Removal of remnants of Windows 7

Recently, I've installed Windows 7 beta under a multi-boot system with

Windows XP, and then I've tried to follow these instructions to remove that:

http://www.*****.com/how-to-uninstal...tiboot-system/

(those asterisks are "A S K V G")

Yes, Windows 7 really disappeared from my boot list.

But when I've attempted to remove the remnants (e.g. Windows folder of

Windows 7), a pop-up jumped out and told me that there were some

programs still running (even under the environment of Windows XP!).

I've tried to format the whole hard disk containing that folder, but again

I failed. So are there any ways to remove those remnants WITHOUT

making any damages to my current XP system?

Night Hawk said:

The answer to that is simple. You removed the 7 entry but not the 7 BCD file and boot loader! You first have to unload all parts of 7 to restore the normal XP boot.

In order to reclaim XP you will have to repair the XP mbr information by way of the recovery console in order to put the 7 loader out of commission first. Then with a few steps more you remove things like the unremovable boot folder seen since Vista placed in the boot partition.

If worse comes to shove a repair install of XP would be the stronger method for seeing XP reclaimed. That would be a last resort since the Fixboot and Fixmbr commands used at the recovery console when booted from the XP full or recovery disk(you do have one don't you?) will see the XP boot information actually rewritten.

Thanks for your reply... but in fact I'm completely unfamiliar with the recovery console and the complicated commands. Can you tell me the exact command codes and steps please? Or are there any simpler methods for me to get rid of Windows 7 completely?

Hi,

You say hard disk - I assume you have two?

Please post a screenshot of Disk Management, like this:

Hi,

Here's my screenshot:


I'm afraid that you might not be able to read that coz I'm a Hong Kong person and my Windows is in Traditional Chinese

Hi there
1) Delete any spurious boot partitions and w7 partition either from Control panel or use GPARTED disk (download GPARTED ISO -- great free bootable tool FOR PARTITION MANAGEMENT)
2) Insert your Windows XP install disk
3) repair system using management recovery console
4) enter user password if it asks for one. Choose the windows system you want to repair (your XP system)
5) Type FIXMBR

job done -- you'll boot straight into Windows XP.

Incidentally if Windows in on a SATA drive your XP install disk will need to have been "slipstreamed" to include the SATA drive otherwise you'll see the message "No hard disks found" when booting the XP install disk.

(Incidentally if you want to keep VISTA still use this method to initially get XP back first.

Now boot VISTA install disk and simply repair system. The VISTA boot mechanism will create a boot entry for both XP and VISTA.

To dual / triple / n-tuple boot with an XP (or earlier Windows system) the earliest system must be installed first AND be BOOTABLE which is why you need to restore the MBR via FIXMBR. The FIXMBR command doesn't destroy and other partitions on the disk such as a VISTA partition).

Cheers

jimbo