Delete EISA Hidden Recovery or Diagnostic Partition? [solved]

Q. I have a hard drive from an IBM thinkpad and I can’t get one of the partitions deleted, can you help?

A. This is how I deleted one on Windows XP, this includes some steps showing different parameters and help for the diskpart utility:

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]

(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\User>diskpart

Microsoft DiskPart version 5.1.3565

Copyright (C) 1999-2003 Microsoft Corporation.
On computer: M4400

DISKPART> list

Microsoft DiskPart version 5.1.3565

DISK        - Prints out a list of disks.
PARTITION   - Prints out a list of partitions on the current disk.
VOLUME      - Print a list of volumes.

DISKPART> list disk

Disk ###  Status      Size     Free     Dyn  Gpt
--------  ----------  -------  -------  ---  ---
Disk 0    Online        75 GB      0 B
Disk 1    Online       466 GB      0 B
Disk 3    Online       149 GB   145 GB

DISKPART> select disk 3

Disk 3 is now the selected disk.

DISKPART> list volume

Volume ###  Ltr  Label        Fs     Type        Size     Status     Info
----------  ---  -----------  -----  ----------  -------  ---------  --------
Volume 0     E                       DVD-ROM         0 B
Volume 1     C   OS           NTFS   Partition     74 GB  Healthy    System
Volume 2     D   DATA         NTFS   Partition    466 GB  Healthy    Pagefile

DISKPART> list partition

Partition ###  Type              Size     Offset
-------------  ----------------  -------  -------
Partition 1    OEM               4393 MB    33 GB

DISKPART> select partition 1

Partition 1 is now the selected partition.

DISKPART> list

Microsoft DiskPart version 5.1.3565

DISK        - Prints out a list of disks.
PARTITION   - Prints out a list of partitions on the current disk.
VOLUME      - Print a list of volumes.

DISKPART> list partition

Partition ###  Type              Size     Offset
-------------  ----------------  -------  -------
* Partition 1    OEM               4393 MB    33 GB

DISKPART> help

Microsoft DiskPart version 5.1.3565

ADD         - Add a mirror to a simple volume.
ACTIVE      - Marks the current basic partition as an active boot partition.
ASSIGN      - Assign a drive letter or mount point to the selected volume.
BREAK       - Break a mirror set.
CLEAN       - Clear the configuration information, or all information, off the
disk.
CONVERT     - Converts between different disk formats.
CREATE      - Create a volume or partition.
DELETE      - Delete an object.
DETAIL      - Provide details about an object.
EXIT        - Exit DiskPart
EXTEND      - Extend a volume.
HELP        - Prints a list of commands.
IMPORT      - Imports a disk group.
LIST        - Prints out a list of objects.
INACTIVE    - Marks the current basic partition as an inactive partition.
ONLINE      - Online a disk that is currently marked as offline.
REM         - Does nothing. Used to comment scripts.
REMOVE      - Remove a drive letter or mount point assignment.
REPAIR      - Repair a RAID-5 volume.
RESCAN      - Rescan the computer looking for disks and volumes.
RETAIN      - Place a retainer partition under a simple volume.
SELECT      - Move the focus to an object.

DISKPART> list partition

Partition ###  Type              Size     Offset
-------------  ----------------  -------  -------
* Partition 1    OEM               4393 MB    33 GB

DISKPART> delete partition 1

The arguments you specified for this command are not valid.

DISKPART> delete partition

The selected partition may be neccessary to the operation of your computer, and
may not be deleted.

DISKPART> list volume

Volume ###  Ltr  Label        Fs     Type        Size     Status     Info
----------  ---  -----------  -----  ----------  -------  ---------  --------
Volume 0     E                       DVD-ROM         0 B
Volume 1     C   OS           NTFS   Partition     74 GB  Healthy    System
Volume 2     D   DATA         NTFS   Partition    466 GB  Healthy    Pagefile

DISKPART> list partition

Partition ###  Type              Size     Offset
-------------  ----------------  -------  -------
* Partition 1    OEM               4393 MB    33 GB

DISKPART> delete partition override

DiskPart successfully deleted the selected partition.

DISKPART> exit

Leaving DiskPart...

C:\Documents and Settings\User>

I hope this helps!

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