I mean, I assume there will be an issue between the HP stuff on the drive and the Acer machine regarding drivers and all that so. This extract from the SeaTools for Windows online manual implied that SeaTools for DOS had to be used when there was a problem.

Obviously the primary partition is where it needs to be installed but I am wondering.

When attempting to install the operating system and it asks me where I want to install it I am shown the 4 partitions with the HP recovery, HP tools, system and Primary. I am putting a hard drive from a HP Compaq into an Acer machine (both drives had the same OS on them). Obviously it still has all the info on the drive from the old laptop so I am wondering Seatools’ extensive track record covers tailor made systems such as dredging and trenching tools, instrumentation. This team of specialists has proven its qualities in design and construction of a wide variety of systems and products. I pulled a smaller drive out of a laptop I had laying around that has a bad motherboard and replaced the bad drive with it. Seatools is a company of specialists with many years of experience in underwater and offshore technology. Tried using a win7 disc I had to repair and or reinstall the OS but it hangs up. SeaTools 5.1.176: SeaTools para Windows ha sustituido a SeaTools Online y PowerMax. tried accessing the acer e recovery on the hidden partition but it hangs up. it appears I cannot do anything with that drive.