an invisible partition?

Queatrix · 12-10-2006, 01:14 PM

As you can see in this screen shot, there seems to be a 3rd partition on what's supposed to be a 2 partition hard drive. Is there a way to access it? And why don't I see it in Explorer?

**Salem** · 12-10-2006, 01:50 PM

I think it does what it says it does - it's full of Compaq diagnostics.

> And why don't I see it in Explorer?
Because of the 255 different partition types, explorer on recognises a handful.

> Is there a way to access it?
Press F1 when you boot perhaps (or whatever the magic key is to access the BIOS from startup).

Bajanine · 12-10-2006, 02:49 PM

I've worked on a Compaq recently and the access key was F10. I imagine different models may use different 'magic key'.

Queatrix · 12-10-2006, 06:43 PM

Nope, no F key works.

Are there places that you can store data on a hard drive that is outside of the partitions?

manutd · 12-10-2006, 07:39 PM

If you use a partition manager you can set the Compaq diagnostic partition to the active partition on the hard drive. I've recently done this w/ a Dell laptop.

Mario F. · 12-10-2006, 08:58 PM

Or you can delete the partition altogether and resize C or D with tools like Partition Magic

Frobozz · 12-11-2006, 01:42 AM

Wow. Five gigabytes. That's a lot of tools. Sounds to me like a copy of Windows XP is being stored on that partition as well for rescue disk purposes.

**Salem** · 12-11-2006, 06:19 AM

The whole idea of storing "system recovery" on the very piece of hardware which is most likely to fail just seems dumb to me.

**CornedBee** · 12-11-2006, 07:25 AM

For consumer laptops, the most likely piece to fail is the consumer. Rescue partitions like this one store a complete (possibly compressed) copy of the initial setup image, along with the tools to flash the other partitions and restore the image. Voila, clean setup.

My recently bought Lenovo laptop also had such a partition, containing a full Win2k. It took up about 5 Gigs of my 160, too. Until I deleted everything and installed Linux, that is.

Mario F. · 12-11-2006, 11:04 AM

Hope at least they provide a drivers disk and don't rely entirely on the hard drive for storing this stuff.

I always format, partition, and reinstall when I buy a computer or laptop. I like things to be the way I'm used too; 1 Partition for the OS, 1 Partition for software, 1 Partition for backups, downloads, and working files.

I definitely don't waste 4 gigs on a system backup.

manutd · 12-11-2006, 02:47 PM

My Dell has a sort-of-Win2000 compressed on it with the diagnostics, actually pretty small.

**CornedBee** · 12-11-2006, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mario F.

Hope at least they provide a drivers disk and don't rely entirely on the hard drive for storing this stuff.

Not the Lenovo one.

12-10-2006, 01:14 PM	#1
Queatrix Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,342	an invisible partition? As you can see in this screen shot, there seems to be a 3rd partition on what's supposed to be a 2 partition hard drive. Is there a way to access it? And why don't I see it in Explorer? Attached Images
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12-10-2006, 01:50 PM	#2
Salem and the hat of Jobseeking Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: The edge of the known universe Posts: 21,699	I think it does what it says it does - it's full of Compaq diagnostics. > And why don't I see it in Explorer? Because of the 255 different partition types, explorer on recognises a handful. > Is there a way to access it? Press F1 when you boot perhaps (or whatever the magic key is to access the BIOS from startup). __________________ If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
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12-10-2006, 02:49 PM	#3
Bajanine Registered User Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The most peaks over 10,000 feet! Posts: 388	I've worked on a Compaq recently and the access key was F10. I imagine different models may use different 'magic key'. __________________ *"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have." - Thomas Jefferson* MSVS 2008 Pro / DevPartner / CB NightlyBuilds / MinGW / Cygwin
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12-10-2006, 06:43 PM	#4
Queatrix Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,342	Nope, no F key works. Are there places that you can store data on a hard drive that is outside of the partitions?
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12-10-2006, 07:39 PM	#5
manutd MFC killed my cat! Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 880	If you use a partition manager you can set the Compaq diagnostic partition to the active partition on the hard drive. I've recently done this w/ a Dell laptop. __________________ Silence is better than unmeaning words. - Pythagoras My blog
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12-10-2006, 08:58 PM	#6
Mario F. (?<!re)tired Join Date: May 2006 Location: Portugal Posts: 5,656	Or you can delete the partition altogether and resize C or D with tools like Partition Magic __________________ Originally Posted by brewbuck: Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.
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12-11-2006, 01:42 AM	#7
Frobozz Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 546	Wow. Five gigabytes. That's a lot of tools. Sounds to me like a copy of Windows XP is being stored on that partition as well for rescue disk purposes. Last edited by Frobozz; 12-11-2006 at 01:44 AM.
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12-11-2006, 06:19 AM	#8
Salem and the hat of Jobseeking Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: The edge of the known universe Posts: 21,699	The whole idea of storing "system recovery" on the very piece of hardware which is most likely to fail just seems dumb to me. __________________ If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
Salem is offline

12-11-2006, 07:25 AM	#9
CornedBee Cat without Hat Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 8,492	For consumer laptops, the most likely piece to fail is the consumer. Rescue partitions like this one store a complete (possibly compressed) copy of the initial setup image, along with the tools to flash the other partitions and restore the image. Voila, clean setup. My recently bought Lenovo laptop also had such a partition, containing a full Win2k. It took up about 5 Gigs of my 160, too. Until I deleted everything and installed Linux, that is. __________________ All the buzzt! CornedBee "There is not now, nor has there ever been, nor will there ever be, any programming language in which it is the least bit difficult to write bad code." - Flon's Law
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12-11-2006, 11:04 AM	#10
Mario F. (?<!re)tired Join Date: May 2006 Location: Portugal Posts: 5,656	Hope at least they provide a drivers disk and don't rely entirely on the hard drive for storing this stuff. I always format, partition, and reinstall when I buy a computer or laptop. I like things to be the way I'm used too; 1 Partition for the OS, 1 Partition for software, 1 Partition for backups, downloads, and working files. I definitely don't waste 4 gigs on a system backup. __________________ Originally Posted by brewbuck: Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.
Mario F. is offline

12-11-2006, 02:47 PM	#11
manutd MFC killed my cat! Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 880	My Dell has a sort-of-Win2000 compressed on it with the diagnostics, actually pretty small. __________________ Silence is better than unmeaning words. - Pythagoras My blog
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