All about Hard Drive Partition Recovery

• Part1:How to remove and create recovery partition
• Part2:Top 5 hard drive partition recovery software
• Part3:The differences between Windows 7 and windows 8 recovery partition

Partitions are divided into two types, one is Primary and the other is Secondary or logical partition. Primary partition is used to install operating system thus they are called as the active partition and secondary partition is used as storage space. You can create four Primary partitions and 24 logical partitions. To work with the partitions first, we need to know why we need to create multiple partitions. We need to install multiple operating system or effective use of storage, separate system files from user files, keep the system secure and protected, to backup the system files of operating system.

A Recovery Partition is a separate storage space where the backup of the operating system is stored. It holds the backup image of installed operating system as well as installed software, device drivers and system settings. If the system crash for any reason the operating system can be reinstalled from the recovery image with all the software and settings together.

Part 1: How to remove and create recovery partition

If you are a Windows 8 user, you are already aware with the problem that after installing Windows 8 the storage space available is comparatively less than that it described. These could be happened for a couple of reasons. But mostly the reason is that the storage space is occupied by the Windows recovery image of several gigabytes or sometimes system supplier includes their own recovery partition. Most of the modern PC comes with at least 500 gigabytes of storage, and this is not a big problem to them. But those who uses Ultra-book PC with 64 gigabytes or 128 gigabytes of SSD storage, occupying 10 or more gigabytes of storage by the Windows Recovery Image is a big problem. The solution is very simple. You can move the recovery partition to an external media or drive and delete the recovery partition to free the occupied space.

Let's see how to delete the recovery partition in Windows 8. Now follow the steps:

Step 1: connect a usb drive of at least 16 gigabytes of storage (You will need more storage space if your recovery partition size is larger). The usb drive will be formatted before moving recovery partition. So, backup all the important data from the usb drive.

Step 2: Go to the Start screen and type "Create A Recovery Drive". Change the search filter to Settings and select "Create a recovery drive" to launch Recovery Drive Wizard. If user account control prompt for permission then click yes button.

Step 3: Launch the program "Recovery Drive wizard" and check "Copy the recovery partition from the PC to the recovery drive" option and hit Next button.

Step 04: On the next screen selects the usb drive and hit next.

Step 05: On the next screen a warning will appear saying that all the files on the drive will be deleted. If you have any personal files on the drive, make sure you have backed up the files." If you already backup your USB drive then hit next. If you forget to backup your data then first back data from usb drive then hit next.

Step 6: After Windows completes copying recovery partition to usb drive, a message will pop up saying that you can regain some space by deleting the recovery partition. And also show an option to delete the recovery partition.

Step 7: Click on "Delete the recovery partition." It will show you a warning that says, by deleting the partition, you can free some drive space but without recovery partition you cannot restore the Windows. As you already moved your recovery partition to the usb drive, you need not feel any tension. You can now delete the recovery partition.

Step 08: Click the "delete" button to delete the Windows Recovery partition.
After completing the task, Windows will show you how much space you have regained by deleting the recovery partition.

The above step-to-step guide to remove partitions is only work for Windows 8. If you want to delete recovery partitions in other operation systems, you may read how to wipe hard drive partition.

But sometimes we suffer from reinstalling Microsoft Windows due to nasty spyware attack or reformatting hard drive if the computer has no recovery partition. Reinstalling Windows then reload all the applications and reset all settings is a painful and time-consuming and heinous process. But you can skip this time consuming process by simply backup your freshly installed Windows with necessary application and settings if you have created a recovery partition before. To create a recovery partition, read how to partition hard drive.

Part 2: Top 5 hard drive partition recovery software

While managing hard disk drive partitions, a small mistake can lead to the deletion or formatting of partitions. The result of losing a total partition of massive data will be devastating. These data cannot be retrieved by any utility included in the operating system. But here are some excellent software available to help you retrieving your data, as well as the total partition. Here are the best five hard drive partition recovery programs:

1. Wondershare Data Recovery

Wondershare Data Recovery is the top 1 hard drive partition recovery tool. It enables users to recover about 550+ types of files from all storage devices, hard drives, mobile phones, digital camera as well as iPod and MP3/4 players. It includes four kinds of recovery mode and one of them is hard drive partition recovery to recover lost or corrupted partitions. Read guide on how to recover partitions.

Advantages:

• The interface is user friendly.
• Recovery process is like a step by step guide. 3 steps will get deleted files back.
• It has the most file format support.
• Files from mobile phone and MP3/4 players can also be recovered.

