I have purchased a new laptop and have discovered through the admin tools there is a partition on the C: which is FAT 32 using some 4 gig of space. This does not appear on explorer or my computer. Is there a way of showing this and deleting the files so I can have use of the space.

In Windows Explorer or Control Panel, click Tools in the Menu bar, click Folder Options, click View tab, in Advanced Settings list, find and check mark "Shown hidden files and folders". That partition may be used to restore the computer to factory condition with any Recovery CD that IBM may have included with the computer.

Also to say- I would not delete it. My Compaq computer has a FAT 32 partition, and it is used by a Recovery CD to restore computer to factory new condition.

Another FYI: All computers (desktops & laptops) sold by OEM manufacturers (Sony, IBM, HP, Packard Bell, Compaq, Dell, and others) substitute the hidden partition for Windows XP CD. If you delete the hidden partition, you will have nothing to fall back on except fork out anywhere from $200USD to $300USD for retail Windows XP CD that oftentime don't work well on proprietary machines. i_XpUser

Pretty much the true statement, that

Apart from the obvious, what happens if the hdd bombs out and the hidden partition cannot be accessed? Is the owner then expected to cough up for a cd based version of XP in order to re-install it on the replacement hdd? Is there a satisfactory method of burning the contents of the hidden partition to cd?

Maybe the partition is manufacture system recovery partition, you'd better keep it.