Moving and deleting OS on triple-boot setup

[paramaibo]

I have a dual boot 7 with 32bit and 64bit, and unknowingly installed the 32 first and 64 thereafter (on 2 partitions of SSD). I realise now that I want to delete 32bit and cannot format this partition.

I ask because I have a Win 10 partition on my HDD that I eventually want to clone to the SSD and thereafter only have 2 partitions with 64bit 7 & 10, and format the space left on the HDD as a backup location.

Attached are screenshots from disk management.

Can anybody help please?

 

[AddRAM]

You cannot delete D because it`s the Active partition and has the system files on it.

And if you wiped out D you wouldn`t be able to boot from C because it`s on an extended partition, it must be a primary partition, set Active and contain the system files.

You`d have to wipe out C and D in order to reinstall W7 64 bit, and I`m not sure you can do that as C and H are both part of an extended partition.

Why is there a gap between C and H, please post an unedited shot of Disk Management.

 

[paramaibo]

I have come to realise that I screwed up by installing D first.

Short of buying a new SSD and starting from scratch, is there a way to copy/move the system files in order to end up with my desired configuration?

 

[AddRAM]

None that I know of, not without wiping the extended partition.

There is no reason to have Windows 7 and Windows 10 on the same drive, I keep my 2 ssd`s totally separate with 7 and 10 and only pug in one or the other.

An expert may come along with a different solution.

But never install an OS on an extended partition. There`s no reason to.

Install Partition Wizard free on W7 32 bit and see if it will let you make W7 64 bit a Primary partition, but I don`t think you can without wiping it out.

Personally, I would wipe out the entire drive, choose either 7 or 10 and reinstall.

 

[DavidE]

What you should be able to do to fix this
Make a system image backup before making any of these changes.

Use a Minitool Partition Wizard bootable CD to set the C partition as Primary.
Bootable Partition Manager| MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable Edition

Then use EasyBCD to move the Bootmgr to C.
Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD

Boot the PC and make sure C is the System, Active, Boot partition.
If it is, then D shouldn't be needed any more.

 

[paramaibo]

Easeus Partition Master won't let me convert D to a logical partition (contains system/boot files) & similarly it won't let me convert C for the same reason; where D contains system and C contains boot files.

 

[Megahertz07]

Are C, D and H on the same disk? Where is allocated the remaining disk space? 477-(50+90+90) = 247G

If you know how to use a external bootable Linux USB drive to make a backup of the disk, it is possible to clean all SSD disk, then create the partitions, restore Win 7 and Win 10 and then make it bootable.

 

[DavidE]

Are you running Easeus Partition Master in Windows ?
That's why i suggested a Minitool Partition Wizard bootable CD, so Windows isn't running when you convert it to Primary.

 

[paramaibo]

What you should be able to do to fix this
Make a system image backup before making any of these changes.

Use a Minitool Partition Wizard bootable CD to set the C partition as Primary.
Bootable Partition Manager| MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable Edition

Then use EasyBCD to move the Bootmgr to C.
Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD

Boot the PC and make sure C is the System, Active, Boot partition.
If it is, then D shouldn't be needed any more.

I've seen that I can do something with EasyBCD (not sure exactly what), but I want to get the whole process worked out before I embark on piecemeal efforts as this is my only work station.

I'm waiting for delivery of a couple of 8Gb flash drives tomorrow, so that I have a bootable Win 7 64 (it's presently wasting space on a 128Gb flash drive (don't laugh).

Are you running Easeus Partition Master in Windows ?
That's why i suggested a Minitool Partition Wizard bootable CD, so Windows isn't running when you convert it to Primary.

Ah! Got it, thanks.

A bootable Minitool Partition Wizard on a flash drive should be possible & clear the way then to fiddle outside Windows.

 

[paramaibo]

Are C, D and H on the same disk? Where is allocated the remaining disk space? 477-(50+90+90) = 247G

If you know how to use a external bootable Linux USB drive to make a backup of the disk, it is possible to clean all SSD disk, then create the partitions, restore Win 7 and Win 10 and then make it bootable.

There are three more partitions on the SSD.

 

[DavidE]

You should post a maximized/resized screen print of Disk Management using these instructions so all info is displayed:
Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image

Make sure you have backups before making any changes !

 

[paramaibo]

You should post a maximized/resized screen print of Disk Management using these instructions so all info is displayed:
Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image

Make sure you have backups before making any changes !

Thanks to all, I'm not going to do anything tonight or before the USB drives arrive tomorrow, so that I can have an image backup on the USB drive; but all the help has been invaluable and I will pop in again tomorrow.

 

[AddRAM]

Free Convert Logical Partition to Primary Partition - EaseUS

Convert Dynamic Disk to Basic

I would convert both the Windows 7 64 Bit partition and the Windows 10 partition to Primary partitions, there is no reason to have any Extended partitions.

The Partition Wizard Boot CD is my 1st choice also.

 

[AddRAM]

Easeus Partition Master won't let me convert D to a logical partition (contains system/boot files) & similarly it won't let me convert C for the same reason; where D contains system and C contains boot files.

Why are you trying to convert D (windows 7 32 bit) to a logical partition ?

No one said to do that and there is no reason to.

Please follow the instructions that you are given.

If you can`t covert C Windows 64 bit to a Primary partition, then you will be wiping out everything and reinstalling, as I suspected.

But there should be no reason at all you can`t convert the Windows 10 partition from Logical to Primary

If you can convert H Windows 10 to Primary, then all you`ll have to do is delete D and C to unallocated space, then you can install Windows 7 64 bit on the unallocated space and nothing will happen to the Windows 10 partition.

 

[paramaibo]

Since my last post, I have 7 on C, 10 on D (both primary partitions), 7 boots and 10 doesn't beyond the boot screen & I currently have 10 as default to try the various start up tools but not much happens beyond a dark illuminated screen and a movable cursor.

 

[paramaibo]

I have discovered the boot partition that had been left behind in the move, restored it and copied it to the SSD with EaseUS. Is there a way to manually reunite this with the 10 OS on the same disk?

 

[DavidE]

I'm not sure what all you've done and have/had in Disk Management (DM).
You never posted the requested proper DM screen prints.
You should post a maximized/resized screen print of Disk Management using these instructions:
Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image

You could try using a Win 7 install disc and do a Startup Repair and see if that fixes your problem, here's the tutorial:
Startup Repair

 

[paramaibo]

Win 7 works absolutely fine, it's win 10 that didn't boot........and now that I've found the hidden partition and copied it to the other disk where both remaining OS are, I am wondering whether there is a way to manually reunite the win 10 partition with its previous boot environment before hiding the latter.

I cannot see how a startup repair on 7 will help me getting 10 to boot.

It's coming along, but really only in fits and starts.

 

[DavidE]

I did not say Repair Install !
I said Startup Repair.

I have used Startup Repair many times to fix issues on my multi-boot PC's.
It's always to fix self-inflicted wounds i caused by restructuring partitions/changing OS's/etc.

I've done a Startup Repair with a W7 disc that fixed a problem where no OS would boot on my triple boot test box - it has W7, W8.1, and W10.

 

[paramaibo]

OK, worth a try. Thanks.