Disadvantages:

• The software is a little big with 23.9MB.

2. 7-Data partition recovery:

7-Data partition recovery is designed to recover data from corrupted, lost, deleted or formatted partitions with exactly the same original structure those deleted by accident. This hard drive partition recovery software also helps to recover data from crashed and corrupted hard drive, repartition a disk (Fdisk) or partition re-formatted disk etc.

Key Features:

• File system supported by the program are NTFS, NTFS5, EXFAT, FAT32, FAT16 and FAT12.
• Supports almost storage devices such as, SATA HDD, SSD, usb hdd, usb flash drive, SCHI HDD, Hardware Raid, Compact flash card, Memory Stick Pro, iPod and other storage devices.
• Supports Windows 8/ 7/Vista/XP/Server Edition 2008.
• Supports a wide range of reputed digital disk manufacturers like, Digital, Seagate, Transcend, Silicon Power, Fujitsu, Samsung, HP and others.
• Supports SanDisk, Sony, Toshiba, Samsung, Transcend, Kingston, KingMax, Hitachi, a-Data memory cards.
• Supports search by Filename, Type, Location, Extension, Size, Date Created, etc.

Advantages:

• It is very easy to use with step by step wizard process.
• It is able to restore data from all kinds of partitions regardless of crashed, corrupted or lost, formatted.
• Recovered files are placed in the same structure as its previous location.

Disadvantages:

• The interface is not user friendly.
• Users can not preview the files before recovery.

3. Active@ partition recovery:

Active@ partition recovery is the ultimate hard drive partition recovery tool available as a freeware along with its paid versions. This utility helps to restore deleted and damaged logical drives and partitions within DOS and Windows environment. Simple QuickScan feature recovers recently deleted partition and advanced low-level scan feature recovery partition that deleted long ago and re-formatted or re-partitioned.

Key features:

• Supported file system: exFAT, Ext2/Ext3/Ext4.
• QuickScan detects deleted but not re-formatted partitions.
• SuperScan detects damaged and re-formatted partitions.
• Backup or restore partition in case of data loss.
• VMWare, raw or compressed disk data can be recovered

Advantages:

• It not only recovers data from all types of partitions but also backup data by sectors.
• The free version is available for users.

Disadvantages:

• It sometimes has problems recovering re-formatted partition.
• It only restores non-system partition.

4. Stellar Phoenix partition recovery - Professional

Stellar Phoenix Partition Recovery is a most rated hard drive partition recovery program that accomplishing recovery process quickly from all Windows hard drives and storage devices.

Key Features:

• It has Raw Recovery that enables users to recover data from corrupted media files.
• It will recover and restorer deleted and lost emails in MS Outlook.
• It allows users to preview files before clicking recover.
• Before recovery, it will compress files automatically.

Advantages:

• It is not just a partition recovery tool but all-in-one data recovery tool.
• Emails can be recovered.

Disadvantages:

• The software is very expensive compared with other software.

5. TestDisk Data Recovery

TestDisk is OpenSource powerful hard drive partition recovery software. It is designed to help recover lost, deleted or damaged partitions and also fix disk that don't boot. It can also recover partition table. TestDisk works for both novices and professional data recovery experts.

Key Features:

• The recovery works for partition table.
• It is able to recover from backup FAT32 file system.
• It will help users rebuild boot sectors.

Advantages:

• It is a open source tool so it is free to use.
• It supports almost all operation systems.
• Data recovery experts can combine this software with other program to develop a new tool.

Disadvantages:

• It has no graphical interface.
• It is not suitable for less experienced users though it said so. To recover media files, users have to use PhotoRec command.

Part 3: The differences between Windows 7 and windows 8 recovery partition

Windows 7 has a built in recovery feature. It is a great feature for those who has preinstalled Windows 7 and does have a Windows 7 installation DVD. Windows 7 creates a small separate partition on the hard drive while installing. Windows 7 stores boot system files and complete set of recovery tools that include the Command Prompt, System Restore Startup repair, Complete PC Restore, etc. These options are available without having to insert the Windows 7 DVD and boot from it.

Windows 8's built in recovery system is quite different from windows 7. It is more advanced and provides lots of choices to restore your PC to the default or like the clean installation with your favorite and necessary apps. This option saves us from the time consuming heinous process as the recovery partition contains the full installation. Windows 8 creates a recovery image of the operating system to a partition of the hard drive. If operating system is damaged by virus or spyware then you just need to restore the image other than the installation of whole operating system, and you will get the clean factory default Windows installation.