another partition on the hard disk without destroying my hidden partition for the dell system restore (this is because i dont have a windows XP install CD). Just to make myself more clear, i am pasting a paragraph from the gooddell.net website...

''''The Dell-specific Ctrl+F11 process is supposed to completely automate the restoration process, returning the hard disk to the state it was in when Dell shipped the computer. However, overwriting the MBR by using a boot manager, using the commands "fixmbr" or "fdisk /mbr", installing from a Windows installation CD, and assorted other tasks a user might do will inadvertantly break Ctrl+F11, rendering the system unable to boot the DSR partition. Furthermore, changing the partitioning by adding, deleting, or resizing partitions will cause DSRcheck to fail, so even if Ctrl+F11 works, the restore process will abort without attempting to restore the Ghost image.'''

Any help and guidence in this area would be greatly appreciated. i would also like to add that i have 0 experience in Unix commands and processes.

regards,
Gaurav

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Re: creating partitions on a dell machine with a hidden partition

gauravcha wrote:

Furthermore, changing the partitioning by adding, deleting, or resizing partitions will cause DSRcheck to fail, so even if Ctrl+F11 works, the restore process will abort without attempting to restore the Ghost image.

it sounds quite clear, isn't it ? -----> you cant do anything without create a damage either for booting, either for restoring. So if you have no win cd to reinstall your os, you might forget to create any new partition...

Larry
GParted-project Admin
Former GParted-LiveCD maintainer (2007)