Creating a Hidden Partition

[Texun]

How do you create a hidden partition on a HD? Does it require any spacial software or can I get it done with the Windows tools like FDISK or the WinXP CD, which is what I normally use?

I want to create a small partition where I can store a Ghost image that will not be seen or accessed under normal conditions while poking around in Windows Explorer. Out of sight-out of mind, so to speak. My plan is to create a bootable floppy or CD with an auto file that will call up a batch file and load Ghost to restore the partition.

Thanks

 

[MangoTBG]

Is your porn that bad?

 

[nimo]

I don?t think it can be done with "normal" FDISK

How ever it's easy to do with Partition magic (7 or 8 will do fine with winXP)

 

[DanStp]

Here is how I manage "technical" documents I do not want anyone else to see or know about. Buy a copy of Partition Magic. Set it up so only you the administrator of the machine has access to it. Create your "technical" document partition. Then hide it It will not show up, and no one will know it is there If you are real paranoid you can password protect Partition Magic too

 

[jjyiz28]

nm

 

[Anonemous]

Originally posted by: DanStp
Here is how I manage "technical" documents I do not want anyone else to see or know about. Buy a copy of Partition Magic. Set it up so only you the administrator of the machine has access to it. Create your "technical" document partition. Then hide it It will not show up, and no one will know it is there If you are real paranoid you can password protect Partition Magic too

thanks for the tip, I get to hide err... protect my 'technical' documents from prying eyes... especially from myself.

 

[Texun]

Originally posted by: Anonemous

Originally posted by: Mango TBG & DanStp -

-Is your porn that bad?

-Here is how I manage "technical" documents I do not want anyone else to see or know about. Buy a copy of Partition Magic. Set it up so only you the administrator of the machine has access to it. Create your "technical" document partition. Then hide it It will not show up, and no one will know it is there If you are real paranoid you can password protect Partition Magic too

thanks for the tip, I get to hide err... protect my 'technical' documents from prying eyes... especially from myself.

You guys are a hoot!!! I am not having a problem with my "technical docs." This is a legit project. I am building a PC for a total noob and when the time eventually comes where the HD needs a fresh OS with everything set up again I don't want to deal with it. My plan is to have a ghost image and a bootable floppy that will do it for me. But thanks for the concern! It's good to know this is a community that looks out for each other.

 

[Special1Sauce]

lol That was interesting. But seriously though if hes a n00b he wont know what your talking about.

 

[Texun]

Originally posted by: Special1Sauce
lol That was interesting. But seriously though if hes a n00b he wont know what your talking about.

You may have a point there, but I figure it would be easier to set up a bootable floppy to run a batch file that would take care of most of the guesswork. I remembered another way of getting it done that may help others... The older version (not sure about the newer) of TweakUI has an option for hiding drives. As long as she doesn't see the drive she won't be inclined to go in and mess with it, that's the "out of sight out of mind" part that I mentioned. The ghost image should be fairly safe there. I'll give it a shot then sit back and wait.

 

[zzzz]

It would be better if you store the image on a cd/dvd and make the cd with a boot menu so that she can restore from it.

 

[Gunbuster]

So you are going to make a boot disk that auto starts and reghosts the machine?

yea great plan, you might as well give the user a tactical nuke.

oh never mind, it's you they will come after when all their data gets erased

 

[Texun]

Originally posted by: Gunbuster
So you are going to make a boot disk that auto starts and reghosts the machine?
yea great plan, you might as well give the user a tactical nuke.
oh never mind, it's you they will come after when all their data gets erased

There are switches used in batch files, such as Y\N, text messaging, and instructions on backing up files as well as when to use it. I said she was a noob, not an idiot. I've done this before with CD's but the images were smaller than this one. A boot disk with the ghost image on a separate partition should provide the same results. Idiots will always find a way around it and I have no illusion that this will be the perfect solution, just an easy option when a reinstall is needed. Batch files with switches are often used for such applications, this is nothing new.

 

[imported_Phil]

Texun: I would be extremely interested to know how you accomplish this- I've done the same thing for my father's machine but with a bootable DVD. However, he has to navigate Ghost in DOS to restore the drive and I'd love it to be automated, possibly with a Yes/No prompt!

Thanks in advance

[Edit] Found some extremely helpful info on the Symantec website: Linky

 

[Texun]

Originally posted by: DopeFiend
Texun: I would be extremely interested to know how you accomplish this- I've done the same thing for my father's machine but with a bootable DVD. However, he has to navigate Ghost in DOS to restore the drive and I'd love it to be automated, possibly with a Yes/No prompt!
Thanks in advance
[Edit] Found some extremely helpful info on the Symantec website: Linky

That's a good Ghost link. I've got a simple batch file somewhere on my file server that I add to the boot disk... just have to remember what I named it. :frown: It runs the string in Ghost and prompts for a YN response just before going postal on the hard drive. I won't be doing this until Saturday or maybe Sunday, but
look here for tips on how to build a recovery disk with Ghost and a batch file. I'll post or PM you when I get back to my file box. I like this one and will most likely give it a shot regardless of whether I find my file or not. I like the looks of it.

