Hidden Partitions

[DNose]

I have had problems with them.

Most of the time they have Home on them. This time I used Windternals boot disk to delete a suspicious program (csrss.exe) using the cmd tool from /system32, that's all then Reboot and now the restarting crap. I think that when you try to do a straight fix like that it tends to cause me this kind of problem. One time, I made the mistake of doing a FIXMBR on one of these. It seems to be impossible to get them back up after that.

I'm lost - Mainly because I don't understand Hidden Partitions. It's funny they never came up in any A+ training classes that I took.

One more thing: What should you recommend to a customer that has one.

Thanks 4 the help :beer:

 

[DNose]

More info I can only see it if I use Rstudio so far.
Is it possible to delete the Hpartition and keep the OS operable.

Just more Questions

 

[cKGunslinger]

Uh, csrss.exe in the system32 folder is Microsoft's Client/Server Runtime Server Subsystem. Deleting it was probably not a good idea.

 

[DNose]

This explains what I did. Thanks
http://www.auditmypc.com/process/csrss.asp

But what about the the Hidden partitions.

How are they hidden,
If a customer asks me, dose it matter,
Is it hard to trobleshoot them most of the time.

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: cKGunslinger
Uh, csrss.exe in the system32 folder is Microsoft's Client/Server Runtime Server Subsystem. Deleting it was probably not a good idea.

Originally posted by: DNose
This explains what I did. Thanks
http://www.auditmypc.com/process/csrss.asp

damn, pretty good job DNose with figuring out what the program was beyond a fake client server runtime server subsystem.

i'm not sure how those partitions are hidden but i really don't think it would make any difference to your customer. i'm sure it's nothing dangerous

 

[Bozo Galora]

hidden partitions are usually Fat 12 or FAT16
they show as DEh in partition table

For example in Dell
Quote:
http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/index.htm
Recent Dell computers are shipped with three partitions: a hidden Dell Utility partition, the main (Windows) operating system partition, and a hidden Dell PC Restore partition. DSR ("Dell System Restore") is a feature that returns a computer to its "as shipped" state through the use of the two specialized Dell partitions.

(Note to reader: DSR is different from the OS Reinstallation CD that used to be shipped with Dell computers or the OS Recovery CD that can be created with a CD writer on newer systems. Those CDs will install a basic XP operating system without the additional software Dell may have included on the originally shipped system. In contrast, DSR will restore XP with the additional software--just like the computer was when originally shipped.)

Pressing the right keys when the computer is starting up will launch the PC Restore partition. I have explored the PC Restore partition on several new Dell desktops and laptops. Here's some notes of what I found.
+++++++++

If you want to change and alter hidden parts you wll need PTEdit running in DOS (not PTEdit32)
http://www.goodells.net/dellutility/recreate.htm
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/tools/pq/utilities/">ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/tools/pq/utilities/</a>

or you can use some of these
http://mirror.href.com/thestarman/asm/mbr/BootToolsRefs.htm

But if you dont know what you are doing, you can easily make system unbootable

Best bet on any prebuilt that has hidden parts, or hidden imaging part is to Low level format (zero fill) with HDD manuf utiliy.
This is why Ghost doesnt work right for some people using OEM's.

Edit: (heres another possibility)

Partition Table Doctor( PTD ) is a powerful recovery tool
for your harddisk partition tables, it automatically checks
and repairs partition table error.

Partition Table Doctor provides very useful functions: such
as backup partition table, restore partition table, rebuild
partition table. So much as, it permits you to configure every
parameter of the partition table. In addition, Partition Table
Doctor provides some other useful functions: check partition,
active partition, hide partition, scandisk, rebuild MBR(Master Boot Record),
set password for harddisk, unlock harddisk, view sectors,
edit sectors, backup sectors to file, restore file to sectors,
copy sectors, fill sectors, and so on.

 

[DNose]

Fantasic Post

I thought there were some in-depth concepts involved.

Bozo Galora Confirmed that.

I don?t mind things that are hidden as long as there not hidden from me.
That will keep me out of darkness for awhile.

This is good stuff.
Thank you Bozo Galora

 

[acole1]

umm... A+ doesn't teach you anything usefull... please, don't act shocked.

 

[DNose]

Like you never met people that need A+ Training.:laugh:

I simply saying I have never seen it in any training materials.

 

[acole1]

Originally posted by: DNose
Like you never met people that need A+ Training.:laugh:

I simply saying I have never seen it in any training materials.

haha true :thumbsup:

 

[barney5]

(From Nothinman in OPERATING SYSTEMS) Hidden partitions are just normal partitions with some number added to their filesystem id in the partition table, I don't remember the exact number off hand. They're not really hidden in any way and any software smart enough will still see them just fine.