Can I remove the recovery partiotion on my VAIO to install linux?

[fmazzanti]

Hi folks,

first of all let me say I'm new to this board, so probably this has been discussed before. I've just registered and looked for a reply to my qustion but couldn't find any so far.

Now the question is simple: I've just purchased a VAIO notebook VGN-S5HP/B which comes with an 80Gb hard drive with three different partiotions. First one is the Recovery Partiotion and takes about 7.5Gb of space. Next two are around 33Gb each and are NTFS partittions.
Now I'd like to have 30Gb for Windows and 50Gb for linux.
I have already made the 2 DVD's SOny wants you to create:SYSTEM RECOVERY DISK and APPLICATION RECOVERY DISK. Once I have them, can I simply *destroy* the recovery partition, and rearrange partiotion on my VAIO using Partitionmagic for instance, to have one single Windows partition and one Linux partition, and no recovery partition at all?

Now if I do that... will I ever be able to recover my original system with the recovery dvd's and without the recovery partition, or killing this partittion means I won't ever be able to recover my system?

Thank you very miuch for your help,

Ferran.

[Thalamus.]

Hi ferran,

Welcome to the Forum,

If you wish to delete the recovery partition it may be a good idea to make several copies of the System and Recovery disc's, just to be on the safe side.

Here is the Sony guide How can I delete the special recovery partition from my VAIO that has HDDR?

[fmazzanti]

Hi,

first of all, thank you very much for the warm welcome and the advice. The guide you pointed me to seems to be what I was looking for
In any case I'd like to be absolutely sure of what I'm doing since my laptop is only... 1 day old! I have created both the system recovery and the application recovery dvd's, and I have them in a safe place.
Now considering I have the two disks with me, if I delete completely the recover partition, will I still be able to recover my laptop to its original state without the partition but with the recovery dvd's?
That's what I really want to know... if the disks and no partition are enough to get the system completely recovered.

Thanks again,

Ferran.

[Thalamus.]

Hi Ferran,

Here is the Sony guide that gives instuctions on how to recover your VGN-S5HP/B using the recovery CD/DVD.

You will see from this guide that you can use just your recovery CD/DVD to restore your Vaio.

However if your recovery CD/DVD you created becomes damaged in any way, you will have to order a set of recovery disc's from Sony, currently £55 (not sure in €'s). Therefore if you wish to delete the recovery partition make sure you have several copies of the System and Recovery disc's:smileyhappy:

[fmazzanti]

Hi again Thalanus,

thanks for the guide.. once more Yes I see the guide tells you can do everything from the recovery discs. Still I see in point 12 a screenshot where it is written '[Recovery Partition] It will be retained', so what happens if you don't have such recovery partition? The recovery process can't go on? If that's the case, then one *needs* to keep that partition, right?
My main question is that: will I be able to do the recovery *without* such recovery partition and only the disks? You seem to tell me the answer is that I won0t need the recovery partition, but about that message?

I also wonder if there is a way to test the recovery disks once they have been created. Do you know if there is such test?

Sorry if I insist too much... it's just that I don't want to kill the whole thing at once 😞

Best regards and thanks again,

Ferran.