I want to build a PC & I want to create a restore partition so that I can
reinstall Vista anytime that I want to. How many gigabytes should the restore
partition be? Is there a minimum size recommended by Microsoft?

Thank you.
David

pc nerd <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>I want to build a PC & I want to create a restore partition so that I can
>reinstall Vista anytime that I want to. How many gigabytes should the restore
>partition be? Is there a minimum size recommended by Microsoft?
>
>Thank you.
>David[/color]

Just how do you intend to build your restore partition?

Can't I use Vista's ability to expand & shrink the C partition? Then create a
D partition & use Complete PC Backup & Restore to create an image that is
saved to the D partition?

"Manny Weisbord" wrote:
[color=blue]
> pc nerd <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
> >I want to build a PC & I want to create a restore partition so that I can
> >reinstall Vista anytime that I want to. How many gigabytes should the restore
> >partition be? Is there a minimum size recommended by Microsoft?
> >
> >Thank you.
> >David[/color]
>
> Just how do you intend to build your restore partition?
>[/color]

How big the partition needs to be depends on what you're backing up and how.
A minimal Windows installation will take far less space than one that has a
number of other programs, drivers, etc. installed. Also the program used to
back up the system may compress more or less efficiently than others, or may
add overhead data that expands the size of the backup, and so on.

"pc nerd" <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:716E2DBF-C36B-45C2-9CC4-F8DA0E07F898@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
> I want to build a PC & I want to create a restore partition so that I can
> reinstall Vista anytime that I want to. How many gigabytes should the
> restore
> partition be? Is there a minimum size recommended by Microsoft?
>
> Thank you.
> David[/color]

The plan is to create the partition & save the image to the hard drive right
after I install Vista & before I install any other software.

"Richard G. Harper" wrote:
[color=blue]
> How big the partition needs to be depends on what you're backing up and how.
> A minimal Windows installation will take far less space than one that has a
> number of other programs, drivers, etc. installed. Also the program used to
> back up the system may compress more or less efficiently than others, or may
> add overhead data that expands the size of the backup, and so on.
>
> "pc nerd" <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:716E2DBF-C36B-45C2-9CC4-F8DA0E07F898@microsoft.com...[color=green]
> > I want to build a PC & I want to create a restore partition so that I can
> > reinstall Vista anytime that I want to. How many gigabytes should the
> > restore
> > partition be? Is there a minimum size recommended by Microsoft?
> >
> > Thank you.
> > David[/color]
>
>[/color]

pc nerd <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>The plan is to create the partition & save the image to the hard drive right
>after I install Vista & before I install any other software.[/color]

What if the drive fails? What good with that image be to you then?

An external USB drive (or a second internal drive) is a better idea.

[color=blue]
>"Richard G. Harper" wrote:
>[color=green]
>> How big the partition needs to be depends on what you're backing up and how.
>> A minimal Windows installation will take far less space than one that has a
>> number of other programs, drivers, etc. installed. Also the program used to
>> back up the system may compress more or less efficiently than others, or may
>> add overhead data that expands the size of the backup, and so on.
>>
>> "pc nerd" <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:716E2DBF-C36B-45C2-9CC4-F8DA0E07F898@microsoft.com...[color=darkred]
>> > I want to build a PC & I want to create a restore partition so that I can
>> > reinstall Vista anytime that I want to. How many gigabytes should the
>> > restore
>> > partition be? Is there a minimum size recommended by Microsoft?
>> >
>> > Thank you.
>> > David[/color]
>>
>>[/color][/color]

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:24:01 -0700, pc nerd
<pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
> I want to build a PC & I want to create a restore partition so that I can
> reinstall Vista anytime that I want to. How many gigabytes should the restore
> partition be? Is there a minimum size recommended by Microsoft?[/color]



Please clarify exactly what you mean by a "restore partition" and how
you plan on using it.

If you mean a partition that serves as a backup of your system, I urge
you to reconsider that plan. It's a very poor thing to do--the weakest
form of backup there is. It leaves you susceptible to simultaneous
loss of the original and backup to many of the most common dangers:
severe power glitches, nearby lightning strikes, virus attacks, even
theft of the computer.

I recommend that you use an external drive for backup, not a partition
on your only drive. Read this article I recently wrote on backup:
[url]http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=314[/url]



--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

What he plans to do is no different than that which "most" manufacturers do
at the present.

In other words - not much!

