Dual boot [recovery partition]

Hello, I'd like to have a dualboot system consisting of windows XP and Mandrake/Mandrivia. I have a 200GB harddrive installed; the problem is it's divided into two partitions. The first partition is the main one (181GB) and the second one is a small (4.44GB) partition called the 'Recovery Partition'.
I have a pre-installed version of Windows XP. I recieved a "System Recovery CD/DVD" for Windows XP and assume that along with the system recovery disk, the recovery partition is needed to reinstall XP. It is protected by a program called "PC Angel" and won't let me view the files stored on this partition with the following message:

Quote:

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This area of your hard disk
(or partition) contains files used
for your system recovery.

Do not delete or alter these files.

Any change to this partition could
prevent any recovery later.

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I'd like to know if there is a safe, easy, & free way to completely backup the recovery partition onto a DVD. Any way to create a disk that will fully reinstall windows legally with the software I have would be great.
I would like to be able to backup this partition so that I can partition the drive and install linux so it will dual-boot. I really want to backup this partition somehow, but it would also be useful if anyone knows if dualbooting can be done without touching the recovery partition.

Thanks

You don't have to delete the recovery partition, just partition the disk to your liking using the windows space, install windows using the recovery CD, install Linux, etc... I assume you know how to set up dual boot?

If you do it right, you should be able to resize the main windows partition without messing up any data at all. That'll let you create the needed linux partitions without touching the either of the windows partitions. I know there's a bunch of disk utilities in Windows that'll let you resize, and I know some distro's installers are capable of it too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mado

If you do it right, you should be able to resize the main windows partition without messing up any data at all. That'll let you create the needed linux partitions without touching the either of the windows partitions. I know there's a bunch of disk utilities in Windows that'll let you resize, and I know some distro's installers are capable of it too.

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Only if it's FAT32, most systems use NTFS these days, so he'd have to use Partition Magic from Norton to resize it, and resizing partitions period is risky(about a 80% chance it will work) so if he screws over the windows partition he'd have to reinstall anyways, and if he screws up the recovery partition(shouldn't touch it anyways) than he's screwed period, why can't OEM's ship REAL install media???

I've resized my NTFS plenty of times with no problems. Just make sure you have enough space (and a good size extra) left, and that you defragment, otherwise you can get problems. It's probably safer to do it another way, but I've had no problems resizing NTFS. (Ubuntu's installer can do it too, work perfectly for me)

My main partition is NTSF and the locked recovery one is FAT32. I was wondering if the program parted would work to copy the entire backup partition. I only have one drive which is a CD/DVD burner, a card reader and usb so it may be a problem to do this using a boot disk as the only optical drive would be running the disk so it could not be copied to a DVD.
If anyone knows of a program that combines the System Recovery CD/DVD and the restore partition together as a single image to make a full install disk please let me know. :lol:
(If I somehow recieved an XP install disk, could I install XP normally but using my legitimate XP key? Would it be legal and XP would see it as being 'genuine' so I could get updates, etc.?)

Thanks for your help.
[And yes, I do know how to setup/install a dualboot system using the mandrake bootinstaller.)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bobby S.

My main partition is NTSF and the locked recovery one is FAT32. I was wondering if the program parted would work to copy the entire backup partition. I only have one drive which is a CD/DVD burner, a card reader and usb so it may be a problem to do this using a boot disk as the only optical drive would be running the disk so it could not be copied to a DVD.
If anyone knows of a program that combines the System Recovery CD/DVD and the restore partition together as a single image to make a full install disk please let me know. :lol:
(If I somehow recieved an XP install disk, could I install XP normally but using my legitimate XP key? Would it be legal and XP would see it as being 'genuine' so I could get updates, etc.?)

Thanks for your help.
[And yes, I do know how to setup/install a dualboot system using the mandrake bootinstaller.)

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OK, first yes if you used your CD key on a legitimate(meaning actual XP PRO/HOME, most of the ones you download of P2P networks are the Cooperate Volume License Edition and won't use the key, not condoning warez FYI). But why would you want to backup the recovery partition, it's barley taking up any space on that 200GB HD and would be more hassle than its worth, but just for the hell of it why dont you post a listing of files in the partition(not all the folders, just the root one) and I can have a look at it.

Well what I can see under the root of the partition is just an icon that looks like a padlock and is titled "System Restore". The rest of the files can't be seen, even if I enable show hidden/system files. I guessing it's due to the PC Angel protection on that partition.
Anyway, if your certain that I can reinstall XP using a full install disk with my key & microsoft updates will see it as being vaild and install fine then I guess I'll just go ahead and try the dualboot out.

However the restore partition has the drivers for your system on it. If you rid of it you will have to download them by hand. Again, why delete it in the first place?

I wasn't planning on deleting it but it would be nice to have a backup "just in case". I did find some more information on how to create a backup disk so I'll see what I can do. Thanks for the help. :)