Cannot remove previous Win 7 install.

[nedjinski]

Recently I upgraded my computer by installing a new SSD as my C: main system drive.
I did a fresh install of Win 7 on the new SSD.
The old HD still has the old copy of Win 7 on it.
I want to but cannot remove / delete the old Win 7 folder from the old HD.
I have tried all suggested techniques - turned of UAC, taken ownership of the folder, etc. but nothing works.
No matter what I do I always get the "you will need permission from the administartor", etc. - and I cannot delete the folder.

Any ideas?

 

[SIW2]

Not clear how you did the new install.

Is the 7 partition on the old HD showing up as "system" in disk management?

 

[whs]

Your bootmgr is probably on the HDD since you probably did not disconnect the HDD when you installed on the SSD.

You can test that easily. Disconnect the HDD and try to boot from the SSD. I bet you will get a "bootmgr missing".

If you manage to erase the partitions on the HDD, your system will not boot any more. Post a screenshot of your full disk management page so that we can tell for certain what is going on.

 

[gregrocker]

The correct way to delete an OS is in Disk Management, after making sure it is not holding the System Boot Files for the current OS.

Please post back a screenshot of your maximized Disk Management drive map with listings, using the Snipping Tool in Start Menu. Screen Shots.

Tell us what is on each partition and we will give you the steps to safely remove the old installation.

 

[nedjinski]

this is a screenshot of my computer - it looks to me that all system critical files are on the C: drive where they should be.

 

[whs]

Pretty messy:

1. on partition 'Z' Disk0 you have a bootmgr. How did that get there and is there a dependency with your C - in other words did you ever boot from the SSD with disk0 disconnected

2. the SSD looks OK, at least from the surface

3. disk3 has all dynamic volumes. I assume it is there where you want to delete a partition. Suggest you first reconvert those to basic volumes: http://www.bestshareware.net/howto/convert-dynamic-disk-to-basic-disk.htm

 

[AddRAM]

So which drive are you trying to format ?

 

[nedjinski]

if the Z: partition has bootmgr on it, it must have been a leftover when that hard drive had the OS on it.
should I remove (if possible) the bootmgr from that drive - it is only a storage drive at the moment.
as to disk 3 - it's not that I even want to delete a partition - I just wand to be able to delete files/folders from the partition.
is the fact that that disk is all dynamic a problem? or is it limited in it's functionality?

AddRAM - not trying to format any disk - just trying to have control of / access to the files / folders on any given drive / partition.

 

[whs]

1. The bootmgr on 'Z' is not really a problem. But it probably does not hurt to remove it. I was just wondering how it got there.

2. The dynamic partitions are a bigger problem. There is a lot to be said about dynamics. I suggest you read up on it on the web starting with the link I gave you. They got there when you defined a 5th partition when you had 4 primaries. Next time convert one primary into a logical first so that you start out with only 3 primaries max.

I would convert the primaries to simple partitions. They can give you all kinds of problems - e.g. access.

 

[nedjinski]

thanks for all the help whs.

here's a side observation that i just made based on what you have said about dynamic disks. this may / may not be related but it is curious:

when booting up the computer the post does not show this drive in the normal place with the other drives.
the drive is listed on a different post page and is highlighted in bright green (a Gigabyte thing I guess).
could that be because it is a dynamic disk?

 

[whs]

That is certainly related. I never had dynamics because I avoid them like the plague. So I have no good insight of all the things that can happen. But dynamics are iffy and when you study the subject a bit, you will quickly find out.

 

[gregrocker]

Remove the drive letter from D as System Reserved should not have one so nothing can write to it. Drive Letter - Add, Change, or Remove in Windows 7 - Windows 7 Forums

I would also swap Disk0 and 1 cables so C is in Disk0 slot, since it's very easy for a repair to derail the System boot files to a preceding partition marked Active.

Either way, remove the Active flag from Z: Partition - Mark as Inactive - Windows 7 Forums . It doesn't hold the System flag but no non-System partition should be marked Active.

