Remove Windows 10 from dual boot with Windows 7, Win10 installed first


  1. Posts : 16
    Windows 10 X64
       #1

    Remove Windows 10 from dual boot with Windows 7, Win10 installed first


    How do I do this? I tried following a tutorial in the tutorial section, but the option to delete volume in grayed out.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #2

    It`s grayed out because it`s the Active partition and has the system files on it, if you were to delete it then Windows 7 would not boot anymore.

    The Windows 7 partition must be made Active and the System files HAVE TO BE written there BEFORE you can delete Windows 10.

    The proper thing to do is backup your files, wipe out the entire drive and reinstall windows 7 :)

    Partition - Mark as Active


    And all your other hard drives SHOULD BE unplugged ( just the data cable ) before doing any of this.
    Last edited by AddRAM; 15 Oct 2016 at 13:43.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 16
    Windows 10 X64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    AddRAM said:
    It`s grayed out because it`s the Active partition and has the system files on it, if

    The Windows 7 partition must be made Active and the System files have to be written there before you can delete Windows 10.

    Partition - Mark as Active
    So how do I write the system files after I make it active?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #4

    Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD

    Backup your files and unplug the other drives BEFORE attempting any of this.


    or

    Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times

    But I have found that startup repair does not always work.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 7,351
    Windows 7 HP 64
       #5

    Always learning something different or new from the Gurus.
    Brian, once he boots on Win 7 and delete the Win 10 and the recovery partition, how to join the right (raw) partition to the win 7 partition so the whole disk will have only one partition? Does the Mini Tool partition do it?
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  6. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #6

    Yep, PW does it all :)

    Best tool in the box.

    Bootable Partition Manager| MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable Edition

    Actually you extend C to the right, but you really wanna move the entire C partition to the left if it`s on a hard drive, if it`s a solid state then it can be left alone, just checked for alignment.

    If it were a hard drive then I would reinstall windows so the arm would not have to move so much.

    Hard Disk Working | How does a hard disk work | Hard Drive - YouTube
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Remove Windows 10 from dual boot with Windows 7, Win10 installed first-00-hardware-personal-computer-v1-1-25-728.jpg  
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 7,351
    Windows 7 HP 64
       #7

    This is what I would do to have only one partition as C: after deleting the win 10 partition and the recovery partition.
    - Back up all data.
    At this point you have an unallocated partition on the right and one to the left.
    - With Acronis or Macrium I would clone the Win 7 partition to the right unallocated partition.
    - Boot on with a Win 7 installation disk and use Diskpart to delete the partition that now has win 7.
    - If the new win 7 doesn't boot, use boot repair from Win 7 installation disk.
    - Once you boot from the cloned partition, open disk manager and expand the C partition to the left.

    Brian, do you think it will work?
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 16
    Windows 10 X64
    Thread Starter
       #8

    AddRAM said:
    Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD

    Backup your files and unplug the other drives BEFORE attempting any of this.


    or

    Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times

    But I have found that startup repair does not always work.
    So, with EasyBCD do i write system files to C:\ or E:\ because windows 7 is on my E:\
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 16
    Windows 10 X64
    Thread Starter
       #9

    I've done that and deleted windows 10, how do I allocate that space to windows 7?
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #10

    Already gave you the link.

    Bootable Partition Manager| MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable Edition

    or you can install Fre version 9.1 on C, but the Boot CD is safer.

    Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Free


    If Free version 9.1 will not let you extend to the left, then install version 4.2 found here in Option 1

    Convert a Dynamic Disk to a Basic Disk

    Install both versions, learn to use them :)

    And also Align your hard drive, shown how in picture #3
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Remove Windows 10 from dual boot with Windows 7, Win10 installed first-pw1.jpg   Remove Windows 10 from dual boot with Windows 7, Win10 installed first-pw2.jpg   Remove Windows 10 from dual boot with Windows 7, Win10 installed first-pw3.jpg  
    Last edited by AddRAM; 17 Oct 2016 at 00:52.
      My Computer


 

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