My new Dell XPS 15 L521X just arrived. I need to set this up to dual boot Linux. Sadly, the system comes with four primary partitions. I can't do a clean install at the moment, so one of the partitions will have to be deleted before I can install Linux. The layout is as follows:
OEM: 39mb
Hibernation: 8gb
OS: 457gb
Recovery: 12gb
Obviously, I can't delete the Hibernation and OS partitions (will shrink to make space for Linux) and I'd like to keep the recovery partition if possible. So my question is what is on the small OEM partition? What functionality will I lose if I delete it?
Best Answer
That OEM partition you're looking at is most likely the Dell Utility Partition. It essentially contains a diagnostic suite that you can access via the BIOS. It's not at all required for recovery or a factory restore, and you can download the same exact utilities from Dell's website and put them on a CD if you need them. Therefore, I'd say it's completely safe to delete it.