Untitled thread

[mesmd 0]

In disk management i just noticed that my c: drive fat32 80gb running in my win xp home computer, has a 1.95gb healthy empty partition on it!! I bought this computer online and it has worked well. Since this partition is healthy and empty, can I just rt. click and delete it? Or will it corrupt the other part of the drive where the os and files reside. I know this empty partition has no image restoration file or diagnostic software. It is completely empty. Can I delete it? I have another exactly the same 80gb hard drive D: in this computer, but it is formatted in ntfs. It does not show any extra healthy empty partition. Is the empty partition of 1.95gb on an 80gb hd something that results from the drive being formatted as fat32? Thank you for any help.

Miles

[ScinteX 0]

Is it a Dell?

 

If so do not delete it!!! Only delete if a)you have spoken to Dell or know someone else that has done it successfully.

 

The reason I say this is that there is a 'hidden' diagnostics partition.

If you delete it you can not get it back (obviously).

However, that aside, the system will hang at BIOS POST for about 3 minutes while it looks for this partiton - in a strange format-(not FAT or NTFS) - this is why it looks empty in the NTFS/FAT32/16 world.

 

Then it will ask you to press F1 or F2 to complete booting.

 

So I'd be careful!

 

Incidentally this also happens if you get a whole new hard disk. Apparently if you get a new disk from Dell it works ok since it has this partition already configured on it.

 

Don't know if this happens on every Dell...however I have seen it on a Dell Dimension.

 

Also I'm unaware if other OEMS do this.

[adamvjackson 0]

Some HPs have the OS restore/installation files on a hidden partition too.

[ScinteX 0]

ahhh the wonder increases!