Can't delete the recovery partition on Aspire ES1-111M

Jason_P

I've created a Factory Default Backup with a USB drive with Acer Recovery Management.  I see this message which tells me I can delete the recovery partion to free up disk space after I've created the backup but it never gives me the option to do so.

 

 

I DO get the option to remove the Driver Recovery Partition after backing it up to USB but not the 10GB Recovery Partition.  It's a a HUGE deal on a system that only has a 32GB hard drive.

 

I appreciate any help.  Thanks 

 

 

philetus

1. Open a command prompt as administrator.

2. Run Diskpart application by typing Diskpart in the command prompt.

 

3. In the “Diskpart” prompt, enter rescan command and press Enter key to re-scan all partitions, volumes and drives available.

 

4. Then type in list disk and press Enter key to show all hard disk drive available.

 

5. Select the disk that contains the partition you want to remove. Normally, with just 1 hard disk, it will be disk 0. So the command will be:

Select disk 0

 

Finish by Enter key.

 

6. Type list partition and press Enter key to show all available and created partition in the disk selected.

 

7. Select the partition that wanted to be deleted by using the following command, followed by Enter key:

Select partition x

 

Where x is the number of the recovery partition to be removed and unlocked its space. Be careful with the number of this partition, as wrong number may get data wipes off.

 

8. Finally, type in delete partition override and press Enter key.

 

If diskpart gives you trouble,

 

Boot to a Linux live cd and use the disk utility on it.

Jason_P

Thanks for the reply philetus but I have no interest in doing any of that.  This computer is under 30 days old and it's going back for a refund if Acer can't address this problem.  I'm not the only one complaining about it.

gxeydark

vhdu

nav2014

Hi Jason,

 

I am in the same boat as you. As you reported this issue 3 weeks, did you find any easy way. I got this laptop a week back on 12-Dec-2014, so if I cannot delete that recovery partition, I might return it as well.

 

I just posted a review on Microsoftstore Canadian site, not sure if they will publish it. But I called MS Signature support as it comes with 90 days after 2 transfers, I get transferred to a so called 2nd level Tech support and she was the most incompetent person. She had no knowledge of Windows Recovery disk creator utility, and no knowledge of hardware specs of their own laptop, despite repeatedly telling her the model number and to check microsoftstore site.

 

She finally tells me this issue will require time and a paid support call from Premium Support. I just fell off my chair and said, thanks but no thanks, I am returning this laptop. I am not paying for a paid support call to answer this simple question.

 

The screenshot you show has that Hyperlink looking thread, but nothing happens when you click. Inf fact, I re-created a Recovery USB flash drive a second time thinking I will an optio in the end, but I saw none. Then after reading a Wiki page on Microsoft site on Create Recovery Disk utility, I created a recovery disk a third time using that utility which looks very similar to the Acer one, it also gives no option in the end, even though the Wiki page says, it might. Wiki page says in some computers you might not see and it and that means there is no free space to be recovered.

MonkeyCat1

It's a common misunderstaning that the recovery partition can be deleted. It's actually a speacial partition that is BOTH the recovery and the actual windows system. What I mean by that is the original windows files are on that recovery partition, but Windows still uses those files to run the operating system. You cannot delete the recovery partiion or Windows will stop working, you'll actually break it, since you're delete files Windows still uses.

 

I should clarify, you can delete the partition but you will have to reinstall a fresh copy of Windows. So you might be thinking of doing that to save some space? Don't bother, there is minimal difference between a full Windows install VS one with this recovery partition setup, it's like 200MB or something.

 

If you need more room, get a low profile USB 3.0 flashdrive, SanDisk makes a tiny one.

 

The only thing I hate about this laptop really, is the stupid mouse. It keeps cutting out on me randomly, I've switched to a wireless mouse because there isn't anything else in this price range. Still suck that **bleep** trackpad has these weird problems. My friend also got the same model and he had to return it because it just stopped working on him. I think these early low cost laptops are really hit and miss.

nav2014

Hi MonkeyCat1,

 

Thanks for clarifying that Recovery partition cannot be deleted. If I keep this laptop, I am planning to get the low profile Sandisk Ultra USB 3.0 64Gb drive. At the moment it is pretty expensive here in Amazon.ca compared to Amazon.com in US.

 

I have not used the laptop directly a lot, as I have it hooked up to my TV and using it as a HTPC. I have mostly accessed it using TeamViewer on a tablet or another laptop in the house. The few times I used it directly, I luckily have not faced any issues with the trackpad.

 

What is not clear to me is that after using up 10 GB for the recovery partition, it still ends up using another 4 GB from the main C drive partition which has a capacity of some 18.x GB, but only 14.x is avaialbe when you first open the laptop out of the box.

 

If you read this article, it seems to indicate you can delete and free up some space by removing the recovery partition, but looks like this new breed of low cost eMCC based laptops use files on there to run your windows. Some people seem to indicate that the main C drive is shown in Disk Management as a WIM partition. WIM it seems contains a compressed image of Windows. But that alone seems not enough to run and it also needs the additional files on the misleadingly named Recovery partition.

 

 

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-CA/windows-8/create-usb-recovery-drive

 

Some info on what is WIM

 

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn594399.aspx