LinuxQuestions.org - [SOLVED] HP Recovery - Will it format other non-windows partitions?

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HP Recovery - Will it format other non-windows partitions?

Over the course of a few years, windows vista killed itself.
I didn't even change or install anything - it simply logged in fine one day then died the next.
I have an HP laptop and it has an HP recovery partition with the ability to "Restore to factory settings".

My fdisk -l looks like this:
/dev/sda1 - NTFS, windows.
/dev/sda2 - NTFS, HP Recovery
/dev/sda3 - ext3, linux.

Has anyone used hp recovery before? I expect the windows partition to get reformatted, but I don't know if it will format the whole shebang, linux included.

I contacted HP but they haven't responded in a few days so I thought I'd post here.

Thanks for any replies or information.

The recovery is for NTFS and FAT only.
There is no support for any other file system.

I used to have a nx7400 also with a HP recovery partition. It did not change any partitions when reinstalling XP so you should be safe.

But to be absolute safe make a backup ;)

I actually trust you guys more, but I'm just posting this for completion/future searches. Got the email from them.

Quote:

Thank you for contacting HP Total Care.

I would like to inform you we do not support issues related to dual boot. But as per your email you will definitely loose the Linux partition if the system has been recovered to factory setting.

I hope you will understand our limitation.

marking as solved.

And for a little (non-HP) evidence, my old Toshi (years ago) zapped the whole disk on recovery. Lost two full Linux installs - no warning.

I would be interested in what you actually asked the support cause it seems to me that they did not really understood the point. They talk about dual booting you talk about losing partition schema on factory reset.

In any case I would just backup the linux partition and then do the reset. You'll see what happens and your save with the backup.

I think HP understood ok. The first sentence is just to point out they don't deal with multi-boot. The 2nd sentence says you will DEFINITELY loose (sic !) your Linux partitions, which is what I'd expect from MS based systems and concurs with syg00's experience.

I did it again. Not reading post to the end. Not my week.

Your right chrism. But in contrast to other experience my HP recovery went well without killing all the partitions. It just happily installed itself into the first partition of the hd.

We'll only find out when OP resets.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zhjim (Post 3910095)

I would be interested in what you actually asked the support

Here it is:

Quote:

I dual boot Windows Vista 64 bit (Came with the computer) along with Debian GNU/Linux.
After a couple years of use, for some reason or another, Vista didn't start. It made it past the green loading bar at the bottom and then died. I used "Launch Startup Repair". It then started Microsoft Recovery. It worked, I went back into Vista. Unfortunately, almost all of my settings were gone and it didn't even recognise me as administrator or allow me to do anything.

I looked into the HP recovery. It looks like I can "Reset the computer back to factory settings". That interests me. I'd be okay with Vista going back to original factory settings.

The problem is I don't know if the HP Recovery will touch anything on my linux partitions.

My fdisk -l output looks like this:
/dev/sda1 - NTFS, Windows Vista
/dev/sda2 - NTFS, HP RECOVERY
/dev/sda3 - Linux

If I run HP recovery to "reset to factory settings", will it erase my linux partition?

I can't reset right now since if it did format over my linux partition I don't have the time to reinstall everything. This summer I'll do it and post back just for future searches.
Not like I even need windows, this is a laptop and I particularly enjoy my %400 gain in battery life and 40 C drop in temperatures. lol,windows.

As I review the partition layout it would make me itch that the factory reset would kill the linux partition. It's the last one on the hd and also behind the HP Recovery. And I doubt that the HP Recovery partition would wipe itself and write it self again.

But non the less. Just stick with what you know and that is that linux is running and serves you good ;)

The Windows will rise again *cough*

Was bored so I finally got around to running it.

Reset Vista as intended.

Did not touch linux partition or swap.
Did delete/overwrite GRUB/mbr.