Solved Identifying partitions on HP Pavilion 15 HDD for SSD image

[KYHI]

What are the contents of the HDD recovery partition???
Are they the same???

It is an assumption at best, even the instructions dictate create recovery from HDD recovery partition..

I counted 24 about 300MB swm's = 7200MB / 7GB

and see a 21.6GB recovery partition

 

[Slartybart]

What are the contents of the HDD recovery partition???
Are they the same???
It is an assumption at best, even the instructions dictate create recovery from HDD recovery partition..
I counted 24 about 300MB swm's = 7200MB / 7GB
and see a 21.6GB recovery partition

Is this really important?
The only assumption is that the HP Recovery USB is in fact the HP Recovery USB.

Damaha has confirmed that a number of times - I missed it, you missed it.

I have to trust that Damaha actually has the HP Recovery USB that was purchased from HP.

Regardless of any debate on what the contents are on the USB or on the HDD, the process I outlined protects the original HDD and it can be used to boot the system if that becomes necessary.

.....
Although you will still have to HDD if needed later, after setting up the SSD

My objective is to make this as easy as possible while providing sufficient protection (the HDD is removed and intact).

I understand your concern KYHI and applaud your attention to detail. I just think that Damaha has an adequate safety net.

That ends my part of this debate on what HP Recovery options are available. The HDD is intact and can be used at any time to create what Damaha already has on the HP Recovery USB, in the unlikely event that the HP Recovery USB fails.

Bill
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[Damaha]

Ok so I installed everything and with the Recovery USB got to this Recovery Manager screen. Chose Minimised Image Recovery and after a few seconds progress get message 'HP Recovery Manager failed. Error code = OxEFFFFF23'. Wonder what you think...

 

[KYHI]

Go to control panel - recovery - create a recovery drive.. That is your factory recovery image - and it is not the same as what you where provided by HP..

then do your testing..

Also with the recovery media, you just created, we can edit one file (due to disk size change) and write the factory image to your smaller SSD

once you create that media / in the sources folder / will be *resetconfig.xml / you need to open with notepad and edit

<MinSize>65536</MinSize>


Hate to say it, but > I already told you..

 

[Slartybart]

Well, you tried the HP minimized way and rather than figure out the why on that, I suggest that you go with what I suggested previously... a clean install

1) Create install media
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/18309-windows-8-windows-8-1-iso-download-create.html
2) pull out the existing drive
3) install the SSD
4) install Windows 8.1 using media created in step 2

Let Windows update everything (run WU manually if necessary)

Install any missing drivers from the HP support page - most will be provided by Windows Update

Install your favorite programs.

Purchase a USB enclosure for the HDD and you have a backup plus it's easy to copy your data to the new SSD if you choose.

Really easy!


Your machine, your time, your choice.

edit: I suspect that HP in it's eternal wisdom only supplied the front end and that is looking for the HP Recovery partition (no longer present in the machine since you pulled the drive to install the SSD).

Bill
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[Damaha]

Brilliant, that's excellent advice -- thanks very much. I downloaded the Windows 8.1 ISO onto a USB, used that instead - fresh install, took a while but everything is up and working again and I'm just re-installing drivers and now formatting the old HDD. Everything working just fine -- I wonder why the Recovery Media didn't work, but the result is the same. I may try to get a refund on that USB which I paid for but did little for me. Point taken KYHI -- you did warn me! I will make my own Recovery drive this time as you advised - thanks for flagging that up so wisely. It was a bad moment & lesson learned.

Microsoft Office came back with no trouble using the product key from a few weeks ago.
I am just trying to make sure the SSD is working at its best. Have turned of defrag and used Samsung Magician to make some other recommended adjustments. Checked alignment using Disk Part - results below - the fresh install has created new partitions. I know they have to be divisible by four - but into equal numbers? I think I can adjust this if necessary using Partition Wizard.
The fresh install was nice to see - hopefully the machine is in good nick - with some drivers missing, which I could not make HP website download en masse, but I am hoping to run the machine past the HP Support Assistant instant messaging/remote control facility, which lets them check remotely. I know this is a good moment to lose any unnecessary HP bloatware so will try to be selective about updates.
The last step is to reconnect the old HDD and connect that to Onedrive, Googledrive and Dropbox so the data all comes back.

 

[Slartybart]

Let Windows update your drivers - only go to HP for any MISSING drivers (two on my system are drive guard and cool temps). I decided not to install those.

Don't worry about the partitions - Windows knows what it needs.

HP support assistant - bloatware. Windows does a better job and doesn't offer the HP bloat.

I'm not sure what you mean here: I know they have to be divisible by four - but into equal numbers? Again, it really isn't necessary to concern yourself with the nitty-gritty. Windows creates partitions without you having to think about the 4k boundary. It's really low level stuff. In other words, you don't need PW to adjust anything.

