If the small partition is a Dell restore partition, then deleting it is not recommended. In fact, it a convenient way to accomplish your goal of reinstalling everything.
Dell Knowledge Base: What Is the Extra Partition on My Hard Drive Used For?
I have a Dell 4300 dimensions PC. I am reformatting the hard drive and installing xp. Dell set up the HD with 2 partitions. After deleting both partitions how can I make it 1 partition instead of 2.

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