You can try to convert the Dynamic Disk to Basic non-destructively using Partiton Wizard bootable CD free version 4.2 which was the last time it offered this feature for free: pw422.zip ISO - Windows Live

Burn the CD to disk using Windows Image Burner or ImgBurn, boot it and attempt to Convert Disk to Basic. However I don't think it will budge until you delete all but four of the partitions, since as explained you may only have four Primaries on a Basic disk, or three Primaries and an extended Logical with as many Logical sub-partitions as you want.

PW CD can do this for you too if necessary: delete all but four partitions, convert to Basic, then convert one to Logical and add as many other Logicals as you want.

 

[CB]

Hi Nedjiski.

Here is a little help if you have no external means to do the job.

If you strongly decided to install to a new drive a new Windows installation over all previous windows. You have to disconnect the drive that has windows installation in it. You may reconnect it when new windows is completely installed. But you should notice that windows system has a list of its important system files, though it reside on other drives still you might find windows denies the removal, and it is a total annoyance.

There is other simple way to go. You may start installing fresh windows with all drives connected. But, make sure you have the new drive set as first priority in the BIOS. When installation begin, on the page that you are prompted to choose which drive to install, go first to the old windows installation partition, and delete it. (I assume are able to identify the drive, and certainly don't have important data in it). If you don't delete the partition then the installation setup will find its system boot files and have it preserved. Once you done delete it, then go to the new drive and choose it to install (be sure you also delete the partition first if it contains the previous failed installation). It seems as a nasty way to go. But If you can do it exactly as directed. A good outcome is there.

If you try this, just do it cautiously.

I agree that you should consider avoiding dynamic drive, reduce you primary partitions.

Hope it can troubleshoot your problem.

 

[whs]

You may start installing fresh windows with all drives connected. But, make sure you have the new drive set as first priority in the BIOS

Kevin I think that does not work. The disk to where you install has to be attached to port0 on the mobo - then the Win installer will for certain put the bootmgr on that disk.

 

[CB]

You may start installing fresh windows with all drives connected. But, make sure you have the new drive set as first priority in the BIOS

Kevin I think that does not work. The disk to where you install has to be attached to port0 on the mobo - then the Win installer will for certain put the bootmgr on that disk.

Thanks Sir.
I take it as correction of my advice to Nedjinski.

 

[whs]

You are welcome. At one time I had the same thought as you stated. But I quickly found out that this does not work.

It is not a real tragedy if the bootmgr lands on another disk/partition because it can be easily moved. But it is, of course, better to do it right in the first place.

 

[nedjinski]

Hi All -

Thank you so much for your thoughts, information, and guides.

I was able to move files & folders to another drive temporarily so that I could work on the drive in question that was dynamic only. I have since formatted this drive and repartitioned it as per the image here.
So it looks much better and the only active partitions are on the SSD - the C: drive.

It was mentioned that ideally the C: drive (SSD) should be in the Disk 0 position on the motherboard. Is this something you would still recommend doing? or should I leave well enough alone?

Also, I had mentioned that the drive in question - the one that had all dynamic partitions on it, was not showing up in the BIOS post list of drives, but was showing up on a second BIOS post page by itself and was highlighted (by the Gigabyte BIOS) in bright green text. It seems that the Gigabyte BIOS is calling this drive a SCSI device as opposed to an IDE device so it is listed as such. This apparently has no effect on functionality and is just a naming situation in the BIOS but it is curious none the less and I thought that by reformating and setting up the drive as a Basic disk that it might show up normally in the BIOS.

 

[whs]

It does not really matter on which port the SSD is attached. Port0 is only recommended when you install the OS on the SSD without disconnecting the HDDs. Reason is because the Win7 installer always grabs the disk in the lowest port to install the bootmgr. And that is not a desirable configuration.

If you have Sata3 ports, I would attach the SSD to one of those. But for that you need a Sata3 cable which costs only a few bucks.

 

[nedjinski]

that should work - this motherboard - Gigabyte ga-ep-45-ud3r - has 6 SATA 3.0 (8 total actually including the 2 from the onboard Gigabyte chip) - so that I will try.