[Deb123]

Ok,
So I am not that computer Techie and not familiar with the system restore or recovery.
Had 98 before I got new one with Vista.
But my Drive D (Recovery)says only 10% free. I have tried to delete the
contents a couple of times cause I read where it can take up allot of space and
you can keep only the last back up, but it won't delete.
Why?

Deb123

[Elvandil]

It is the only way to recover your system if there is a problem. Why do you want to delete it?

[Deb123]

Well when I tried to do a current back at one time and then I keep getting a pop up
from my toolbar that said last backup failed due to not enough space.
Which does not make since to me since I have only had this computer for about
4 weeks. When I clicked on the pop up it said I could delete all but the last back up
and I though I did that but it could not of because it says Drive D has only 10% free
space-why would a computer 4 weeks old only have 10% free space? Drive C has 80% free.
Is it suppost to be that way-don't understand the whole recover thing as never had a drive d.

Deb123

[kiwiguy]

Drive D will be the "hidden partition" where all your Windows files are kept for re-installation (you probably did not get Windows CD's with the PC). Deleting anything there is really asking for trouble, you would be up for a new copy of Windows if you did delete the files and ever wanted to reinstall from scratch.

It is normal to not have much "spare space" on the Recovery partition, it gets used for nothing else (or it *should not* get used for anything else)

The System Restore is totally different, and it really should not be trying to save to drive D:

System Restore is a "roll back" to a previous date, very unlike a full destructive reinstallation that occurs when the files from D: are invoked.

[Deb123]

Ok,

Well thanks for the explanation, I did not understand that. I think what I did was try
to do a complete new back up and delete the old. Their is a selection to turn on auto back up. Is is best to keep that on?

Deb13

[Elvandil]

If I were you, I'd buy an imaging program like Acronis True Image and use that to make a complete backup of your current system (at a time when all is working perfectly) and then delete the "recovery" partition so that you can use the space.

An Acronis image can be stored on almost any media, from DVD's to the best idea, a second hard drive.

If your system failed or your drive failed (which a recovery partition could not help), you could restore your entire system, operating system and all programs, in about 20 minutes, to the present drive or a new one.

Using a second hard drive would be easiest since that makes backups very easy to make and you can make them more frequently. You could keep one "base" backup and incremental ones at several dates later.

[Deb123]

So it is similar to a system restore cd. I wondered why I did not get one when
I purchased this computer and I assume then if it did fail as of now I would have
to buy a whole new Vista?
That is what I don't understand about the recovery D- what good is it if you
could not get to it-if the system failed. As my daughter had a xp laptop that she
did not have the restore to and she could not get on it so she had to take it
and have it fixed and they had to do a new xp.
Well I will probably later go ahead and buy that , just dealing with some other
issues now. Not sure I understand the partition part you were saying or how to
delete drive D since as I said earlier what I though I deleted didn't anyway.
But I will cross that bridge when I get to it.
One other thing does having drive d open help? What can it be used for?
It by any chance would't have anything to do with a printer not installing right,
it is my other problem I am having.

Deb123

[Elvandil]

Your manual should give you information on key presses to start a recovery from the recovery partition.

But it is exactly because of some of the problems you mention that I like to make an Acronis image of the PC when it is new and then delete the backup partition so I have more space. If the system needs to be restored to the original state, I use the image to bring it back.

Subsequent images can be made so that the restoration from the image is more recent, and the original one kept in case you sell the PC and want it back to its original state.

If you decide to do any of these things, we will help, of course.

Good luck.

[kiwiguy]

Most PC's with Windows pre-installed and hidden partitions with the recovery files on them have the application available to allow you to backup the Windows files from the hidden partition, so you do not have to buy another copy.

I would find it difficult to believe that HP would not follow the trend (as I think they started the trend).

As above, it will be in the documentation.

[katabby]

my newer HP came with system recovery on drive d. when first booted it strongly reccommended creating recovery discs and a boot cd. after that was done i was given the option of deleting the partition, but see no sense to it, since most computers now come with 250gb and up, mines 500gb there is more room than will ever be used.
I don't think I need to buy a program to make an image of the operating system if it was done right out of the box.
as to backups, microsofts backup tool can be set to run once a week.
I don't think she understands the difference between recovery, restore and backups.

[RootbeaR]

Originally Posted by katabby

my newer HP came with system recovery on drive d. when first booted it strongly reccommended creating recovery discs and a boot cd. after that was done i was given the option of deleting the partition, but see no sense to it, since most computers now come with 250gb and up, mines 500gb there is more room than will ever be used.
I don't think I need to buy a program to make an image of the operating system if it was done right out of the box.
as to backups, microsofts backup tool can be set to run once a week.
I don't think she understands the difference between recovery, restore and backups.

The recovery console recovers computer to original factory shipped state.
If you have imaging software, it will restore to that image which can include additional software you have added, updates, all your files, and not recover any programs you may have removed that came with it from factory (Norton).

Recovery = above
Restore = restore computer to a previous date (will revert computer to its settings on that date including installed programs)
Back-up = duplicate record of important files

[Deb123]

Hi,
Thanks for the reply, yes I know the difference between those just not that familiar
with doing it. As I said my 98 that I had before this one had a recovery disk that
came with it. My daughter's xp did have the system restore so I got that. I also understand about backing up files.
What I don't understand is the way Vista has it on the system.
It appears as though the recovery, restore and backup are one on here.
I also don't get why it is on a D drive. Is that all that drive D is for?
Does it continuously back up and does that include the recovery also?
I do see where the restore is separate. I do not recall it asking me to
create a recovery on a disk when I first started Vista but maybe it did and I didn't.
Should I make a copy of Drive D and should the setting be set to continuosly run the backup?


Deb123