Worst Case Scenario in a Dual Boot Installation Attempt?

[Centropolis]

I am attempting to install a dual-boot system with Mint 12 and Windows 7 for the first time. I am a newbie in using Linux. I have a quick but important question and want to see what comments you have.

If I screw it up completely and messed up the partitions (including accidently removing the recovery partition) and end up with a HDD that has no Windows partition or a recovery partition, will I be able to restore the laptop to factory Windows 7 machines ONLY with my set of recovery discs I created when I bought the laptop?

Also, according to Windows 7's Disk Management, I have a "System Reserved" partition right now, what is that? MBR?

[spandey]

Why don't you backup the disk first so that you can restore it?

Just boot up with Livecd and press alt-f2 and enter gnome-terminal. In the terminal just enter this command and post the output here.

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sudo fdisk -l

Hope we can guide you. But most of us are users like you so you have to do put some effort as well. Please don't expect it to be a support call!!!

[wayne128]

If I screw it up completely and messed up the partitions (including accidently removing the recovery partition) and end up with a HDD that has no Windows partition or a recovery partition, will I be able to restore the laptop to factory Windows 7 machines ONLY with my set of recovery discs I created when I bought the laptop?

Yes, that is the purpose of recovery discs , it is the hard disk image of factory setup.

Also, according to Windows 7's Disk Management, I have a "System Reserved" partition right now, what is that? MBR?

The 100MB partition is a system partition and contains boot files. Disk Manager will not allow you to remove this partition because removing this partition could cause the system to not boot.

No the system reserved partition is NOT MBR.
MBR is a small sector, the first sector of the first boot drive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_boot_record

[Centropolis]

Why don't you backup the disk first so that you can restore it?

Just boot up with Livecd and press alt-f2 and enter gnome-terminal. In the terminal just enter this command and post the output here.

Code: Select all

sudo fdisk -l

Hope we can guide you. But most of us are users like you so you have to do put some effort as well. Please don't expect it to be a support call!!!

I appreciate the responses. I am not expecting someone to magically answer all my questions and I do want to learn and all but before I screw everything up, I just want to ensure I have a backup plan in the bag.

I will boot up the LiveDVD and like you know. I also need to learn how to paste codes on forums first. I see them on this forum all the time but I only know how to copy and paste the output right onto the message text.

[spandey]

I also need to learn how to paste codes on forums first. I see them on this forum all the time but I only know how to copy and paste the output right onto the message text.

Just press the 'code' button when typing. You will get "

Code: Select all

". What ever you paste between "

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" and "

" will appear. Use Preview in the buttom to view before submitting.

[Centropolis]

Okay, so here is the output from sudo fdisk -l

One thing that's odd for me is that I thought my C: Drive sda3 is my boot?

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mint@mint ~ $ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders, total 625142448 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xbeffbeff

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1            2048    26626047    13312000   27  Hidden NTFS WinRE
/dev/sda2   *    26626048    26830847      102400    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3        26830848   625138351   299153752    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

[mank_in]

If you already make a recovery win7 disk, use that to recover windows installation.
My friend laptop has vista and her HDD is broken. luckily i make recovery disk with ACER backup program when her laptop first using by her. I use the recovery disk to recover Windows vista installation on new HDD.

For dual boot with win 7 you must know:
sda1 is system reserved (windows 7 boot partition , usually 100 MB)
sda2 is windows7 installation
sometime vendor like toshiba and HP create a different partition with their backup system

[spandey]

Your sda1 is large..so looks like it's recovery partition from vendor ?

Sda2 is your boot and sda3 is data partition.