What to do with previous installed Win7

beeej · 09 Jul 2012

So I installed a new SSD. I migrated the old OS over to the new SSD. My old HD has TONS of stuff on it.

How can I get the old copy of Win7 off the old HD. It is just taking up space.

Thanks.

koolkat77 · 09 Jul 2012

Does this help, Windows.old Folder - Delete

Night Hawk · 09 Jul 2012

Hello beeej Welcome to the Seven Forums!

If you have a 3rd drive used for storage and backup purposes with enough free drive space available one option would be the Windows Easy Transfer Tool for creating a backup of all user files and settings. Once the backup is made while booted into the original 7 install you would see it restored to the SSD copy of 7 there.

That sees not only the various folders and files restored but will also restore various settings once you have the same programs installed again like anything for Windows customizations. Here with the dual monitors and having a different wallpaper for each display once the UltraMon program was installed on the new 7 install the same profile would be applied.

The more time consuming method is the old "Copy and Paste" operation of going through every folder to decide on what will be copied over from the first drive using the manual method. Windows Easy Transfer - Transfer To & From Computers

Once you have everything restored on the new drive you simply wipe the first!

gregrocker · 10 Jul 2012

The only way to correctly uninstall an OS is to delete it's partition or wipe the HD. If you have User folders you've already linked to the libraries on the new install using Library - Include a Folder - Windows 7 Forums
then I would move them off the drive and wipe it with Diskpart Clean Command then move them back and relink them which is quick and easy.

In rare cases if forced to delete the Windows folder then use Unlocker to get it all out. But this leaves the HD bootsecting which can be problems later. Best to delete the old OS partition or wipe the HD.

Night Hawk · 10 Jul 2012

Another thing to ask would be if you had the first OS drive plugged in while installing 7 on the new SSD? If you did you likely may have seen a second boot entry for 7 added into the SSD's BCD store once the original 7 install was detected.

That second entry would need to be removed if found. Just be careful not to removed the wrong namely the present default boot entry. The boot tab in the msconfig utility will show if two are present.