Did you install Windows 7 with two partitions ?

[Modelworks]

Just wondering how many people installed with 2 partitions and if you think it will be useful for the average user.

If you are wondering wth I am talking about, If you install 7 on a drive with no partitions, it will ask if it can create a 200MB partition for boot and system files. That partition is used by WinRE should the system not boot. It basically runs a stripped down version of 7 that allows you to fix problems that keep the system from running. It also allows the OS to run things like bitlocker without having to decrypt the main partition in order to start running the process.

Anyway,

I let it create it, its only 200MB. Some people are upset that it creates it and complaining they can't access the partition or delete it after creation. To me it is only 200MB and it doesn't affect the OS negatively in any way. I may never need it, but its there.

One other problem is people that dual boot OS off the same drive. It seems to be incompatible with that. But I just use my bios boot menu for that.

You can still boot from the dvd to access the recovery options.

So did you install it and do you think it is useful/useless ?

 

[geoffry]

I wasn't sure what it did but like you said, its only 200 MB and with hard drive sizes these days thats nothing so I used it.

Thanks for explaining what it is used for lol

 

[EndGame]

Been reading in other forums (mainly Linux oriented) about problems with this seperate 200mb partition and Linux. Apparently some people are having boot problems after installing Ubuntu or whatever flavor you choose. Not sure if Grub is overwriting something or if it is the Win 7 bootloader causing problems but it seems to be occuring for some people trying to dual boot.

 

[CoachB]

Hmmmm...

I installed Windows 7 on an 80 GB HDD a few days ago. I couldn't connect to the 'Net and bootup seemed very slow so I tried to run the WD diagnostic from a floppy drive. The floppy wouldn't boot. It kept telling me it couldn't load IBMDOS.COM. I tried a couple of versions of the diagnostic. Strangely Memtest would boot and run.
I eventually had to boot from a CD with Acronis on it and do a complete HDD wipe.
Wonder if the 200 MB partition had something to do with this issue???