How to return to single boot 2HDD's??

[stephens]

I set up a dual boot with Windows 7 using a separate new Hard Disk Drive, with XP already installed on the old existing Hard Drive and using the instructions in this link:-

Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

What is the best way to return to a single boot with Windows 7 and remove the original XP install. The second HDD will be used as backup and can be formatted.
Win 7 will be on the original (faster XP HDD.)

Can I Format the second Win7 HDD then boot the Win7 disk and use these instructions to format the original HDD and install Win7 on it? :-

1 - Boot up from the Windows 7 installation disc.
2 - Choose Repair your computer.
3 - In the System Recovery Options screen, choose Use recovery tools... and click Next.
4 - Open the Command Prompt.
5 - Type diskpart and hit Enter.
6 - Type list disk . Find the disk you wish to install Windows 7 on. If you only have one disk then it will show as disk 0. If you have multiple disks find the drive you wish to install 7 on.
7 - Type select disk 0 (or use the number of the disk you wish to install Windows 7 on)(note - that is a zero)
8 - Type list partition. There shouldn't be any.
9 - Type create partition primary.
10- Type select partition 1.
11- Type active.
12- Type format quick.
13- When finished reboot and begin your installation.

Or should I repair the original XP MBR and format the second Win7 HDD then reboot and install Win7 on the XP HDD?

Or is there a better/correct way? I am fairly inexperienced so want to make sure before I proceed!

I would prefer a completely fresh start (with clean drives) rather than fiddling with boot managers etc if possible.

Many thanks for any replies/advice. I was suprised how much I liked Win 7 over XP and would like the simplicity of one OS and a backup drive.

 

[theog]

First backup, backup, backup.

As you are changing HD you need to phone MS.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18715-activate-windows-7-phone.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html

You may like to do Full clean & full format.

Type in command line

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK #
CLEAN ALL
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
SELECT PARTITION 1
ACTIVE
FORMAT fs=ntfs
ASSIGN

 

[stephens]

Thanks for the info theog

Type in command line

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK #
CLEAN ALL
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
SELECT PARTITION 1
ACTIVE
FORMAT fs=ntfs
ASSIGN

If I replace steps 5-12 above with this, does it format both HDD's? or will I format the second HDD first in windows, before I boot with the installation disc?

I was not sure if I do it twice with:-
SELECT DISK 0
& SELECT DISK 1
Or if I do the second HDD in windows first, before booting with the install disk.

Also can you confirm steps 1-4 are accurate, they are just from an internet article, I have no experience of using them myself.

Many thanks

 

[theog]

Thanks for the info theog

Type in command line

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK #
CLEAN ALL
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
SELECT PARTITION 1
ACTIVE
FORMAT fs=ntfs
ASSIGN

If I replace steps 5-12 above with this, does it format both HDD's? or will I format the second HDD first in windows, before I boot with the installation disc?

I was not sure if I do it twice with:-
SELECT DISK 0
& SELECT DISK 1
Or if I do the second HDD in windows first, before booting with the install disk.

Also can you confirm steps 1-4 are accurate, they are just from an internet article, I have no experience of using them myself.

Many thanks

You can do both HD or second HD in windows, make sure you inststall to Disk 0.

Steps 1 to 4 are right.

 

[Saltgrass]

If you have separate installs and had the XP drive as primary, the boot files should be on the XP drive, which you can verify if you use Disk Management from in Win 7, it will show as "system". You can verify the situation by looking for a bootmgr and ntldr hidden system file in the root directory of both OS partitions, but they should only be in one.

A Disk Management Window picture using snipping tool and attached would help, but you will basically have to put the boot files on the Win 7 partition, make it active, and then set it first in the boot order in the bios.

1. Put boot files on Win 7 partition. From within Win 7, open an administrative command prompt. Type the following using the Win 7 partition letter for C: and hit enter after:
bcdboot C:\Windows /s C:

Close the window.

2. Use Disk Management to set the Win 7 partition active.

3. Reboot and enter the bios and set the Win 7 hard drive first is disk order. Continue reboot. Win 7 should come straight up with no boot menu.

This can vary depending on your exact setup and how the OSes were installed, which is why I like to see the Disk Management picture.

If you have a problem, reverse the drive order to put the XP drive back to first.

 

[stephens]

Posted by theog
You can do both HD or second HD in windows, make sure you inststall to Disk 0.
Steps 1 to 4 are right.

Thanks for that theog, just wanted to be sure.
As access is easy I might disconnect the second HDD before installing Win7 on the first/primary just to be thorough.

 

[stephens]

Thanks for the alternative method Saltgrass but as my skills are pretty limited I think I will probably try to get a single cleaned drive in, and install Win7 on it, then add the second HDD later.

I find entering the BIOS scary, and usually get out of there quick, without making any changes!

From within Win7 (second HDD, Disk1) Disk Management showed:-

Disk0: D: Healthy (System, Active, Primary Partition) - The original XP install.
Disk1: C: Healthy (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary Partition) - The Win7 second install.

Hopefully it will be OK to boot into Disk0 (C: in XP) and format Disk1 (D: in XP) via Disk Management.
Then "shutdown" and disconnect Disk1.
Then boot the Windows 7 installation Disk and Clean Disk0, as theog describes above, then reboot and install Win7 to it.
Leaving just the formatted second HDD to be connected afterwards.

I am hoping this works OK, even though it may be a bit of a long way of doing it, as each step is fairly easy for me.

Does this sound OK?

Many thanks for any replies.

 

[gregrocker]

I would run the commands for both HD's from the booted Win7 DVD Repair console Command Line.

The partition table in XP is slightly different so formatting is best not done for a Win7 target HD from XP.

You can do both HD's at once by booting the Win7 DVD Repair console, open Command Line, type:

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK 0 (confirm XP HD)
CLEAN
create partition primary (for target Win7 HD)
select partition 1
assign letter=c:
active
format
Select Disk 1 (confirm first this is old Win7 HD)
clean
create partition logical (for data)
select partition 1
assign letter=d:
format
exit

Now you can begin your Win7 install to DISK0 C: drive without having to format and without being assigned the 100mb System Reserved partition. If you want that partition (perhaps for Repair console being placed at F8 during bootup) then don't format after cleaning DISK0 but use the installer's Custom>Drive tools to create and format partition.

 

[stephens]

Thats great, thanks very much for the guide gregrocker.

I presume, looking at your instructions, I will not even have to disconnect the second HDD so it looks like a nice quick job.