Help!

gregrocker · 29 Nov 2009

garethgkr said:

Im gonna delete the Vista partition. But all the Drivers for the Audio and Ethernet, AMD etc are on the Vista partition.

Then back up the WIndows/System32/Drivers file before deleting it.

You should go with the drivers Windows 7 gives you (and Updates delivers) unless they show errors in Device Manager. Then you can browse for them to the Vista drivers file you back up, and the mobo or other CD's. If you already jumbled the drivers, then this might be the time to clean install Win7 to that first partition, booting from the installer.

Are you wanting to delete Vista and move Win7 over into its space following the steps given in post #8?

After using Partition Wizard disk to delete Vista, then resizing middle partition to give more unallocated space on the left, you would want to Modify>Set to Active Win7 partition and then copy it into first partition space, delete old Win7 partition and Apply all steps.

Then boot into Win7 DVD and run Startup Repair 3 times.

garethgkr · 29 Nov 2009

No, im just gonna delete Vista partition and expand the large partitiion for the left over space.

Im confused i dont have XP

gregrocker · 29 Nov 2009

garethgkr said:

No, im just gonna delete Vista partition and expand the large partitiion for the left over space.

Im confused i dont have XP

Vista. Are you sure you want a huge data partition in the first half of the HD and your WIn7 way over in right field?

This is opposite of normal and not really advisable. Lower addresses have faster laser reads.

It's up to you.

garethgkr · 30 Nov 2009

Oooh is that why the order of that thing is important.. Never knew that... Hmm ok ill move Windows 7 to the far left then.
I've downloaded the Partition Wizard program and when i try to wipe the first partition it says "this partition is the system partition, wiping this partition may cause your computer to become unbootable.

gregrocker · 30 Nov 2009

Deleting Vista will wipe out the MBR. It is recovered after all steps are completed by booting into the Win7 DVD and running startup repair 3 times.

These are the steps which must be followed exactly:

Back up your files. If you can't stand to lose your Windows 7 partition, use Backup Center to save an image of it externally which can be used to reimage HD in 15 minutes. Move/Copy operations can fail.

Download and burn to disk free Partition Wizard* bootable.

Boot into PW and right click delete Vista first partition.

Right click G:Main middle partition and Resize/Move. Drag the left border to make room for the copied Windows 7 partition.

Right click on Windows 7 partion, verify again it is marked Active, then Copy into unallocated space you have made where Vista was.

Delete the original Windows 7 partition. Apply all operations.

When complete, boot into Windows 7 installer and run Startup Repair 3 times to rewrite the MBR to the Windows 7 partition.

Later, make a new primary partition to store your Recovery Image so reinstalls will never again be necessary.

garethgkr · 30 Nov 2009

When you say back up your files. Do you mean backing up everything? including G:Main or the Windows 7 Partition only.

gregrocker · 30 Nov 2009

If you want to Copy your Windows 7 over into the first partition where Vista was, then you need to resize the middle data partition to make more room in the first partition space.

A resizing operation is slightly risky as it goes into boot mode to do the actual resizing, and can fail. We have not had one fail of approx. 80 we have done to remove dual boots since Windows 7 release. But it can happen.

So judge accordingly. I suggest you back up all of your files, or make a Win7 Backup image you store on another HD (external or internal) so you can easily reimage and start over if necessary.

If I told you to skip backing up your data, and you lost it, then I would feel responsible.

garethgkr · 30 Nov 2009

Aaah ok thanks mate.
Now I have to find a way to get 500 Gb of data on to a external HDD.. my biggest is only 300 Gb
Haha

gregrocker · 30 Nov 2009

Type backup into start box and create a system image of your HD stored to external. It should be smaller than that. You can then reimage your HD in 15 minutes if needed.

garethgkr · 30 Nov 2009

When I click create a system image, i chose the save to my external HDD, now the Windows 7 and Main drive are chose by default. Both added = 503GB. I cannot un-select thet Main Drive.

What do I do now?