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Windows 7 - Delete /Windows and /Program Files? (from ex-boot drive I promise!) |
01-30-2012
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#1 | | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
Delete /Windows and /Program Files? (from ex-boot drive I promise!) SO basically recently I installed a SSD to boot from, but I keep all of my movies on my second drive. I decided to delete windows from the HDD since I will not be using it anymore.
The problem is, /Windows, /Program Files, and /Program Files (x86) all refuse to delete, even after taking ownership and setting full read-write access to me. I can't even delete them in safe mode. I can't wipe the HDD because it's 90% full and I simply have nowhere to back up all of the movies.
and yes, I'm booting from the SSD.
Help?
| My System Specs | | OS Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit CPU Intel Pentium G620 (Sandy bridge) Motherboard BIOSTAR H61MU3 Memory 2x4GB Kingston Desktop DDR3 KVR1333D3/4GR Graphics Card Intel HD Graphics 1000 Monitor(s) Displays VisionQuest Van Gogh 42" 720p Plasma Screen Resolution 1024-768 Keyboard Microsoft Wireless Keyboard 800 Mouse Microsoft Wireless Mouse 1000 PSU 300W, came with case Case hec 7k09BB Micro ATX HTPC Cooling 80mm 1600rpm front fan. Hard Drives Corsair Force Series 60GB SSD 2.5" SATA
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200 RPM 3.5" SATA Internet Speed ~14Mbps, VDSL2 over HPNA Other Info LG UH12LS28 BD-ROM Light scribe superdrive
WEI:
Base Score: 5.3 Processor: 6.4 Memory 7.5
Graphics: 5.3 Gaming Graphics: 5.8 Primary HD: 7.8 |
01-30-2012
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#2 | | Windows 7 Pro with SP1 32bit |
You might like to read theog's post at Windows 7 Forums > Windows 7 help and support > Installation & Setup » installed 7 on new ssd and want to format old primary drive with vista..
May be your boot files are on the HDD too. 
Quote: Originally Posted by FuturDreamz SO basically recently I installed a SSD to boot from, but I keep all of my movies on my second drive. I decided to delete windows from the HDD since I will not be using it anymore.
The problem is, /Windows, /Program Files, and /Program Files (x86) all refuse to delete, even after taking ownership and setting full read-write access to me. I can't even delete them in safe mode. I can't wipe the HDD because it's 90% full and I simply have nowhere to back up all of the movies.
and yes, I'm booting from the SSD.
Help? | My System Specs | | System Manufacturer/Model Number Custom Built OS Windows 7 Pro with SP1 32bit Motherboard Intel D845GVS1 X86-based PC Memory 2 gigs of RAM Graphics Card Intel(R) 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller Sound Card Realtek AC'97 Audio Monitor(s) Displays Samsung SyncMaster 931BF Black 19" LCD Monitor Screen Resolution 1280X960 Keyboard COMPAQ Standard PS/2 Keyboard Mouse iBall Laser Precise Speedster Hard Drives 1. SAMSUNG SP0822N ATA Device ~ 80 GigaBytes
2. Seagate FreeAgent Go USB Device ~ 500 GigaBytes Internet Speed 4 mb/sec |
01-30-2012
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#4 | | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
But I don't understand how it can be the boot drive. I set my motherboard to boot from the SSD (so it wouldn't even boot if I switched to HDD), and disk management lists the drive as Healthy, with no flags. | My System Specs | | OS Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit CPU Intel Pentium G620 (Sandy bridge) Motherboard BIOSTAR H61MU3 Memory 2x4GB Kingston Desktop DDR3 KVR1333D3/4GR Graphics Card Intel HD Graphics 1000 Monitor(s) Displays VisionQuest Van Gogh 42" 720p Plasma Screen Resolution 1024-768 Keyboard Microsoft Wireless Keyboard 800 Mouse Microsoft Wireless Mouse 1000 PSU 300W, came with case Case hec 7k09BB Micro ATX HTPC Cooling 80mm 1600rpm front fan. Hard Drives Corsair Force Series 60GB SSD 2.5" SATA
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200 RPM 3.5" SATA Internet Speed ~14Mbps, VDSL2 over HPNA Other Info LG UH12LS28 BD-ROM Light scribe superdrive
WEI:
Base Score: 5.3 Processor: 6.4 Memory 7.5
Graphics: 5.3 Gaming Graphics: 5.8 Primary HD: 7.8 |
01-30-2012
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#5 | | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
Seems I may have some "ummoveable files"
I think I'm going to try to distribute the videos among all the drives i have, then shrink the drive enough to make room for a second drive which can store the remainder. i may have to use gparted, as ummoveable files are not allowing me to shrink enough. | My System Specs | | OS Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit CPU Intel Pentium G620 (Sandy bridge) Motherboard BIOSTAR H61MU3 Memory 2x4GB Kingston Desktop DDR3 KVR1333D3/4GR Graphics Card Intel HD Graphics 1000 Monitor(s) Displays VisionQuest Van Gogh 42" 720p Plasma Screen Resolution 1024-768 Keyboard Microsoft Wireless Keyboard 800 Mouse Microsoft Wireless Mouse 1000 PSU 300W, came with case Case hec 7k09BB Micro ATX HTPC Cooling 80mm 1600rpm front fan. Hard Drives Corsair Force Series 60GB SSD 2.5" SATA