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"Manny Weisbord" <mannyweisbord@crimest.invalid> wrote in message
news:j7e465lemhijucomvjqbe2tnpg2btikiih@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> pc nerd <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
>>The plan is to create the partition & save the image to the hard drive
>>right
>>after I install Vista & before I install any other software.[/color]
>
> What if the drive fails? What good with that image be to you then?
>
> An external USB drive (or a second internal drive) is a better idea.
>
>[color=green]
>>"Richard G. Harper" wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> How big the partition needs to be depends on what you're backing up and
>>> how.
>>> A minimal Windows installation will take far less space than one that
>>> has a
>>> number of other programs, drivers, etc. installed. Also the program
>>> used to
>>> back up the system may compress more or less efficiently than others, or
>>> may
>>> add overhead data that expands the size of the backup, and so on.
>>>
>>> "pc nerd" <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> news:716E2DBF-C36B-45C2-9CC4-F8DA0E07F898@microsoft.com...
>>> > I want to build a PC & I want to create a restore partition so that I
>>> > can
>>> > reinstall Vista anytime that I want to. How many gigabytes should the
>>> > restore
>>> > partition be? Is there a minimum size recommended by Microsoft?
>>> >
>>> > Thank you.
>>> > David
>>>
>>>[/color][/color][/color]

Good idea (convenient) with the caveat that if a HDD problem arises you
might not be able to use the recovery image.

You might consider obtaining an external HDD and putting a recovery image on
it to as well and/or burn a recovery image to DVD-Rs.

Saucy


"pc nerd" <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:716E2DBF-C36B-45C2-9CC4-F8DA0E07F898@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
> I want to build a PC & I want to create a restore partition so that I can
> reinstall Vista anytime that I want to. How many gigabytes should the
> restore
> partition be? Is there a minimum size recommended by Microsoft?
>
> Thank you.
> David[/color]

I'd stick with the advice others have given - skip the restore partition and
back the system up to a removable drive or network drive, that way if your
current drive fails you still have software to reinstall.

"pc nerd" <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F660CCB7-6EFA-4DDE-9405-571CE8EEE6BB@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
> The plan is to create the partition & save the image to the hard drive
> right
> after I install Vista & before I install any other software.
>
> "Richard G. Harper" wrote:
>[color=green]
>> How big the partition needs to be depends on what you're backing up and
>> how.
>> A minimal Windows installation will take far less space than one that has
>> a
>> number of other programs, drivers, etc. installed. Also the program used
>> to
>> back up the system may compress more or less efficiently than others, or
>> may
>> add overhead data that expands the size of the backup, and so on.
>>
>> "pc nerd" <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:716E2DBF-C36B-45C2-9CC4-F8DA0E07F898@microsoft.com...[color=darkred]
>> > I want to build a PC & I want to create a restore partition so that I
>> > can
>> > reinstall Vista anytime that I want to. How many gigabytes should the
>> > restore
>> > partition be? Is there a minimum size recommended by Microsoft?
>> >
>> > Thank you.
>> > David[/color]
>>
>>[/color][/color]

Hard drives nowdays are pretty reliable, but I'd still like to have a restore
partition as well as a bootable DVD.

I'd like to do both - have a restore partition & have a bootable DVD (not
necessarily the Windows DVD).

I have a laptop with a recovery partition. It's size is 12.9 GB & of that
10.5 GB is in use.

So, I'd say a recovery partition of 15 GB or so would be big enough. Do you
concur?

"Richard G. Harper" wrote:
[color=blue]
> I'd stick with the advice others have given - skip the restore partition and
> back the system up to a removable drive or network drive, that way if your
> current drive fails you still have software to reinstall.
>
> "pc nerd" <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:F660CCB7-6EFA-4DDE-9405-571CE8EEE6BB@microsoft.com...[color=green]
> > The plan is to create the partition & save the image to the hard drive
> > right
> > after I install Vista & before I install any other software.
> >
> > "Richard G. Harper" wrote:
> >[color=darkred]
> >> How big the partition needs to be depends on what you're backing up and
> >> how.
> >> A minimal Windows installation will take far less space than one that has
> >> a
> >> number of other programs, drivers, etc. installed. Also the program used
> >> to
> >> back up the system may compress more or less efficiently than others, or
> >> may
> >> add overhead data that expands the size of the backup, and so on.
> >>
> >> "pc nerd" <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:716E2DBF-C36B-45C2-9CC4-F8DA0E07F898@microsoft.com...
> >> > I want to build a PC & I want to create a restore partition so that I
> >> > can
> >> > reinstall Vista anytime that I want to. How many gigabytes should the
> >> > restore
> >> > partition be? Is there a minimum size recommended by Microsoft?
> >> >
> >> > Thank you.
> >> > David
> >>
> >>[/color][/color]
>[/color]

> You might consider obtaining an external HDD and putting a recovery image on[color=blue]
> it to as well and/or burn a recovery image to DVD-Rs.[/color]

That's my plan.

