Remove dual boot

[camcoop]

I have 2 copies of win 7 installed in a dual boot configuration the older one is on the C: drive and the other is on the L: drive I want to remove the one on the C: drive but I don’t want to lose the boot mgr, can someone instruct me on how to do this? My thought was to make a disk image of the one I want to keep (L then reformat the C: drive and install the backup image on the C: drive. Any help I can get will be appreciated, Bob

 

[TwoCables]

All you have to do is change the boot order in the BIOS so the other drive is first. Then it will be C: and the other drive will get some random letter (such as D: or E: or whatever letter is next in line).

So, the drive letter is always determined by the installation of Windows that you are booted into.

 

[DavidE]

Are C and L different HDs, or different partitions on the same HD?
You should post a screen shot of Disk Management for this.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/274797-disk-management-post-screen-capture-image.html

If one of the OSs has the letter L when it is booted, I believe that means you started the 2nd Windows install while you were running the first OS ?
Or, did you boot the Windows DVD to do the 2nd install ?

 

[Bobcoop103]

I neglected to indicate that the 2 copies are on the same physical drive and I installed the second one on a newly created partition from an installation DVD.

 

[gregrocker]

We need to see the screenshot of Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image - Windows 7 Help Forums.

We'll be able to tell you what you need to know then.

 

[Bobcoop103]

 

[Bobcoop103]

As you requested.

 

[gregrocker]

Well since you're booted into the Win7 on L as signified by the Boot flag on its partition, it means you must have run the Win7 installer from C instead of correctly booting it to install to its partition which would have made it C whenever it was booted.

So the question then becomes if you want to keep a Win7 install on L drive which most user's do not. If not then I would back up your files, unplug all other HD's and peripherals, boot the installer to http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html. Using the Drive Options in Steps 7/8 delete all partitions and create new as you wish or just click Next if you have no partition scheme in mind.

If you don't mind having Win7 on L, then http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html the L partition, boot into the Win7 installer or http://www.sevenforums.com/performance-maintenance/51100-repair-cd-system-repair-disk.html to run http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html until it boots and the System Active flags are both on L.

You can then delete C and recover its space as shown in http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/109752-partition-recover-space-used-older-os.html?ltr=P so that Win7 is in the preferred left hand position for faster reads.