Windows 8 Removing hidden partition with Windows 8 on it...

sammytruck · Apr 1, 2014

My Acer-V5 laptop has a hidden partition with Windows 8 on it.

I ran Jelly-Bean Finder and got my 25 digit serial number. Could I get/download a copy of Windows 8, use MY serial number, and wipe the whole drive? Then install Windows 8, without any hidden partition?

I want to do all this.... so I can dual-boot with Linux, with the Legacy option in the bios.

Help would be grateful......

Saltgrass · Apr 2, 2014

The hidden partition, you may be referring to, contains the Windows 8 factory image. It should be around 10 GB in size and can be removed if you create a Recovery drive, it will give you the option to remove it. I would be certain I had the image somewhere safe before doing anything else.

I would also make sure I had a System Image Backup of my system in case something goes wrong.

Ubuntu 13.04 or later can be installed as UEFI if you wanted. It is also compatible with the Windows 8 secure Boot. Linux can also be installed as Legacy on a GPT configured drive if it was necessary. The Details of how to do this will be up to you.

The key you recovered, as far as I know, can only be used for installing the original Windows 8 that came on the system. It should not work with a downloaded version or purchased DVD, but I haven't actually tried it.

You should realize, if you remove the Recovery partition, you may loose any special recovery options the OEM supplied with the system.

sammytruck · Apr 2, 2014

Saltgrass said:
The hidden partition, you may be referring to, contains the Windows 8 factory image. It should be around 10 GB in size and can be removed if you create a Recovery drive, it will give you the option to remove it. I would be certain I had the image somewhere safe before doing anything else.

I would also make sure I had a System Image Backup of my system in case something goes wrong.

Ubuntu 13.04 or later can be installed as UEFI if you wanted. It is also compatible with the Windows 8 secure Boot. Linux can also be installed as Legacy on a GPT configured drive if it was necessary. The Details of how to do this will be up to you.

The key you recovered, as far as I know, can only be used for installing the original Windows 8 that came on the system. It should not work with a downloaded version or purchased DVD, but I haven't actually tried it.

You should realize, if you remove the Recovery partition, you may loose any special recovery options the OEM supplied with the system.

Nice info. I will do backups. I have two 32-gig sticks, and one 64-gig stick, one 500-gig external usb3 drive.

I'd like to just wipe the 500-gig 7200-rpm drive. Install a raw Windows-8 OS. THEN pop in a PCLinuxOS into an external dvd-usb drive, and install it.

sammytruck · Apr 3, 2014

Though I'm not a Ubuntu fan. Don't like the Gnome layout. I like KDE more. So with all my wandering... I landed on PCLinuxOS. It has been my Linux choice for a while now.

patcooke · Apr 3, 2014

Your pc should have come with an inbuilt utility to burn a set of recovery disks from the image on the hidden partition. Do this (and make a second copy to be safe) and yo may completely wipe your entire drive.

Windows 8 Removing hidden partition with Windows 8 on it...

sammytruck

Well-Known Member

Saltgrass

Excellent Member

sammytruck

Well-Known Member

sammytruck

Well-Known Member

patcooke

Microsoft MVP

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