windows install on laptops, which harddrive to NOT format ?

[jblcdc]

Hi

 

I live in China and I just bought a new laptop for work, unfortunatelly it is a Chinese windows 10 license, home edition , and does not accept new language package.

I have a license for windows 10 pro, I plan replace the OS with it.

 

I am not used to windows install on laptops, especially with the Hardrive recovery system.

So I saved the windows License key and I am going to make a USB backup of the current install.

I want to confirm the principle around which hardrive I should format,  but more importantly, which one to leave untouch: 

 

The main Partition is to be formated, with the old windows version, yet every other small partitions, especially the 12GB recovery image is to be left alone.

Thanks for confirming or correcting

 

Best to all of you !

 

 

 

 

[mahyar]

how many drives are on your system?

[Electronics Wizardy]

Is there data on the drive you care about? Id delete all the partitions

[jblcdc]

@mahyar

 

This is a Gigabyte Areo 15 laptop.

 

There is one Harddrive, 5 partitions.

THe main one , with Windows, is 460GB, this is the one I plan to format with the new OS. 

The others ones are 250/60MB 1GB and 12GB, they obviously are part of the recovery system. Which I would like to preserve just in case.

 

 

@Electronics Wizardy

This is a brand new computer, there are no datas or files I wish to keep. I only wants to keep the manufacture recovery system : they didn't provide me with the license eky or any documentation, if I loose these , it could bring complication later.

 

[Electronics Wizardy]

Just now, jblcdc said:

@mahyar

 

This is a Gigabyte Areo 15 laptop.

 

There is one Harddrive, 5 partitions.

THe main one , with Windows, is 460GB, this is the one I plan to format with the new OS. 

The others ones are 250/60MB 1GB and 12GB, they obviously are part of the recovery system. Which I would like to preserve just in case.

 

 

@Electronics Wizardy

This is a brand new computer, there are no datas or files I wish to keep. I only wants to keep the manufacture recovery system : they didn't provide me with the license eky or any documentation, if I loose these , it could bring complication later.

 

the license is tied to the hardware. and you can just download the program.

 

If you want to keep the orginal files, make a image of the drive.

But delete everything, you don't want to keep any of those partitions