deleting vista. not that easy???

gregrocker · 03 Jan 2010

This should not be in General forum as we solve many of these dual boot extractions every day in Installation and Setup.

Suggest you copy files via explorer from Vista to Win7. Forget settings; importing them is a corruption path.

No need to mark Win7 active as it already is.

Unplug the Vista drive, plug cable into Win7 drive, making sure Win7 remains first HD to boot in BIOS setup, after DVD drive.

Boot into Win7 DVD Repair console, click through to Recovery Tools and run Startup Repair up to three separate times to attempt repair and then rewrite the MBR to Win7 drive.

You can now plug in Vista drive to use as a data drive or even boot it from BIOS using key given on first bootup screen for Boot Menu. If you want to format it, you may need to use special Diskpart "Delete Partition Override" command.

jimbo45 · 03 Jan 2010

domii123 said:

It won't let you format C:\ because that is the master partition, where the dump files and the partition the system boots up from. Reinstall 7 over Vista (clean install (i have done 32-bit to 64-bit Windows 7 on this laptop).

Hi all

1) Backup any USER data (including emails) before you start

2) Download GPARTED

GParted -- Download

3) Re-partition your disk -- suggest you leave around 35 GB (max) for W7 and the rest for data / music etc etc . Doesn't matter if you have say 2 or 3 data partitions. 2 is generally a good idea.

4) Now install W7 on the small (35 GB or so) partition. If the disk is completely partitioned (no "unformatted space") you won't get the "small 100MB partition" either. This is MUCH BETTER as the small partition can cause problems in making backups when using 3rd party software.

Cheers
jimbo

Qdos · 03 Jan 2010

Just format the Vista installation with either a Vista or W7 disk, you run Setup and choose NOT to upgrade, but perform an install where you are going to format your drive/partition.

If using a Vista disk, when Setup reaches the stage where you have commenced formatting, just remove the Windows disk. When format completes ignore prompts to reinsert the disk, just reboot your machine with the W7 disk in place and run the installer.

I've never read so much kerfuffle, but the right way to sort this out was posted earlier in the thread...

gregrocker · 03 Jan 2010

Why not salvage his WIn7 partition? The only reason it hasn't been done yet is because this thread wasn't moved to Install forum as per usual.

We have helped extract over 100+ dual boots here since WIn7 was released with an almost perfect success rate.

This includes many complicated multi-boots requiring Win7 to be jumped over data partitions into deleted first partition space. Quite a few are riddled with errors including MBR derailed to data drive due to installer confusion.

The basics are always the same: Mark Win7 active, delete or remove other OS drive, boot into Win7 DVD and run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times to recover the MBR into Win7.
Startup Repair in Win7 is automated to include all former bootrec and bootsect recovery commands.

There is no reported performance hit in these operations, and insisting these scenarios still require reinstall IMO is XP old school.

theog · 03 Jan 2010

theblueflash said:

hi all. im having some trouble with my current setup and getting conflicting answers from friends and professionals as to the remedy.

im running vista 32bit on my master C: drive. i want to upgrade to win 7 64bit. as its not possible to upgrade 32 to 64 ive installed 7 onto my 2nd hd. this will eventually be my master drive as the current is only a 320gb and will be used as backup.

ive saved all important files etc onto an external hd and have attempted an easy transfer, saving the recommended save onto the same drive as windows 7.

this is where the problems begin. firstly i cannot locate the oldwindows files. the folder appears on the drive but there is nothing in it to extract. it appear on the c: drive as well with the files but they will not extract either.

the 2nd problem is removing vista. ive spent near 2 days solid browsing the net and asking for advice with no easy answer. as windows 7 has been clean installed onto a seperate drive can i simply re format the c: drive with the old o/s on it. disk management wont let me and with all the other options like booting from vista dvd and re partitioning and copying boot files i really am stuck.

surely if 7 runs as a dual boot i dont need any program or boot files from vista so i can remove the lot and be done with it???

any help will be much apreciated. im very tempted to take my pc to a shop and have it done... at a price as im that sick of it now. or its out with the axe!

thanks

Hi

Reread myzr7 last post

Reread gregroker post.

Do this with ONLY ONE DRIVE PLUG IN.

Startup Repair

Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

Clean Install Windows 7

theblueflash · 03 Jan 2010

apologies for posting in the wrong section. i was getting desperate as i need the computer for work monday morning.

i have managed to solve the problem. thanks to whoever suggested it. i reinstalled windows 7 onto my slave drive with the master unplugged and 7 now boots fine. ive now set the bios so it recognizes it as the master drive and windows now shows it as the c: drive along with the reconnected smaller drive as the slave with vista on it. with all that sorted i now have the option to format the slave and remove vista without losing the boot manager.

so thanks to everyone who has helped and thrown suggestions my way. if it wasnt for this forum id never have it sorted in time.

cheers. long may 7 rule!

Dom · 03 Jan 2010

theblueflash said:

apologies for posting in the wrong section. i was getting desperate as i need the computer for work monday morning.

i have managed to solve the problem. thanks to whoever suggested it. i reinstalled windows 7 onto my slave drive with the master unplugged and 7 now boots fine. ive now set the bios so it recognizes it as the master drive and windows now shows it as the c: drive along with the reconnected smaller drive as the slave with vista on it. with all that sorted i now have the option to format the slave and remove vista without losing the boot manager.

so thanks to everyone who has helped and thrown suggestions my way. if it wasnt for this forum id never have it sorted in time.

cheers. long may 7 rule!

I am very glad it was sorted :)

theblueflash · 03 Jan 2010

me too. now onto enjoying what is hopefully a massive improvement over vista and its endless updates. thanks again to everyone. happy new year.

SIW2 · 03 Jan 2010

LOL. You didn't need to reinstall.

It is very easy to sort out.

Never mind - you have done it the long way.

Have a great new year.