Creating hidden OS install partition

[cats_Paw]

Hi guys,

First, im sorry if im posting in the wrong section. I was unsure it goes here, storage or others.

Ill make this one short. I had some time ago a GX623 laptop that had a hidden partition from where i installed win7. If anything went wrong, i just asked the laptop on startup to run the recovery manager, and boom, factory settings in 20 minutes flat (cleaned HDD).

Now im planing to get myself a reduced version of the 780DX MSI laptop (normally 2 hdds in raid 0), and i want to get a SSD as boot and a fw extras drive. The problem is i wanted to have that hidden partition on the SSD (and i plan to buy it apart and put it in myself once i figure out the laptop is stable).

Anyone knows if there are guide out there on this? Like How to create your own hidden OS install partition...

Assuming ofc its even possible.

Thankx Guys.

 

[PartialGenious]

Well most major PC producers IE Dell, HP, Acer etc produce this hidden recovery partition from the manufacturer. Most also include some sort of back up software where you can create a windows backup image as well. If your running Windows 7 which is what I would assume it includes a way to create an image of your OS and programs.

What I suggest is buying the laptop installing windows however you would like on the SSD I would assume. Then create an image after doing all your windows updates and driver updates and store it in a safe place. I have imaged my personal PC like your saying. I have an SSD and a 1TB drive for files and I installed windows got all my updates and then used windows to create a backup image as I described on the TB HD. I haven't actually tested this image IE restored from it, but I would assume I should not have any problems in doing this.

Hope this helps.

 

[cats_Paw]

Its my secondary option. The problem is i dont trust the DVD drive in laptops at all.
I could use a external HDD for this, but images aint that effective.
However note that many times that Image is not enought to recover the laptop efectivly.

 

[dextermat]

Hi so long that the SSD has enough space on it you could clone it with todo backup rescue disk (iso)
(you can readjust partitions with it while cloning )

this way you could keep the hidden partition and transfer your data / windows at the same time.

Anyway would be the simplest way for me

 

[cats_Paw]

The idea is to use a 120GB SSD for like 1-3 games and system+typical required programs.

In case i get with my laptop an already hidden partition with a win7, i could clone that one? and if so? anywhere where i can read about it?

 

[PartialGenious]

Well contact the manufacturer and see if they provide any type of backup software that creates a bootable image. Either that or go with some 3rd party software such as Norton ghost or Acronis True Image (I believe that is the name).

That is about the only options I think of unless you backup your windows disc onto a drive as well. Then you could boot to the windows disc (on your drive) and then go to repair where you could locate the windows image and restore it.

 

[cats_Paw]

Norton ghost and Acronis True Image, got it. Ill check those and see if they would do the trick.

 

[cats_Paw]

I found out that the technical name of this is "A hidden OS recovery partition", in case this helps.