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Question

Removing the Recovery Drive on a Windows tablet

Jul 12, 2015 8:28AM PDT

I have a 16gb Windows 8 tablet and I would like to remove the recovery partition to save space (as you know 16gb on windows is impossibly difficult to manage)

I have followed all other help that I can find online which usually relates to creating a windows recovery USB using the built in windows recovery tool, and at the end of that process there is supposed to be an option to delete the originally recovery partition. I get no such option.

In addition disk manager provides no option for editing that partition other then 'Help'

Now I have a third party utilitiy which I can use to repartition from a boot manager, however it is at this point that I am hesitant to proceed.

How vitally important is the recovery partition? If I remove it in this way am I in any danger of completely destroying my machine. I really need the space but I don't want to brick this tablet.

Discussion is locked

Best Answer

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Yeah ok I see its not gonna work
Jul 15, 2015 6:49AM PDT

Thanks that article definitely helped. Opening the recovery partition with easeUS partition manager on boot up revealed all the WIMboot stuff.

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Answer
I'm going with no but send you off to another place.
Jul 13, 2015 7:50AM PDT

Try XDA Forums. They are full of such wild tools.
Note: Moderator edited for typo.

Post was last edited on July 13, 2015 7:57 AM PDT

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Answer
Read this
Jul 14, 2015 7:39AM PDT
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I read it and fear that average computer users will
Jul 14, 2015 7:49AM PDT

Scream. The section called "How To Get WIMBoot" is great but my bet is that folk want a step by step which as you suspect not possible given the thousands of machines out there.

I own a Windows 8.1 tablet ( the Toshiba WT7-C16 Encore Mini to be exact ) and it's a nice try but shows glaring defects in Windows 8 at times. The most glaring are control panels that date back to XP days. That is, not suitable for use with tablets. I had to find a stylus to hit the right spots to add a bluetooth keyboard. What were they thinking?

Let's hope they fix that in 10.

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See,
Jul 14, 2015 9:37AM PDT

that is exactly the problem they have, Controls! Mobile users rarely complain about unusable controls in iOS or Android because they were not given much. Window users grew up with expectations that MS, and really it's mobile, cannot fulfill. Not 10, or 11 or whatever.

Let's resign ourselves to consuming content or simple communications on mobile devices and the world will be a happier place.

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Or it's Microsoft's slap dash development style.
Jul 14, 2015 9:45AM PDT
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Good one!
Jul 14, 2015 11:16AM PDT

Seriously, have you heard the whine "yeah we know but it takes <insert your favorite euphemism>" eg. time, money, profits, shareholders. Sorry, space limit in field does not permit "customer satisfaction" to be entered Devil

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Windows 8 Marketing Campaign Likely to Hit $1.5 Billion
Jul 14, 2015 11:23AM PDT

That's beyond the engineering costs. How much time would it have taken to fix that item?

Yes, yes, I know it's not high on your bug list but it shows Microsoft's view on software quality.

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Answer
Gain more space
Jul 14, 2015 10:41AM PDT

If the whole exercise is to regain space deleting the "recovery partition" then go slow. The whole idea is to recover from the such media in order to return to factory install. Plus, any support like int. diags are probably also there. I suggest you use Partition manger or similar just to see what's present. You may find more partitions than you think, maybe at least the UEFI one concurrent with Win 8. If the tablet can be upgraded, maybe a service center from 16gb to 32gb is possible or the "modding world" of hacks may offer help. Alas, you gave no clue to exactly what Win 8 tablet you have, model#.

tada -----Willy Happy

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Answer
format it in disk management
Jul 14, 2015 8:36PM PDT

You can just format it in disk management. The recovery drive will recovery your computer to the state you bought it, which i don't think useful. I suggest you create system restore point and system backup to protect your system,