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Resolved Question

What Is Dell Drive E "Recovery" Used For?

May 27, 2012 8:30AM PDT

I have a Dell Vostro 420 Desktop computer (circa 2006) with the following hard drive configuration:
Drive C - Vista Business 32 Operating System (Service Pack 2). Used for system and program files, etc.
Drive D - "Datapart1". Used for created files
Drive E - "Recovery". Have never used this and wouldn't know how or why I would do so.
Drive O - External drive added for supplemental storage, etc.

Here are the current usage statistics as of today.

Drive Capacity Used Space Free Space Comments
C 59.9 GB 59.5 GB 467 MB Free Space is L-O-W as MB, not GB.
D 395.0 GB 208.0 GB 187.00 GB
E 9.99 GB 7.87 GB 5.12 GB This drive never used.
O 931.0 GB 132. GB 798.00 GB External HD

For backup purposes I subscribe online to Carbonite Home Plus.

Please respond soonest.

Shamrock838.

Discussion is locked

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Best Answer

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Recovery Partition
Jun 19, 2012 6:39AM PDT

Hello shamrock838,

The Recovery E as pointed out by Bob has the recovery partition in it.

This is useed to Restore the computer back to the factory settings when you need it.

I would suggest you not to use the Recovery "E" as it will be useful for you in the future.

Thanks,

Dell-Anish

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Answer
Drive E
May 27, 2012 9:51PM PDT

I think that's where Dell puts their Factory Restore feature and/or the Dell diags.

Get out your manual and I think you'll find it's some F key during boot that will allow access.

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DRIVE E
May 28, 2012 2:57AM PDT

This seems to make sense in retrospect, given the setting.

Guess I'll have to look elsewhere for additional "C" disk space - which is getting dangerlously low. Ideally, I'd like to "copy" such space from drives "D" and/or "O". Repartitioning?

shamrock 838.