Solved Remove Vista from a dual-boot w/win 7

[AstaLaVista]

So I am dual booting with Vista Ultimate 64 & Win 7 RC Ultimate 64... long winded explanation first

Win 7 RC expired on March 1st but, luckily for me I had a clean copy of Win 7 RTM Ultimate 64 with a valid CD Key given to me by a friend who works with Microsoft and already registered in my name.

Installation of Win 7 RTM went well and I installed it in the same partition where I had Win 7 RC.

Everything works well but now, I want to get rid of Vista and keep Win 7 only as my main OS and I don't want to go through the headache of botching my win 7 once I delete the Vista partition... what's the easiest way to do this for a non-techie mere mortal guy?

I still have to install everything I have on Vista since I am sure I won't be able to migrate it, but first, I want to make sure that after I am done with removing Vista and recovering that partition, I am not going to end up with a corrupt mbr o have to make a clean install of win 7 loosing all my data in the process.

Again, sorry for the long winded explanation but I am trying to be as thorough as I possibly can.

Thanks guys

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello ALV.

If your Vista is marked as the "System Partition" in disk management ...

You will need to mark the OS you want to keep as "Active" in disk management then run a repair on the OS that you want to keep (it may take as many as 3 "repairs" to get the job done) then if that one is marked as the "System Partition" after the repairs you'll be good to go and you can format the partition that Vista is on.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html?ltr=R

 

[gregrocker]

If you will post back a screenshot of your full Disk Mgmt drive map, we'll give you the exact steps for the job.

Using the Snipping Tool in Start Menu, attach file using Paper Clip in reply box.

If Vista is first partition on a multi-partition HD, let us know if you want to recover it's deleted space into Win7 partition too.

 

[AstaLaVista]

I'll post back as soon as I get home guys... thanks

Oh and gregrocker, that is another thing I want to do because I couldn't finish updating microsoft last night because my win 7 drive was full. I gave to much room to the Vista partition and now I am suffering with no room on my Win 7 partition.

 

[AstaLaVista]

Ok, here is the image of my system, it appears that Vista has the system but windows 7 says Boot as well so... who knows, I am more confused than ever now.

Thanks for taking the time to help guys... I appreciate it.

Oh and, pay no attentition to Disk 1, that was my old drive that had XP & Vista but its no longer active... I am just to lazy to re format the whole thing because I still have some data on it that I am not been able to transfer so I am kinda using both partition as storage space only.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello ALV.

If your Vista is marked as the "System Partition" in disk management ...

You will need to mark the OS you want to keep as "Active" in disk management then run a repair on the OS that you want to keep (it may take as many as 3 "repairs" to get the job done) then if that one is marked as the "System Partition" after the repairs you'll be good to go and you can format the partition that Vista is on.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html?ltr=R

View attachment 58584

Hello ALV, do as this says and mark Windows 7 as active and run 3 (no less) repair installs and all will be well.

 

[AstaLaVista]

BFK, If I go back to Disk Management and I right click on the Vista partition the "mark partition as Active" is greyed out... this mean is already marked, correct?

Aside from that, you want me to do this before I delete the partion or after I repair Win 7... sorry, I am very confused at the moment.

It may seem like I know what I am doing but, in reality... I'm not!

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello mate.


You have to mark the Windows 7 partition as active then do the repairs on Windows 7 at least 3 times to finish up.

Don't be concerned, I don't know what I'm doing either.

 

[gregrocker]

Since you also want to recover deleted Vista space into Win7 partition, the tool to use for this job is free Partition Wizard bootable CD.

Back up your files and a Win7 system image as in rare cases Resizing operations can fail.

Boot Partition Wizard CD, wait for files to load, select 1 for screen res, rightclick Vista partition to Delete, OK.

Next rightclick Win7 partition>Modify>Set to Active, OK.

Again rightclick Win7 partition>Resize>drag left grey border all the way to the left over deleted Vista space, OK. Apply all steps.

Win7 will not now boot. Instead, boot Win7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD, click through to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots, as it will attempt to repair and finally write the MBR to Win7 partition.

 

[AstaLaVista]

OK, I'll see if I can do all this over the weekend... thanks for the help.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

OK, I'll see if I can do all this over the weekend... thanks for the help.

Howdy.


Don't let it overwhelm you, just do the one thing at a time and set Windows 7 as active and do the repairs first, then later, after it all settles down, have a go at Greg's info, no hurry.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html?ltr=R

 

[AstaLaVista]

Ok, I set windows 7 partition Active and just as everybody here stated, the mbr was missing so I use the Cd to Repair it. It took me 2 tries to get it going.

Now, the only problem is that it left 3 entries in the form of:

Windows 7 (recovered)
Windows Vista (recovered)
Windows Vista (recovered)

Do I have to use EasyBCD to fix this or can I do it with a windows 7 tool? If I remember correctly, there was a way to do this but its been a while since I did the dual boot so I forgot.

I have already backed up all the data but I am going to give my wife a few days with Win 7 before I nuke vista... if I don't get desperate and nuke it later on that is.

 

[theog]

Yes, remove with EasyBCD.

Use EasyBCD 2.0 in Win 7.

EasyBCD 2.0 Beta Builds - The NeoSmart Forums

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello mate.



If you want to have a play, have a look at this tutorial at the link below.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2676-bcdedit-how-use.html?ltr=B

 

[AstaLaVista]

I did with the 1.72 because I did not want to register just to get a beta... it did the work nonetheless and I got rid of the 3rd entry, which happened to be the old vista entry anyways.

Well, the moment of truth is upon us, you know... the moment where you dread to nuke an OS because you feel that you forgot to back up something even though you went through it twice only to find out (days later) that you were, indeed missing something? Yeah, I have had that feeling quite a few times before!

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Since you also want to recover deleted Vista space into Win7 partition, the tool to use for this job is free Partition Wizard bootable CD.

Back up your files and a Win7 system image as in rare cases Resizing operations can fail.

Boot Partition Wizard CD, wait for files to load, select 1 for screen res, rightclick Vista partition to Delete, OK.

Next rightclick Win7 partition>Modify>Set to Active, OK.

Again rightclick Win7 partition>Resize>drag left grey border all the way to the left over deleted Vista space, OK. Apply all steps.

Win7 will not now boot. Instead, boot Win7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD, click through to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots, as it will attempt to repair and finally write the MBR to Win7 partition.

I'm pleased you're getting it sorted; now when you're ready have a look at what gregrocker wrote about recovering the space of the old partition Vista was on.

 

[SIW2]

You should find 7 will boot up just fine after incorporating the space vacated by Vista.

If not, one run of startup repair will do the job.

 

[Bill Pearson]

Idiot Needs Help

BillP

 

[SIW2]

We are used to that sort of thing.

What kind of help?

 

[Bill Pearson]

Have installed a Dual Boot with Win 7 and Vista Ult since I was advised after getting the comp that Win 7 would not run FSX. Also installed second hard drive. I intended to put a OS on each drive. Think I have them on the same one.
Now I learn that Win 7 will run FSX so don't need or want Vista. Would like to go to a Win7 with two hard drives and a I book for back up. Need best way for not a geek.

Thanks BillP