Reverting back to a Clean HD

[Pantz]

Hello everyone i just installed win 7 on a new 500GB hard drive, on my OLD upgraded machine,(not my main machine) i would like to wipe that HD clean and try installing a Diffrent, older, OS. or use it for a secondary HD on my MAIN machine. I dont belive i can format the Active partition with in windows 7 ?, how do i remove window 7 and the system restore partition from the HD?.

Thanks in advance

 

[zigzag3143]

Hello everyone i just installed win 7 on a new 500GB hard drive, on my OLD upgraded machine,(not my main machine) i would like to wipe that HD clean and try installing a Diffrent, older, OS. or use it for a secondary HD on my MAIN machine. I dont belive i can format the Active partition with in windows 7 ?, how do i remove window 7 and the system restore partition from the HD?.

Thanks in advance

A thrid party app, a dos disk, any other OS boot disk will do it.


Ken

 

[Pantz]

thank for the quick reply there ZZ. so DBAN will do the job just fine then ?

 

[gregrocker]

You can also use Diskpart from elevated Command Prompt in other HD OS, or from booted Win7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD:

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK # (for old Win7 HD you want deleted)
CLEAN ALL (zeroes the disk; takes awhile; drop "all" if you dont' want full clean, just deletion)
create partition logical
select partition 1
assign letter=d (replace d with desired available letter)
format
exit

 

[Pantz]

so what would be the Elevated command to use DISKPART to wipe the only drive (500GB) on my system?

 

[Pantz]

ok i think i have figured it out, once i make the disk active, just type "clean" or "clean all" and it should wipe my disk so that i will be able to install another OS or make it a clean secondary drive to my main machine?.

 

[gregrocker]

If you want to use the old HD for a secondary data drive, then run the commands as given from the OS on that machine or from booted Win7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD.

If you want to prepare the old HD to install an OS, then change "logical" to "primary" in the commands, and add "Active" just before format.

ok i think i have figured it out, once i make the disk active, just type "clean" or "clean all" and it should wipe my disk so that i will be able to install another OS or make it a clean secondary drive to my main machine?.

Actually you are using "Clean all" (to zero) or "Clean" (quicker) to wipe off the Active flag which is blocking deletion of the HD. You could do the same with "inactive" but since you want it cleaned then "clean all" is cleanest of all.

 

[Pantz]

ok i got an error when i typed in "clean all" from the elevated command prompt ( as the admin ), Virtual disk service error clean is not allowed on the disk containing the current boot, system, pagefile, i guess i am going to have to use a 3rd party software to get this HD cleaned ?.

 

[gregrocker]

Normally "clean all" will ignore active flag.

Try:

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK # (for target HD)
LIST PARTITION
SELECT PARTITION (for old OS partition)
INACTIVE
SELECT DISK # (same HD)
CLEAN ALL
then whatever formatting you want to do, or use installer

The best partition manager for Win7 is free Partition Wizard bootable CD.

 

[karlsnooks]

Pantz,
Boot your system up from a Recovery CD or UFD.
When you get that Recovery Menu, choose Command Prompt.
You will now be able to use DiskPart without any complications.

You can do the same thing if you have a Win7 DVD. Just boot from the DVD and when you get to the first screen wanting a response from you, use Shift + F10 to get to a command prompt.
At this point in time, you are actually running a WinPE (Pre-execution Environment) from ram. If you would like, you can remove the DVD since you've got what you need running in ram from a ram drive with the letter X:

 

[Pantz]

well i would like to thank everyone one for your great help. but since i am a lil tired and hungry(i have learnt from past experiance's not to work on a PC tired and /or hungry. LOL ) i will continue with this tomorrow, i have armed myself with a bootable CD of DBAN and Partiton Wizard, and i do have a window 7 DVD here somewhere, so with all those programs i should be able to get that HD clean to load an OD. I will let everyone know how it goes. Once again thanks for everyone's help.

 

[karlsnooks]

Pantz,
Excellent. All you will need is your Win7 DVD and as said before at the first dialog, pressing Shift + F10 will get you to a command prompt showing X: which is the ram drive that Win7 uses when installing. then
DiskPart
List Disk
Select Disk 0 (as an example)
Clean
Exit (to exit from DiskPart)
Exit (to exit from the command prompt)

Let us know the results.

 

[Pantz]

well i would like to thank everyone for the great help i recieved, but i am a little tried and hungry,(i have learnt from past exeperiance not to work on a PC when you are tired and or hungry,LOL )to continue, but i have armed myself with a bootable CD of DBAN and Partition Wizard, and i have a windows 7 DVD here somewhere, so i will contine working on the HD tomorrow and let everyone know how it went, i am confident that i can get the HD clean to install an OS, once again thanks everyone.

 

[Pantz]

Good afternoon. i was able to format my drive using Partition wizard, i am now able to use the HD as either a secondary drive or load an OS on it , once again thanks to every one that helped.