How to format a drive with Windows 7 Dual Boot system?


  1. Posts : 3
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #1

    How to format a drive with Windows 7 Dual Boot system?


    I am unexperinte with partitions and boots on Windows & (and other systems too). I had installed Windows 7 x64 ultimate on my computer in a 150GB hard drive.
    I bought a new 1TB HD and created 3 partitions (two with 250 GB and another with 500 GB). I copied my system from 150GB drive to the first 250GB partition on my new HD and had a dual boot system installed (my old 150 GB system and my old system copy on my new 250 GB partition). I following reinstalled the Windows 7 x64 system in my second 250GB in order to reinstall all my programs again to clean up all dirt stuff I had installed since I installed Windows 7 the first time.
    Now I had 3 boots working fine (my old system, my copy, and my new system).
    I in sequence formatted my old system in the 150 GB and did a new boot and what a surprise! The system did not boot any more.
    Surprised and desesperated I reinstalled the Windows 7 again on my 150Gb drive and everything started normally again, but I had 3 boots (my copy, my new system where I was installing my programs again and the system in my 150Gb HD).
    I looked now on my Disk Management and get the following:
    Disk 1 Drive E: 250,60GB NTFS Healthy (Active, Primary Partition (my copy)
    Disk 1 Drive C: 251,23 GB NTFS Healthy (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary Partition (the system where I am installing my programs again)
    Disk 2 Drive F: 149,05 GB NTFS Healthy (System, Active, Primary Partition)
    I realize that when I did a format in my 150GB partition it had the system installed and that caused the boot crash.
    My question is the following:
    How can I move the system partition to my Disk 1 in order I am format the disk 2 to use as a data file only?
    I had some things on Google and did some suggested procedures without success.
    Can someone help me on this?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 11,408
    ME/XP/Vista/Win7
       #2

    Reading your post, all I see is one big mess, & not sure what stage you are at.
    From what i can see, your HD Drive layout may be like the screenshot below.

    How to format a drive with Windows 7 Dual Boot system?-working-001.png

    Take a look at this base tutorial:
    Help me get windows 7 to boot (again)

    But you may like to start afresh with a clean install, with the 1TB HD Drive as Disk0 & the other HD Drive physically disconnect.

    You also say you are dual booting, Windows 7 & OS unknown.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 3
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Yes theog it is a big mess and I am trying to fix it all.
    I am not sure I will do a fresh start installing a clean Windows 7 in my 1TB HD drive due to I had already done a lot of work reinstalling my day-by-day programs. I will do this only if everything fails.
    I will take a look in the tutorial you mentioned and check if it works.
    I will let you know about the results as soon as I finish the process.
    Thank you very much for the prompt answer and help. Have a very nice day from a Brazilian friend.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 3
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
    Thread Starter
       #4

    theog, it worked. I follow the instructions on the tutorial you provided and all is working fine now.
    Thank you very much!
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 11,408
    ME/XP/Vista/Win7
       #5

    Well done.

    You are welcome.
      My Computer


 

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