The diskpart looks good - 111 GB for your C: drive gives you some growing room if you need it to install programs.

re: HP Recovery...
HP Recovery Discs or an HP USB Recovery Drive

Creating Recovery Discs or Saving a Recovery Image to a USB Flash Drive (Windows 7)
--> This 2nd link pertains to Windows 7, but provides a base understanding of creating HP recovery media - the process does NOT apply to Win8.

Now that you've replaced the original HDD with an SSD, you no longer have the HP Recovery partition so you would need to create a set (HP Recovery Media Creator). I's possible that the partition will be recognized when you connect the drive to the machine or it might be required that the drive letter is D: - I forget.

I would contact HP and ask them about the process - I was under the impression that HP supplied you with the full means to run an HP Recovery, not just a front end. You paid for something additional - is that correct? Let me know what you find out, ok - thanks.

I wouldn't bother - you always have the ability to create the HP media, even if you have to put the HDD back into service as the boot. You have the Win8.1 install media - better in my opinion - no bloat, no additional partition for HP recovery - just Windows!

Bill
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[Damaha]

Great, things are looking good- just put all the cloud data back onto the HDD (Partition E) which is now in a caddy. Disk Management looks like this (below).
I formatted the HDD using Partition Wizard. I deleted two of the existing partitions, but wasn't able to get delete the 101gb one that is still visible - wasn't allowed by PW it seemed. I formatted all the remaining partitions but left the Recovery Partition on the HD alone. I don't know if its much use now, but thought it cd do no harm as there's plenty of space. It may be redundant now of course.
There is a duplication in the listing of this Recovery Partition in Disk Management for some reason.
Everything running ok - may finally transfer the HD into the DVD drive space and put the DVD into a new external case, will see.
Thanks v much for the advice - will rely on Windows updates not HP you're right. Good to keep it as light as possible.

 

[Slartybart]

Hmmm, you're a bit hasty on some things. You had a perfect backup on the HDD, but now you don't.

The double F: drive is the same problem your machine originally had with the double D: drive - it is related to the HP recovery partition.

Since you're this deep in the swamp.....
Delete the E: partition - that should 'merge' the unallocated space (1.01 GB) with what is now a 1374.63 GB RAW partition (unformatted)

Do NOT delete the HP Recovery partition.

Instead right click F: and change drive letter - remove the drive letter, answer yes to the 'some programs might need ..." prompt

Post another Disk mgmt. screen.
then change View -> Top to disks and post a 2nd Disk mgmt. screen

Slow down or you might make a mistake that will cause you to spend a lot of time recovering.

Ask first, wait if necessary - don't make things harder for yourself.

There are some things I'd like you to do, but I'm afraid you might be too excited.

Bill
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[KYHI]

Explore F and look for Install.wim or install.swm(s)

In order to explore F you may have to show system files and unhide hidden files...

when you find them let me know..

 

[Damaha]

Aah, hope I didn't wipe anything valuable - guess I thought I could lose the old OS now I have the Windows USB - but have been moving fast, so slowing down a bit now. Thanks for the tip re merging that 1.01GB partition into the main one. The Recovery Partition remains a mystery. Disk Management wouldn't let me right click to change its letter so I used Partition Wizard to do so. I chose 'no letter'. PW also has an option to explore F but what is it if anything that needs fixing? Here is the new Disk Management -- v interesting process anyway...

 

[Damaha]

Disk Management with Top View = Disk

 

[Damaha]

Ah, I just the option on Partition Wizard to Explore F, and this is what came up:

 

[Damaha]

PS Got all the components to put the HDD into DVD caddy - might affect the letter allocated to the drive if i did so. You're so right, totally carried away with this now ha ha. Time to pause....

 

[KYHI]

F was actually a bootable partition.

I would like to see what is in folders

sources

preload (which is the factory production folder and the source of all the other files)

recovery

 

[Slartybart]

It depends on your definition of valuable... I think a good backup is valuable .... but that's water under the bridge. You have your data in the cloud and the HP Recovery partition is still available. Figuring out how to use it is another matter (you could have just booted with the HDD before you deleted the OS - but the Recovery data is still there.)

HP protects the Recovery partition with an entry in desktop.ini that puts up a window to keep prying hands out of the partition.


I'm backing out of this thread - the direction was clear, but it's now getting muddled.

Your system is up and running and that was the goal after answering your inquiry on HP partitions. I try to keep things simple and when simple things become complicated, I give up trying to keep things on track. It's like trying to change a tire on a moving truck.

I'm only backing out because I don't have much more to add. KYHI can help you create a Recovery drive if that is his plan. I'll stop in to see how things are progressing, but probably won't post anything.