 

[OverVolt]

Originally posted by: Texun

Originally posted by: Anonemous

Originally posted by: Mango TBG & DanStp -

-Is your porn that bad?

-Here is how I manage "technical" documents I do not want anyone else to see or know about. Buy a copy of Partition Magic. Set it up so only you the administrator of the machine has access to it. Create your "technical" document partition. Then hide it It will not show up, and no one will know it is there If you are real paranoid you can password protect Partition Magic too

thanks for the tip, I get to hide err... protect my 'technical' documents from prying eyes... especially from myself.

You guys are a hoot!!! I am not having a problem with my "technical docs." This is a legit project. I am building a PC for a total noob and when the time eventually comes where the HD needs a fresh OS with everything set up again I don't want to deal with it. My plan is to have a ghost image and a bootable floppy that will do it for me. But thanks for the concern! It's good to know this is a community that looks out for each other.

I'm pretty sure OEMS like dell and HP do this to their machines but im not 100% sure. Most of them i've worked with have hidden paritions you cant find poking around in explorer, but when you reinstall you someitmes find a little 50-500MB Partition on there.

 

[SUOrangeman]

With Win2K/XP/2K3, you can just create a FAT32/NTFS volume and choose not to assign it a drive letter. Only an account with administrative access will be able to assign it a drive letter. Of course, the user of that account would have to run Disk Management to even know that the "hidden" partition is there.

In Win9x/ME, all FAT/FAT32 volumes will be mounted and you likely won't have the option of turning it off.

However, I complete agree with keeping GHost images offline, say, on another hard drive altogether or on CD/DVD.

-SUO

 

[mmnatas]

Originally posted by: OverVoltI'm pretty sure OEMS like dell and HP do this to their machines but im not 100% sure. Most of them i've worked with have hidden paritions you cant find poking around in explorer, but when you reinstall you someitmes find a little 50-500MB Partition on there.

Both of my compaq laptops have had extra drives, which had the files necessary to reinstall, but since they also gave me emrgency restore disks, I blew it away and installed linux in its place. Internally, big companies just use a network connection to reinstall.

 

[suklee]

Originally posted by: DopeFiend
Texun: I would be extremely interested to know how you accomplish this- I've done the same thing for my father's machine but with a bootable DVD. However, he has to navigate Ghost in DOS to restore the drive and I'd love it to be automated, possibly with a Yes/No prompt!

How did you create a bootable dvd? I have trouble creating a bootable DVD using Nero 6.3.0.2. I don't have a floppy drive on my machine, so I used my bootable USB memory stick. Selected the options in DVD - Bootable and burned my ghost image on there. It detects a 'bootable dvd' but says the O/S is invalid..

Anyways , along the same lines, there's a link over on the software forum that teaches you how to do unattended XP installations:

Unattended XP installs

 

[Texun]

Originally posted by: SUOrangeman

However, I complete agree with keeping GHost images offline, say, on another hard drive altogether or on CD/DVD.
-SUO

I agree as well. I just don't have a DVD burner and I doubt that I can get a full WinXP with updates on a single CDR. Spanning might be option to consider.

 

[imported_Phil]

Originally posted by: Texun

Originally posted by: DopeFiend
Texun: I would be extremely interested to know how you accomplish this- I've done the same thing for my father's machine but with a bootable DVD. However, he has to navigate Ghost in DOS to restore the drive and I'd love it to be automated, possibly with a Yes/No prompt!
Thanks in advance
[Edit] Found some extremely helpful info on the Symantec website: Linky

That's a good Ghost link. I've got a simple batch file somewhere on my file server that I add to the boot disk... just have to remember what I named it. :frown: It runs the string in Ghost and prompts for a YN response just before going postal on the hard drive. I won't be doing this until Saturday or maybe Sunday, but
look here for tips on how to build a recovery disk with Ghost and a batch file. I'll post or PM you when I get back to my file box. I like this one and will most likely give it a shot regardless of whether I find my file or not. I like the looks of it.

Excellent, thanks for that

 

[WackyDan]

Originally posted by: mmnatas

Originally posted by: OverVoltI'm pretty sure OEMS like dell and HP do this to their machines but im not 100% sure. Most of them i've worked with have hidden paritions you cant find poking around in explorer, but when you reinstall you someitmes find a little 50-500MB Partition on there.

Both of my compaq laptops have had extra drives, which had the files necessary to reinstall, but since they also gave me emrgency restore disks, I blew it away and installed linux in its place. Internally, big companies just use a network connection to reinstall.

The Tier "1" manufacturers like a Dell, IBM, HP, etc... and some of the smaller guys create a hidden "service partition" containing the factory restore image. You generally have to interupt the boot via the first post screen to get into the recovery/restory process. The partition is generally small when compared to the size of today's drive. Think 1-2 gig more or less. That's peanuts and you should leave it alone.

I know IBM will send you the actual Restore CD's for free if you call their support number while the unit is within warranty.... Out of warranty and they want to charge you $35.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[zodder]

Not a bad idea, SUOrangeman.