[CliffSees]

I'm going to upgrade from 32Vista to 64 7. Like most new computers, my D: Drive is basically a rescue disc. Should I install Win7 on that drive and replace the existing Vista mirror for a mirror of 7? I do have the setup discs for Vista on CD still in shrink wrap just in case. Should I load the OS from C: drive? Or can I use the drive for data now? Enquiring minds want to know.

[LincolnSpector]

You can't simply rewrite the rescue partition, which is intended to restore the hard drive to its factory defaults.

Here's what I recommend: Once you have Win7 setup the way you want it, create an image backup to an external hard drive or to a series of DVDs. Consider this to be your own, personal, recovery tool, that restores the hard to the way you want it, not the way the company that made the PC wants it.

If you want to be extra cautious, you can keep the rescue partition as well--just in case your backup fails. Of course, if you ever have to use it, you'll have to upgrade to Win7 all over again.

The other alternative, after you make that backup, is to delete the restore partition and enlarge the main one.

Lincoln