Bill
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[Damaha]

Slartybart, I sincerely value your advice so far - thank you very much indeed - you got me to this stage and I'm very grateful. I would really value your thoughts on what I see as the last stages here. It seems things aren't looking too bad - the Windows fresh install is, as you advised, the best possible option. I have a USB with the Windows 8.1 ISO, which as you said, is the key thing. In fact, as my data is all saved on the cloud drives, I have no problem with starting from scratch with the Windows USB again whenever I need it. I realise that I got ahead of myself formatting the old HDD. I had a goal early on of re-using it for the large storage capacity, while keeping the OS on the SSD. This is still where I want to end up.
As regards the Recovery Partition on the old HD - it's nice to know it's there so long as it is actually useable, which wd be good to verify -- otherwise my only interest in exploring though would be to remove the duplicate entry for F on Disk Management, which is inexplicable.
I still have the HP Recovery USB (prepared by the retailer PC World, which I purchased, and which is a duplicate of F as far as I can see, and contains the image that you just posted). I can also use this whenever I like. So there are two back-ups if I want to take out the SSD and go back to the old HDD.
Do I actually need a Recovery drive now I have that great fresh Windows 8.1 ISO which freshened the machine nicely. I would happily use it again - it doesn't affect my data. If so, I wd even remove the Recovery Partition and return the Recovery USB for a refund if I could!
So my main aim right now is to make that Unallocated large partition on the old HDD useable so I can put my data back on it. I think I can click on this and choose 'Create' on PW and work from there...
Thanks v much again - I really appreciate your expertise in all this - excuse my haste earlier - no disrespect meant, just keen to jump in! I am away from the machine after tomorrow for a few days so it is tempting to rush ahead.

 

[Slartybart]

No sweat Damaha, thank you for your kind words, and you're more than welcome.

It think we saw the same vision for the HDD in a caddy, just different approaches. No harm, no foul.
Best laid plans of mice and men....

There's always a way ... I have two questions and I think KYHI was following that thread (he was always following that thread )
1) The PC World recovery USB didn't seem to work when you tried it in post# 23. You mentioned that you might contact the retailer - that's still a good idea.

2) The HP Recovery partition still on the HDD might be bootable and you might be able to create a Recovery drive that way. KYHI might be working on that, but he'll need some help from you.
The easiest way I know to see the contents of a HP Recovery partition is to launch Disk Management, right-click the partition and choose Explore.
The warning HTML should not be displayed and you have full access to the partition.

Do you need the Recovery drive? Some might say yes, but since I started doing clean installs, I've never used the HP Recovery media. Note that I do have in case there is something I need, but between the HP site, other OEM sites and Microsoft - there hasn't been that need.

The only thing I can think of is that the license key might be in the Recovery media. In the rare case of extreme catastrophe (the machine got fried), that would be your only avenue of installing Windows on a bare bones HP replacement machine.

Do I think you should create an HP Recovery drive - YES.

I'm going to defer to KYHI on that though, he seems to understand this well enough.

The space you have now is greater than the space you previously had, be patient and do nothing about the HP Recovery partition until you have a working external copy.

Sure, use the space that is unallocated - I tend to use native commands whenever possible.
Disk Management works just as well as PW, there are things only PW does or that PW makes 'easier', so I use the tool that best suits the job.

Bill
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[Damaha]

Many thanks indeed -- that is great to know. I am going ahead with turning the main partition on the old HDD into storage and placing my cloud data on it. This is getting very close to completing the task for me. What is great to know is that I can re-install Windows 8.1 any time I like, re-install a few programmes, and replace my cloud data, and I'll have everything I need once again. This seems excellent to me - very simple and secure. The machine itself seems just fine, now noticing the acceleration from the SSD, the quietness of the drive, and when accessing data, the relatively brief use of the HD motor. Still getting used to it, but all very pleasing.
The exploration of the Recovery partition is kind of an afterthought now. It's nice to have double security, even if, as you've found, the HP Recovery methods have not been vital. I won't have a space problem any time soon so am happy to leave the partition there, though doubt I will use it any time soon either. I post below some exploratory pictures (I can only seem to get into it using PW), including Sources, Preload, and Recovery.
The only unexplained thing (which doesnt seem to be causing any problems) is why a duplicate entry for the Recovery Partition still appears in Disk Management. I notice that one entry is marked NTFS, the other isn't. Strange -- but not creating any problems with functionality at present. Could just ignore I guess.
I wd happily create the new HP Recovery drive - it is a bit of a pain that I paid a sizeable fee for the USB from the shop when it seems likely I could have made my own for free pretty quickly which actually works! I hadn't wanted to pay for it- they told me they had no stock without the USB thrown in! I might tell them it didn't work, give it back, and make my own.
But as I say, these are extra forms of back up, and so far as I can see, my Windows 8.1 iso USB is my main back up.
Thanks very much again for all your help -- nearing 'problem solved' status, unless you have any more useful tips!
I was reading about moving the Users folder from C to the HDD, so as to maintain the connexion between One Drive and the Documents/Pictures/Music folders on Users, but it sounds like this just messes up the machine. It is a superficial little disconnect in Windows Explorer. I might read up a bit on these matters but there is no rush - any thoughts welcome of course.
I'd better draw things to a close soon, but hope the images below are of interest, KYHI - thanks to you both.

 

[KYHI]

Thank You - I found what I was looking for..