Remove XP from Win 7 Dualboot (XP installed first)

[PatrickBatman]

I know this has been asked a lot, just want to do it right. I have Easy BCD 2.0 and partition wizard. Want to get rid of XP (have backed up user files) and keep win 7.

 

[gregrocker]

Since your System Active MBR is on the Recovery partition, use EasyBCD from Win7 to remove XP listing on Edit Boot Menu.

Once you are able to boot Win7 by itself correctly, use free Partition Wizard to delete the XP partition, then rightclick>Resize Win7 into its space on the preferred lower HD address. If you want a new partition, I would create it to Win7's right.

You should not have to repair the MBR, and don't want to mark Win7 Active to recover the MBR into it's partition (except as a last resort) because Recovery might not run right.

 

[PatrickBatman]

I'll give it a try, if I run into any snags (hopefully i can still use the internet) I'll let you know and tell you when I'm successful, thanks.

 

[gregrocker]

Back by 10 pm EST.

 

[PatrickBatman]

It looks as though it has worked. I created a new partition but what did you mean by putting on Win 7's right or how do you do that? And how much allocated space (if any) should I leave?

 

[gregrocker]

You don't need to leave any unallocated space. If XP was the partition on the left, then you can rightclick>Resize Win7 into that space so it is in the preferred left-hand space. Then if you want another partition, you can shave it off the right side as you Resize Win7 to the left. Then create a New partition there.

Or you can just create a new partition out of the deleted XP space - your choice.

 

[PatrickBatman]

You don't need to leave any unallocated space. If XP was the partition on the left, then you can rightclick>Resize Win7 into that space so it is in the preferred left-hand space. Then if you want another partition, you can shave it off the right side as you Resize Win7 to the left. Then create a New partition there.

Or you can just create a new partition out of the deleted XP space - your choice.

Well I decided to move win 7 to the left, it rebooted partition wizard copied files and now win 7 wont startup and isnt detected when i try and repair. What to do, without losing win 7 programs and user files?

 

[gregrocker]

Partition Wizard will not fail at moving or copying a partition - it will simply start over and try to do the Resize again. This is unless you unchecked the Data P{rotection feature which is built in

What has most likely happened is that Resizing completed correctly but moving on the boot sector has messed up the MBR. To repair it boot Partition Wizard bootable CD, rightclick Win7 partition to Modify>Set to Active, OK, Apply.

Next boot the Win7 DVD Repair console, accept any offererd repair. If Win7 doesnt' start on reboot, boot back into the DVD Repair console, click through to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots until Win7 starts.

If the DVD or Repair CD Repair console still doesn't see an installation to Repair, try to force it by clicking through to Recovery Tools list to open a Command Line, type:
bootrec.exe /fixboot
bootrec.exe /fixmbr
Then try Startup Repair x3 again.

While in PW you can also rightclick Win7 partition to Explore your files to see if they're there, and try to Recover Partition. Let it scan for partition and choose Recover. It's likely the partition is intact if you see it in PW and It is the MBR which needs fixing..

If this fails, you can also try to recover your partition AND copy out your files using free Paragon Rescue CD. You can also use your Win7 DVD to copy out files at the Load Drivers link on "Where do you want to Install Windows" screen.

I am in the DFW airport and will be back on line by 9pm EST to help you further. Hopefully someone else can answer your questions and help you along before then. I've asked two of the top experts in Install forum to help you further.

 

[PatrickBatman]

Well I got partitions recovered via partition wizard recover partition, now 2 windows 7 OS's show up in recovery console one on drive c and one on d drive. Startup Repaired drive c OS 3 times, upon reboot just sits at a blank screen with blinking cursor. Well ill try and repair D now, I figure it must be a conflict cause theres two OS's or something so I'll try and repair d now. Maybe I should delete one. Any suggestions anyone?

 

[gregrocker]

What does Partition Wizard booted CD show? There should only be one Win7. Rightclick on it in PW, Modify>Mark it active and run Startup Repair x3 from the booted DVD.

Did you try marking Active Win7 partition with PW CD then running Startup Repair first?