"Saucy" wrote:
[color=blue]
> Good idea (convenient) with the caveat that if a HDD problem arises you
> might not be able to use the recovery image.
>
> You might consider obtaining an external HDD and putting a recovery image on
> it to as well and/or burn a recovery image to DVD-Rs.
>
> Saucy
>
>
> "pc nerd" <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:716E2DBF-C36B-45C2-9CC4-F8DA0E07F898@microsoft.com...[color=green]
> > I want to build a PC & I want to create a restore partition so that I can
> > reinstall Vista anytime that I want to. How many gigabytes should the
> > restore
> > partition be? Is there a minimum size recommended by Microsoft?
> >
> > Thank you.
> > David[/color]
>
>[/color]

If recovery partitions are such a bad idea, then why do laptops come with a
recovery partition?

"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:
[color=blue]
> On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:24:01 -0700, pc nerd
> <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
> > I want to build a PC & I want to create a restore partition so that I can
> > reinstall Vista anytime that I want to. How many gigabytes should the restore
> > partition be? Is there a minimum size recommended by Microsoft?[/color]
>
>
>
> Please clarify exactly what you mean by a "restore partition" and how
> you plan on using it.
>
> If you mean a partition that serves as a backup of your system, I urge
> you to reconsider that plan. It's a very poor thing to do--the weakest
> form of backup there is. It leaves you susceptible to simultaneous
> loss of the original and backup to many of the most common dangers:
> severe power glitches, nearby lightning strikes, virus attacks, even
> theft of the computer.
>
> I recommend that you use an external drive for backup, not a partition
> on your only drive. Read this article I recently wrote on backup:
> [url]http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=314[/url]
>
>
>
> --
> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>[/color]

My Acer didn't. Instead they prompted the new owner to make a backup set of
DVD-Rs right away. This was about a year or so I ago I bought it.

One of the reason why many laptop manufacturers don't include a proper
Windows CD and instead use an onboard restore partition is probably because
there's a big racket offering third party apps (which they get money for)
which are included in those recovery images. As well, they'd rather use your
harddrive space than provide discs. And they don't provide straight set of
OEM & Driver discs because then on recovery, the third party apps (which
they get money for) are gone!

It's a racket.

Here, I wasted no time zapping and repartitioning my laptop's drive and
installing a generic copy of Windows. I downloaded the drivers off the
manufacturer's website (Acer) and burned them to disc beforehand. Without
all that 3rd party junk the computer ran better. Then I doubled the RAM (to
2GB) so the machine just flies.

Best wishes,

Saucy


"pc nerd" <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:370C1EBF-85EB-42A0-BC9E-4E1339185EBC@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
> If recovery partitions are such a bad idea, then why do laptops come with
> a
> recovery partition?
>
> "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:
>[color=green]
>> On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:24:01 -0700, pc nerd
>> <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>> > I want to build a PC & I want to create a restore partition so that I
>> > can
>> > reinstall Vista anytime that I want to. How many gigabytes should the
>> > restore
>> > partition be? Is there a minimum size recommended by Microsoft?[/color]
>>
>>
>>
>> Please clarify exactly what you mean by a "restore partition" and how
>> you plan on using it.
>>
>> If you mean a partition that serves as a backup of your system, I urge
>> you to reconsider that plan. It's a very poor thing to do--the weakest
>> form of backup there is. It leaves you susceptible to simultaneous
>> loss of the original and backup to many of the most common dangers:
>> severe power glitches, nearby lightning strikes, virus attacks, even
>> theft of the computer.
>>
>> I recommend that you use an external drive for backup, not a partition
>> on your only drive. Read this article I recently wrote on backup:
>> [url]http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=314[/url]
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
>> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>>[/color][/color]

On Sun, 19 Jul 2009 04:44:01 -0700, pc nerd
<pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
> If recovery partitions are such a bad idea, then why do laptops come with a
> recovery partition?[/color]


These are images of the system partition when it is first installed.
The manufacturer creates that instead of giving you a CD or DVD
because it saves him a little bit of money.

The manufacturer normally also tells you that *you* should create and
save a CD/DVD that's a copy of that partition.

The issue I mentioned below is not about having such a partition, it's
about *relying* on it as backup.


[color=blue]
> "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:
>[color=green]
> > On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:24:01 -0700, pc nerd
> > <pcnerd@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> >[color=darkred]
> > > I want to build a PC & I want to create a restore partition so that I can
> > > reinstall Vista anytime that I want to. How many gigabytes should the restore
> > > partition be? Is there a minimum size recommended by Microsoft?[/color]
> >
> >
> >
> > Please clarify exactly what you mean by a "restore partition" and how
> > you plan on using it.
> >
> > If you mean a partition that serves as a backup of your system, I urge
> > you to reconsider that plan. It's a very poor thing to do--the weakest
> > form of backup there is. It leaves you susceptible to simultaneous
> > loss of the original and backup to many of the most common dangers:
> > severe power glitches, nearby lightning strikes, virus attacks, even
> > theft of the computer.
> >
> > I recommend that you use an external drive for backup, not a partition
> > on your only drive. Read this article I recently wrote on backup:
> > [url]http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=314[/url]
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
> > Please Reply to the Newsgroup
> >[/color][/color]

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup