Windows 7 and Vista Dual Boot Removal

[adamsbryce1695]

I have an Acer Aspire 5349 Laptop. It came preloaded with Win7 Home Premium x64. I got adventurous and dual-booted with a Vista Ultimate x64 installation on the same hard drive, with 2 partitions. It all works flawlessly, but my experimenting is over, i'm bored, and need my hard drive space back, and want to delete the Vista Partition.

Basically, from Win7, using Disk Management, can i simply delete the partition from the G: (vista) Drive, delete the volume, and then Extend my win7 partition back onto the unallocated space, or do I need to use a third-party software?

Also, will i need to do anything as far as repairing the Windows 7 boot? I know that Vista and 7 share a boot file, so if I delete the Vista partition, will the Win7 boot automatically fix itself, or will i be unable to start up?

Thanks in advance,
Bryce

 

[seavixen32]

Welcome to Windows Seven Forums.

If you want to do things properly please check this tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/210983-dual-boot-delete-os.html

 

[adamsbryce1695]

Thanks! i'll give it a try and update this with what happens.

 

[seavixen32]

You're very welcome.

It's very tempting to take the easy way, I just feel this tutorial ties up all the loose ends and using it should leave you with a fully-operational system.

If you need further help, please post back.

 

[adamsbryce1695]

Very true. I've screwed this thing up so many times, just baaaarely getting fixed with a clean install. tired of doing those. haha. but i certainly will post more. thanks

 

[seavixen32]

Well, once you've done your clean install and set it up the way you want with what programs you use, image it and you'll never have to clean install again.

 

[adamsbryce1695]

Call me crazy, but I actually like Vista more than 7. Yeah, the features of 7 (like the "superbar", snapping windows, better Start menu Search) are nice, but i've always had a huge liking for Vista, the way it looks, the ways it acts, pretty much everything about it - more than XP, 7, or 8. Plus i think it is wayyy better looking than any of the others. Vista is probably one of my all time favorite OS's, after the service pack updates of course.

So, (after i delete the current vista partition and repair the boot to just have Win7 like posted above) I'm actually seriously debating making a 2nd partition, moving important files (mostly music, school documents, and pictures)
to that 2nd partition, Installing a clean Vista Ultimate x64 over my current Windows 7 partition, then moving the files back to the (new) Vista partition, and then deleting the 2nd file-holding partition and re-expanding the Vista partition over the unallocated space... would that work? what do you think, before I start going around thinking i know everything? (which i dont, haha).

1) Also, what would that do to my "recovery partition"?(see picture) thats what acer has put on my computer, and correct me if i'm wrong, that has the windows 7 system restore and repair files? like a "built-in" Windows 7 OEM disk, basically? at leasat thats how i see it... so technically .. if something happens to my new OS(it’ll no doubt be windows), I can start the boot, press F8 when it’s time, and go to repair system, and if I do clean install, it’ll bring a fresh OEM Windows 7 installation, with built in acer programs and everything, just like stock out of the box, right?

SO MY QUESTION IS: (sorry this is so long and confusing)

2) I can install whatever OS i want where my current (acer partition) Win 7 is, (overwriting it, creating fresh install) and it won't do anything with the G: partition with my saved docs & music, etc., and i can then drag my files from that partition, back to the OS (from within the OS), and then delete that partition, delete the volume, and then extend my OS partition back onto the unallocated space, which will then take full advantage of the drive (minus the system reserved, and “recovery partition” of course), with only one OS. ...is that right? that'd work, wouldn't it?

P.S. the picture attached is my system currently, with Dual Boot vista & 7. the "acer" C: drive is the Windows 7, and the "G:" drive is where i will eventually have the data i want to keep, but as of right now is still my vista installation.

... if any of that even makes sense.

 

[gregrocker]

G is good to go. Just Delete in Disk Management.

Recovery partition won't boot if C is overwritten, so be sure to make your Recovery Disks beforehand. Another option is to Save externally a Win7 backup image so you can reimage C exactly as it is now on this or a replacement HD: Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

During Vista install use Custom>Drive Options to delete Recovery and C then create a New partition in that space, Format before beginning install.

It is risky to store your files in a data partition on the same HD you're reinstalling upon. Better to back up files to DVD, external or another HD, another computer on the network, or MS Skydrive allows up to 15gb free online storage with each Windows Live ID. If forced to do this just be sure you don't touch the data partition, and know it's position on disk and size.

 

[adamsbryce1695]

so, even if i install a new vista installation where my current 7 resides, on "Acer C:", and got a new installation up and running, and went to windows startup options during the boot and hit "system restore/ recovery", it wouldn't go to what acer already has, which is a custom acer installer that completely wiped everything, and did a fresh, OEM installation of Win7, which is what i've used to reset this whole computer before, it won't just go there? if that's the "recovery partition", but it wouldn't work with a different version of windows, then it's pretty much pointless?

 

[adamsbryce1695]

OH and (back to my original subject), i dont have any windows 7 Disks... the computer prompted me to make them, but i never succesfully could. however, when i screwed up my 1st win 7 installation (couple months ago), i just booted, and hit F8 and selected "restore/recover system" and it repaired it no problem, just like a new windows 7 installation .. did it REALLY completely reinstall windows, or just fix what wasn't stock? ): im so confused now...

 

[gregrocker]

Not normally. You can save Recovery partition but it likely won't run after clean reinstall to C which is why you should make your recovery disks first.

That's one of the uses for the Recovery disk set, such as when the HD is replaced.

If you can't make the disks you can order them from Acer for shipping costs, or save a Win7 backup image externally which willl reimage the HD using a Win7 DVD or System Repair Disk - which you should make in case Win7 stops booting. Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

You can also clean reinstall with the Product Key on your COA sticker which is a superior install anyway: Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Download an ISO for your version of Windows from mydigitiallife.info. You can burn that ISO to a disc and install with it. Any such install would NOT have all the crap Acer pre-loaded onto your PC.

That restore/recover thing you did presumably took you back to factory specifications, wiping out any previous Windows installation.

 

[adamsbryce1695]

ohhh. i can easily just download a 7 iso and burn it. done that too many times to count. i was just wondering if it would still work. but okay! i might give it a try when i get some time. ill letcha guys know.

 

[adamsbryce1695]

actually ... i got that old vista/7 dualboot cleared up, and now i have a 7/8 developer preview... hahaha. nevermind all that vista crap.