Cannot delete old win7 partition

[Haenk]

I hope i can get help with cleaning up a partition with win7 files.
Got 2 hard disks with each 2 partitions looks like this:

I started with xp pro sp3 on disk0 C: and later installed win7rc on disk disk1 G:
Before i installed win7 i made backup image of xp pro disk0 C: & D: with paragon back up.
Later when both xp and win7 were installed i had a virus when xp was running.
I booted with rescue cd and put back image disk0 C: i had from xp from before win7 was installed.
So now xp is working and booting as it should but i cannot delete the files from win7 on disk1 G:
I tried to delete folders in explorer and it say some file is in use.
When i try to format the partition in management then i get the message,
this partition is open or in use or configured as page file , system boot, or keeping track of crashdump.
Thank you for reading.

disk C:

disk D:

disk G:

disk H:

 

[Night Hawk]

Welcome to the Se7en Forums! and drive partitioning tools too! Haenk

Your problem there is very basic being that XP which you are running now is an older version of Windows to start with as well as something from the previous XP/7 dual boot if you had that is still accessing the G primary 7 was on.

Before restoring the XP image back on C hopefully you wiped the C primary entirely to remove the virus itself not simply restored the image. Without wiping it entirely 7 boot files and information would be remaining. The fast and easy solution of wiping the G 7 primary there would be using a 3rd party drive tool you boot up live from like GParted(free) or another program unless you intend to see 7 running again.

If 7 went on last while the XP drive was still plugged in and did see the boot files placed at the root of C originally and you have the 7 installation dvd you may be able to recover the 7 BCD store and mbr entries. Once 7 is up and running you would be able to add XP into the 7 boot options with a 3rd party tool like EasyBCD for a working dual boot.

The second option for that is simply unplugging the drive XP is on first in order to see the 7 drive made bootable on it's own before adding XP in as a boot option with the 7 drive set as the default boot device. Or you could use the F key assigned at post time to bring up the boot device menu when wanting to boot into 7.

 

[Saltgrass]

I do not see the boot files on the G: partition, so it must be something else. Have you tried removing the Win 7 drive to see what message you get?

Your second partition on the Win 7 drive is logical..did you do that for some specific reason?

 

[gregrocker]

Boot from free Partition Wizard bootable CD, right click on the G: drive to Delete. Then right click to create a new partition: logical if for data, or primary if for an OS.

If you intend to put Win7 there, then you can use the Win7 installer to delete, create and format before install.

 

[Night Hawk]

I do not see the boot files on the G: partition, so it must be something else. Have you tried removing the Win 7 drive to see what message you get?

Your second partition on the Win 7 drive is logical..did you do that for some specific reason?

The image there doesn't even show boot on the C HD0 drive either. The lack of boot files on any second drive is to be expected when the Windows installers by default places the boot files and mbr entries on the first drive detected. If one drive is an ide while another is sata the Windows installer goes to the ide first automatically.

With a 7 installation present on the second drive despite knocking out the mbr entries you still have the option of seeing those rewritten or simply nuking it entirely. The "Fixboo" and "Fixmbr" commands would need to be used at the command prompt option in the repair tools when booting from the 7 dvd.

You first would run the startup repair tool once the existing 7 installation is detected and restart to see if 7 starts. If not then you reboot to the command prompt option to type those two commands in. If successful 7 will be loading again where you can restore the former dual boot.

 

[Saltgrass]

I am looking into the bootsqm (bootsqm.dat?)file on G: Some folks are saying it is something left over from a disk check, but not sure yet...

 

[woebetide]

Bootsqm.dat is boot sequence manager, a file only gets created when chkdsk has finnished checking the disk.

Did you try delete partition in safe mode?

 

[Haenk]

Thanks for all the replies

Well being it the win7 release candidate version i like to delete the remains of it.

The win7 was installed on disk1 partition G: after xp being the on disk0 partition C:
And i had a dual boot with win7 boot manager.

Had a complete image made with "paragon disk backup 9" of disk0 partition C: & D:
Used it (when i had virus in xp C to boot with paragon cd and replaced the image of C:.
(then xp did the boot again)

Both disk0 and disk1 are sata.

@ Night Hawk:
I would think the way i placed back a previous image of the C: partition that all is wiped and put back in a former state, as it was without win7 being installed.
When i am correct then there are no boot files visible on C: that could be connected to win7.
And your suggestion to disconnect disk0 and make disk1 bootable again with win7 cd is some i would consider
but being it RC win7 i better delete.

@ Saltgrass:
The disk1 was the second disk i connected on system and choosen to make second partition H:
to be logical cause its used for data only.
And when i try to delete a folder on G: i get message a file is in use, or all together on G: then its also some files are in use.
Funny is when i check with (UNLOCKER 1.8.8 BY CEDRICK 'NITCH' COLLOMB) then it say no files are in use.

@ Gregrocker:
Yes i was thinking of using a bootable cd with a format program to delete partition G:
but i was not sure what was present situation was with replacing image.

Think i gonna try to boot with cd Gregrocker linked me too and delete the partition with creating a new primary after.
Installing win7 again was some i had to do anyway being it the RC version i used.
Could it be the management rules that are still active on the win7 partition are blocking me to delete things? (i am logged in as system administrator in xp)

 

[Night Hawk]

When moving into the retail 7 you would automatically nuke the G primary the RC was on to see a nice clean install of 7. If you were trying to save the RC install until you decided on which retial edition to go with at least until late Feb. for the remaining temp use you would then recover the RC.

Being that March 1st is fast approaching and MS announced RC users will be seeing a message appear to upgrade to the retail in the middle of next month your best option is simply saving anything you want from G if not already and wiping completely using a partitioing tool.

In other words simply use a live cd and nuke G entirely without being booted in XP. Have a flash drive onhand? You can write GParted to that for a quick removal rather then burning a cd to see that taken care of. The flash drive can simply be wiped and reused for something else afterwards.

 

[Haenk]

Boot from free Partition Wizard bootable CD

Used it to delete the partition and all went fine, as i hoped the image put back on C: earlier replaced the win7 boot manager with the one of XP so had no problem there either.
Little shamed to say on this forum but i decided to stick with xp pro for a while.
And thanks all for the quick help offered, good forum