Solved removing Vista and Windows 7 from a multi boot

[dsim]

I have a question about removing Vista and W7 from a multi boot, leaving W8 as the only operating system. Can you suggest where I might look for this?

 

[DavidE]

You should post a Disk Management Screen Print.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/274797-disk-management-post-screen-capture-image.html

Here is a tutorial for removing an OS from a dual boot system.
The same concepts and considerations should apply to a triple boot PC.
You can read through this to get an understanding of what to do and expect.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/210983-dual-boot-delete-os.html

Before making any changes you should save Backup Image(s) of your partitions that you might need to recover if anything goes wrong.

After posting the DM screen print and reading the tutorial you can post back here with any questions to get help from the installation experts.

I'm not an installation expert, but this is what I would do for removing unneeded OSs.

Hope this helps,
David

 

[dsim]

Thank you for your response.

What I needed to do turned out to be a bit more complicated than my initial post, as I had upgraded to a new motherboard and two operating systems Vista and W7 would not boot, and W8 seemed to do a bit of reinstalling ant then worked.

I have now deleted Vista and used a PE recue disk made using Macrium Reflect to put the boot loader back in W8.

 

[gregrocker]

If you will post back the requested screenshot we can check over the configuration to assure it's been done correctly. Let us know what's on each partition and any changes you still want made, too.

 

[dsim]

Thankyou gregrocker. I have now done what I wanted to do with this. It was not as straightforward as a simple deletion of two operating systems, as all three had been installed with one motherboard /CPU whereas I now have upgraded to a new set.

Originally none would boot. I did a startup repair using a WE7 installation disk, which resulted in the three systems being shown as "recovered".

Neither Vista nor W7 would boot but W8 opened as if it was being installed, and after a few screens for a few steps , this activity ended and the startup completed normally. The only thing then required was to get it revalidated as genuine.

I later used Mini Tool Partition Wizard to delete Vista and W7. To reload the boot files in W8 I used a PE rescue disk made using Macrium Reflect - it has a separate option to do this.

I now have W8 on a single partition.

 

[gregrocker]

Is there some reason that you asked for help here and won't post back the requested screenshot, even if it's only for us to check your work? We do have some experience at this.

 

[dsim]

Sorry, I did not think a screen shot was now needed as the earlier three partition setup has gone, and I now have only one operating system.
I have taken two shots and pit them in a Word .docx, and used the Attachment icon. (I hope this worked.)

 

[gregrocker]

The reason we supply a tutorial for how to provide a Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image
is so that others without Word can read it. You seem to have a problem following clearly stated steps.

The 16gb wasted in the fastest part of the HD can be ignored or you can Recover Space Used by an Older OS.

Only the partition booting the System should be Active. So I'd mark E Inactive now: Partition - Mark as Inactive - Windows 7 Forums

 

[dsim]

Sorry, gregrocker - I did not look to see if you had a required method of including a screen shot. Having now seen your tutorial it seems simpler than what I did, and I overlooked that using Word would limit general readability.

The 16GB unallocated is what is left when I used the Mini Partition program to expand W8 into the space previously occupied by the Vista partition. I have tried again but it would not extend to incorporate this. I also then looked at the EaseUS Partition Master program and this seems to be able to do this.

Originally the two hard drives were used in a mirror RAID, and the partition now shown as E must have previously had an operating system - I don't remember. I just never noticed that it was marked active.

I have come late to computing and my knowledge gaps are large and uneven - no excuse but it does seem to lead to errors and omissions.

 

[SIW2]

Bit late as you have deleted the other two os. I would likely have been able to fix those for ioyu.

If you want Vista or 7, you can always restore them fresh again. A phone call to MS explaining you needed to replace your mobo will usually fix activation problems.

I think you may be surprised how good a fresh Installation of win7 is.

 

[gregrocker]

If Win7 came on the PC then you can use the installer provided in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 to the other HD with the Product Key on COA sticker.

Unplug all other HD's during the reinstall.

Stick with the steps in the blue link to get and keep a perfect install.

 

[dsim]

Thanks gregrocker.

For the time being I am not intending to reinstall the Vista and W7 programs. I have disks for them .

When I do I will put them in VirtualBox as virtual PCs.

I will now mark this as solved