Clean install Windows 7 (Vista before) on Lenovo - can I delete Q and S partitions?

I wish to do a clean install of Windows 7 on my Lenovo 3000 N500 laptop purchased in 2008 and running Vista Home Premium.
I have already managed to do a clean install on my desktop (HP machine) by loading from the WINDOWS 7 disk. I chose language etc and when asked where to install Windows, went into 'Drive options Advanced'. I deleted the 'system' partition S (which I presumed had Vista system info on it) and my C partition (which was temporarily named Disk 0) and I installed Windows 7 - no problems throughout and all running well and I now have one C drive.
Is it OK to proceed with the same method on the laptop with the Q and S partitions and delete them? Surely Windows 7 will have it's own back up and restore systems?
About the drives on the Lenovo: an S drive named SERVICEV003 and a Q drive named LENOVO (as well as a C drive).
When I select to delete the S drive I get a message to say that 'Windows uses this partition to reboot the system.......do not make changes.....' The drive contains folders named PREBOOT RECOVERY SWshare SWwork WINDOWS RECOV.wim and they appear to contain drivers and system files. The whole folder has 685 Mb free of 1.46Gb
The Q drive (LENOVO) contains a folder called SWTools and the whole folder has 3.81Gb free of 9.76Gb.
The hard drive C (SW_RELOAD) has 117Gb free of 221Gb and I am keen to preserve space.
Any advice will be welcome - I am savvy enough to do most tasks but I doubt if I would be able to recover from a complete crash (although I do have system recovery files - but will they work if I have deleted everything?)
Thanks for any help
Hazel

 

Re: Clean install Windows 7 (Vista before) on Lenovo - can I delete Q and S partition

Both the S and Q drives appear to be Lenovo recovery partitions to help reload the original factory Vista install. They are useful in an emergency if you had to get the laptop up and running since they will get you back to a fully licensed version of Vista.

Is your Win7 disc a retail copy? Do you have a license for more than one machine? That is really what the question is. If you know your Win7 installation will validate correctly because you have purchased a license for each machine and that you will never need to go back to Vista then you can delete those two partitions. Win7 does not automatically backup anything so you will have to design your own backup scheme or be comfortable using your Win7 disc to attempt repairs or reinstall Win7.

I, personally, would not delete the partitions. I would install Win7 and run it for a month or so to make sure everything is to my liking. If everything is good then I would consider deleting those partitions and using the space for data files or using Disk Management to expand the Win7 partition into the space previously used by them.

Feel free to ask any questions or wait for other opinions.

 

Re: Clean install Windows 7 (Vista before) on Lenovo - can I delete Q and S partition

I do have a multiple licence but I will definitely take your advice and leave it for now and try later....now why didn't I think of that???

Many thanks!

Hazel

 

Re: Clean install Windows 7 (Vista before) on Lenovo - can I delete Q and S partition

Just in case this can be of help to anyone else.

I went ahead after all and deleted both Q and S drives and did a clean install of Windows 7 and all appears fine.

Hazel

 

Re: Clean install Windows 7 (Vista before) on Lenovo - can I delete Q and S partition

In your situation you are fine. You went to a newer Os and had a clear license.

It is the people that borrow a Win7 disc to try and fix things when Vista doesn't work and later realize they have to go back to Vista because of license problems, that really should keep the partitions. Or people that don't like Vista and try XP and then want to go back to Vista and realize to late they need their recovery partition to do so, that have to be careful.

Just an abundance of caution on my part. I'm glad you have a nice clean install.

 

Re: Clean install Windows 7 (Vista before) on Lenovo - can I delete Q and S partition

That's the right way to be, and why people use this forum, I guess! There's too much advice out there that people wish later that they hadn't taken.

So thanks once again and bye for now.