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200 RPM 3.5" SATA Internet Speed ~14Mbps, VDSL2 over HPNA Other Info LG UH12LS28 BD-ROM Light scribe superdrive
WEI:
Base Score: 5.3 Processor: 6.4 Memory 7.5
Graphics: 5.3 Gaming Graphics: 5.8 Primary HD: 7.8 |
01-30-2012
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#6 | | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
So, I decided to just format it. I moved enough off to make the drive more than 55% empty, and now I'm shrinking the drive so I can create another temporary partition to hold the rest of the files. Problem is, when trying to use the excess space left after deleting the old recovery partiotion on the secondary drive, I accidently turned the partition into a dynamic disk  using ADDM to shrink it now. | My System Specs | | OS Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit CPU Intel Pentium G620 (Sandy bridge) Motherboard BIOSTAR H61MU3 Memory 2x4GB Kingston Desktop DDR3 KVR1333D3/4GR Graphics Card Intel HD Graphics 1000 Monitor(s) Displays VisionQuest Van Gogh 42" 720p Plasma Screen Resolution 1024-768 Keyboard Microsoft Wireless Keyboard 800 Mouse Microsoft Wireless Mouse 1000 PSU 300W, came with case Case hec 7k09BB Micro ATX HTPC Cooling 80mm 1600rpm front fan. Hard Drives Corsair Force Series 60GB SSD 2.5" SATA
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200 RPM 3.5" SATA Internet Speed ~14Mbps, VDSL2 over HPNA Other Info LG UH12LS28 BD-ROM Light scribe superdrive
WEI:
Base Score: 5.3 Processor: 6.4 Memory 7.5
Graphics: 5.3 Gaming Graphics: 5.8 Primary HD: 7.8 |
01-30-2012
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#7 | | |
The correct way to delete an OS is to move the data off then delete it in Disk Management: Partition or Volume - Delete
Check first that your remaining Windows 7 partition is marked System Active so you know it will boot, and it's set as first HD to boot in BIOS setup.
Trying to remove an OS piecemeal is not easy as you must Take Ownership of all files and even then there will be a struggle with certain files inside of folders which wlll not fully release ownership. | My System Specs | | |
01-30-2012
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#8 | | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
which is why I chose just to blow it away. I just wished Microsoft had more prominnent warnings when you are converting a basic volume into a dynamic disk, as I just spent half an hour pulling my hair out trying to figure out how to convert it back again without losing my data. I tried ADDM and it's Suite alternative, but they both required me to buy the full version to switch it back again (their tactics of failing to mention this, and their dubious uninistaller is why I will not reveal their name), before finding out that EASUS Partition MagicHome Edition (free) does it easily. this program is now offically part of my pernament software arsenal.
System restore borked my user folder, so I'm doing this in a different account while I fix it. That's why I'm using IE9, which aparrently has no spell check. | My System Specs | | OS Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit CPU Intel Pentium G620 (Sandy bridge) Motherboard BIOSTAR H61MU3 Memory 2x4GB Kingston Desktop DDR3 KVR1333D3/4GR Graphics Card Intel HD Graphics 1000 Monitor(s) Displays VisionQuest Van Gogh 42" 720p Plasma Screen Resolution 1024-768 Keyboard Microsoft Wireless Keyboard 800 Mouse Microsoft Wireless Mouse 1000 PSU 300W, came with case Case hec 7k09BB Micro ATX HTPC Cooling 80mm 1600rpm front fan. Hard Drives Corsair Force Series 60GB SSD 2.5" SATA
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200 RPM 3.5" SATA Internet Speed ~14Mbps, VDSL2 over HPNA Other Info LG UH12LS28 BD-ROM Light scribe superdrive
WEI:
Base Score: 5.3 Processor: 6.4 Memory 7.5
Graphics: 5.3 Gaming Graphics: 5.8 Primary HD: 7.8 |
01-31-2012
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#9 | | |
I personally would backup the DATA on to a external HD Drive first. | My System Specs | | |
01-31-2012
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#10 | | |
At least weekly we help users who've ignored the warning that disk was being converted, convert Dynamic back to Basic using this older version of Partition Wizard bootable CD which still offers it as a free feature: pw422.zip ISO - Windows Live
If you have other issues you should post it up, too, because chances are we've seen it recently or are even helping someone with that particular issue right now. | My System Specs | | Delete /Windows and /Program Files? (from ex-boot drive I promise!) problems? All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:13 PM. |  |