Solved How to Delete the Windows folder on a non-bootable drive?

[Space Elation]

Hi all,
I have a old copy of windows pro 7 on a D drive I'd like to delete it with-out formatting the drive. I have data that is essential to programs on the C drive located on the D drive. I was hoping I could delete these folders in Safe Mode but no good. What I guess what I need to do is change the permissions of the folders and files?? This windows OS version is dead it has no influence on any files installed on the C drive. How can I get ride of these folders without formatting the drive?
Thanks
Bill

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Confusion:

You say "I have data that is essential to programs on the C drive located on the D drive".

Then you say "I was hoping I could delete these folders".

If the data is essential, why would you want to delete the folders?

Please rephrase or otherwise clarify.

 

[AddRAM]

His old C drive is now called D since he added it to a new system, he wants to keep the data on the now D drive without formatting it, did I explain it better

I don`t see why you can`t just copy the essential data to C, then format D, then put your data back on the newly formatted D ??????

I would think if you just deleted the windows folder, you should be fine, but a total waste of space on the D drive. Your data should be removed and D should be formatted properly.

 

[Space Elation]

What I have on the D drive is a lot of sound files that are related to VST Instruments that are installed on the C Drive. So for the VST Instruments to Play sounds they need these files. I don't want to install all these instruments again so if I can get rid of the Windows, Program Files, Program Files x86 and the Data folders it would be nice. There's about 20gigs I could recover. Is there a option?

 

[AddRAM]

But you are just moving the sound files to C, you are not deleting them. Isn`t the program that you use with these sound files on C, I don`t see any issue or problem if you move the files to C, they will still work.

 

[Space Elation]

What I'm trying to do is leave my sound files on D I have 200+ VST Instruments on the C Drive if I move the sound files back to the C Drive I'll have to re-associate all the sound files with their respected instruments. That would be so time consuming its not even an option. I want to delete the old windows files that are on the D Drive with out moving the sound files. Is there a way to delete those folders/ (the windows folders)?

 

[Wandering one]

Would it not work to just go through and manually delete the files / folders that you don't want? You have to "show system files" to get them all and if I recall there is a couple of real stubborn ones that I had to rename or change the extension on before they would cooperate. After deleting do a defrag and you should be good to go.
Art.

 

[AddRAM]

There could be something in the windows folder that has something to do with your VST instruments/program etc.

You`d better wait til an absolute expert comes along and tells you what you can delete safely

 

[Space Elation]

Great reg. hack cleaned up and deleted all the folders. Works with Vista, win7 win8 and they claim XP

Add "Take Ownership" to Explorer Right-Click Menu in Win 7, 8 or Vista

 

[GokAy]

I wonder if you have boot files etc in D still. Did you remove D when you installed your new windows? You may also have some hidden folders still.

Making sure your C is active and boot then move sound files to C, format D and move the sound files back to D same folder would be best as some friends have said.

 

[Space Elation]

Hi; How I did this was I moved the boot files from the D drive to the C Drive using Easy BCD 2.2 free version. I ran this program first (Easy BCD 2.2) after successfully moving the boot files from D to the C drive (I then disconnected the D drive). I made sure the PC booted with just the C drive installed. Once it did I then reconnected the D Drive installed a program called "Take Ownership". This program is a reg. entry once executed it puts a command in your right click menu "Take Ownership". I went to the windows folders on the D drive (Program Files, Program Files(x86), Program Data, and the Windows folder I right clicked on each folder and executed Take Ownership... a DOS window comes up and it runs through all the files in the folders giving you permission to delete the folder and all the files in it. Once done I right clicked delete and the folders and files were gone. No repercussions from this method. It worked great and fast for me. Hope this helps

 

[AddRAM]

I wonder if you have boot files etc in D still. Did you remove D when you installed your new windows? You may also have some hidden folders still.

Making sure your C is active and boot then move sound files to C, format D and move the sound files back to D same folder would be best as some friends have said.

I suggested that, he does not want to do that because he would have to re associate all the sound files again, he did not want to do that, he just wanted to remove the old windows 7 system files, and apparently he did.

So, Good Job Space Elation

 

[Space Elation]

I want to thank everyone and AddRAM for all their help and suggestions

 

[gregrocker]

Easiest method is to boot into the Win7 disk or Repair CD to Delete instead of Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console.

It's a struggle to delete the Windows subfolders using Take Ownership. UNLOCKER 1.9.2 may work better.

Be mindful that the drive retains boot code and the partition table set for an OS until that partition is Wiped, Deleted or Formatted.

 

[GokAy]

Space: For future reference you don't need a 3rd party app to take ownership, it is a part of file/folder security of NTFS system. Select folder/file, go into properties->security->advanced->owner->edit and select the new owner and click apply.

 

[Space Elation]

Space: For future reference you don't need a 3rd party app to take ownership, it is a part of file/folder security of NTFS system. Select folder/file, go into properties->security->advanced->owner->edit and select the new owner and click apply.

This method you are talking about which I tried first did-not work. A bit more info: When I bought this PC "HP" it had a HP OS7 Prem installed. I didn't like their integration into the OS so I got a new HD and I installed the new OS in full on the new drive C, but that isn't what happened the boot files were still on the D drive. Fast forward ( I'm running out of room on the C drive) My whole thing was to clone the C drive but that wasn't happening because of the boot files being on the D drive. Once I was able to move them to the C drive all was good. I was able to clone my C HD to a new 2TB HD. I was happy as a clam at high tide! yahoo. That was my original gold!