If you jumped ahead and recovered the partition before marking Active and doing the Repair x3, boot DVD to run Startup Repair x3 on each one listed - one of them is the old one PW recovered from.

Can you post back a camera snap of the PW drive map with listings shown clearly? Use paper clip in Reply Box to attach.

My flight is delayed so I may not be back on until 10 pm EST.

 

[SIW2]

Pic of PW main window will be helpful, as Greg suggested.

Not clear yet what you have done so far.

Did you copy the 7 partition (C in your earlier screenshot ) into the Xp partition?

 

[gregrocker]

Thanks Si just in time as my Flight for Florida is leaving now.

Patrick you are in the very best hands now. Si is our teacher.

 

[PatrickBatman]

Well initially in PW it said bad disk in red on my drive and greyed out all options, so i couldnt set it as active, but in the top tool bar i could choose recover so i did that. In repair console it says both OS's as recovered. ( i cant get a clear pic.) in pw currently: (in order)
* ntfs 110.23gb 76.69 gb 33.35gb active primary,
2nd line: * unallocted 108.32MB 0B 108.32MB none logical,
3rd line: * NTFS 110.23 GB 76.67 GB 33.56GB none logical, last:
*Recovery NTFS 12.31 10.25GB 2.06gb none primary
sorry for all that.

 

[gregrocker]

Run Startup REpair x3 on the first Primary Partition.

If this fails, rightclick on the second (Logical) Partition to Modify>Convert to Primary, OK, then rightclick to Modify>Set to Active, OK, Apply all steps. Now boot Win7 DVD Repair to run Startup Repair x3 on it. You had to convert it from Logical to Primary to mark it Active.

If this fails, rightclick Recovery Partiittion to mark it Active as it was in the beginning, then run Startup Repair again x3.

Can you browse your files in both partiitons using PW? IF so, copy them out using 7 DVD as I explained earlier, or Paragon Rescue CD.

Back at 10 pm EST. Si will have even better ideas, likely.

 

[PatrickBatman]

Ok I think i was fixing the one that wasn't set to primary (confusing with two win 7 os's ). Anyway booted up to a dualboot like screen to pick from the 2 win 7 installs. i picked the first one (there was a quick prompt saying PW couldnt continue cause hard drive config had been changed and it went away) then booted into windows 7, user files still there, my other drive is virtually identical. So now im guessing i just format the other drive with windows 7 on it and that should get rid of the choose OS or will i have to use Easy BCD or something to get rid of dual boot?

I also have 2 primary drives my os and recovery drive is that going to be a problem?

 

[SIW2]

No problem , it's fine to have 3 primaries.

Looks like you booted back into the original 7 install (C) in that screenie.

Are you able to add the D partition to the boot menu using Easybcd?

 

[PatrickBatman]

Did you mean add the F partition into the boot menu for recovery? Yeah i should do that that's how it was originally and I may need it. Thank Christ I have another old desktop that was still working to continue talking to you guys. THANKS x1000 for the help I would of ended up reinstalling the OS and all the programs if it weren't for you guys. Well Ill try and add the F: recovery to the boot screen and get back. Thanks again!!!!

 

[PatrickBatman]

Guess I'm confused, cant seem to add the recovery drive into boot option via Easy BCD. I went to add/remove entries on left and it shows my 2 win 7 OS one on C one on D (havent formatted the other one yet on D) but no F drive for recovery, would I have to set F as active like it was originally and would that mess up the C partition? cause before all this happened on my boot screen it said Windows 7and Windows (SMS) or something like that.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello PatrickBatman, welcome to Seven Forums!



Maybe SIW2 misread the snip as I don't think he meant for you to add the "Recovery Partition" to the boot menu; that partition is used to recover the PC from serious issues if needed and is not bootable in the conventional sense.

 

[PatrickBatman]

Yeah he didnt say recovery he said the D drive, which i didnt get why i should add that to the boot menu cause it just has a exact duplicate copy of win7 on it. Well thanks again guys, i formatted the D drive and used Easy Bcd to get rid of the other win 7 Os listing in the boot menu. THANKS and THANKS!