How do I make a Win7 hard drive NOT bootable?

That's why I also gave you the steps to move the System boot files in Post 6.

But since you're ready to reformat now, move your files off of Disk1, power down to unplug it.

Power up, enter BIOS setup to set DISK0 first HD to boot, after DVD drive.

Then boot into the Win7 DVD System Recovery Options or System Repair Disk to run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times until Win7 starts and Disk0 System Reserved holds the System Active flags.

You can then power down to plug back in DISK1, from a Win7 Elevated Command Prompt run Diskpart Clean Command on DIsk1, then repartition it in Disk Mgmt as you please. Make doubly sure you choose DISK1 (by size) to wipe so you don't accidentally wipe Disk2.

gregrocker said:

That's why I also gave you the steps to move the System boot files in Post 6.

But since you're ready to reformat now, move your files off of Disk1, power down to unplug it.

Power up, enter BIOS setup to set DISK0 first HD to boot, after DVD drive.

Then boot into the Win7 DVD System Recovery Options or System Repair Disk to run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times until Win7 starts and Disk0 System Reserved holds the System Active flags.

You can then power down to plug back in DISK1, from a Win7 Elevated Command Prompt run Diskpart Clean Command on DIsk1, then repartition it in Disk Mgmt as you please. Make doubly sure you choose DISK1 (by size) to wipe so you don't accidentally wipe Disk2.

Even though I'm ready to reformat my drive (now labeled disc 2 in the current attachment), the 'system reserve' partition still says "System" where it doesn't in drive "I", my bootable disc. I DID do all steps in post #6 running startup repair 3+ times, each time it said something like 'bad start-up partition', but said it was repaired. The PC DID start start fine with Disc2 removed, the attached screenshot is when reinstalled. OK to "Clean" disc2 even though labeled "System,Active, Primary Partition"? How do I tell if disc0 holds the system active flags?

PS: I did not have to set disc0 as first HD to boot to, it already was when other disc was removed.

Remove all other disk but the one labeled Disk0. Start the system if it boots to Win 7 that disk holds all the info need to boot. Connect the other drives.

I was just worried that Disk0 has a drive letter I: and the "System" label while Disk2 has neither. No issue?

It is not correct that SysReserved should have a drive letter. YOu can remove it here: Drive Letter - Add, Change, or Remove in Windows 7 - Windows 7 Forums

It is also not correct that it is not marked System on Disk0 because that flag signifies the system boot files are onboard. So we have no reason to believe Disk0 is booting itself and not being booted by DIsk2 System partition. This is why edWar wants you to unplug all but Disk0 to check this, since the flags can sometimes be off. Test that now.

Is DISK0 the HD you ran Startup Repair three times upon after unplugging all others?

gregrocker said:

It is not correct that SysReserved should have a drive letter. YOu can remove it here: Drive Letter - Add, Change, or Remove in Windows 7 - Windows 7 Forums

It is also not correct that it is not marked System on Disk0 because that flag signifies the system boot files are onboard. So we have no reason to believe Disk0 is booting itself and not being booted by DIsk2 System partition. This is why edWar wants you to unplug all but Disk0 to check this, since the flags can sometimes be off. Test that now.

Is DISK0 the HD you ran Startup Repair three times upon after unplugging all others?

Since I was able to boot without disk2 connected, I thought I was fine and tried to clean disk2. I got the error message in the first attached image. I read that I had to boot to the command prompt to clean a disk with a system partition, boot file or something like that. I confirm disk2 was correct (image2) then I booted to the prompt and cleaned disk2. I am 100% sure I typed select disk 2 (it said disk 2 selected). I CLEANED successfully. Image 3 show disk1 was erased. I don't suppose there is any way to get it back?

The fact that Diskpart reported the error on the clean command confirms you were really booting from Disk2.

And it looks to me like you had physically swapped disks/ports between screenshots 2 & 3. (Disk2 now in Disk1's old port and 1 in 2's). I think that's how you mistakenly cleaned the wrong disk.

<<The fact that Diskpart reported the error on the clean command confirms you were really booting from Disk2.>> ... Or disk1? (see below)

Partition Wizard seemed to work (I think). *HUGE RELIEF*. In 'Disk Management' it shows up similar to before but no drive letter, which is why I assume they don't show up in My Computer.
I went to assign the drive letter as they were previously. "E" is to be my 1st partition on disk2 but it got assigned to Disk1, the disk I want to reformat (this was disk2 before, see post #16). When I tried to remove the E designation from disk1 is says 'E volume in use'. Which tells me it it booting from that drive. When unplugged, it boots from disk0. Why does the disk I want to reformat keep switching from disk1 to disk2. I have never changed cables, can't due to the lengths.

<<I notice I is System Active in Image 3 but also still has its drive letter. Did you repair it? Remove it's letter as given earlier.>> No, it just appeared when I cleaned disk2 (disk1). I didn't try to reassign any letters until after Partition Wizard when I tried to remove "E".

(Thanks for staying with me on this everyone)

Steve

Since you're now familiar with Partition Wizard, rightclick on each partition you no longer want to Wipe Partition. E shouldn't complain since it's no longer Active.



Be sure to choose correctly as zeroing is not recoverable.

It's not quite as clean as with wiping the whole HD but unless old boot code interferes in some way it's enough.