Windows 7 will not let me delete XP

[RJ12]

Ok, so I got a computer that came preinstalled with XP. I then bought a Windows 7 DVD and arranged a dual boot. Well I figure out now I don't need Windows XP and it is just taking up valuable HDD space. For some weird reason Windows 7 thinks its E: and not C: (Windows 7 think XP is C So in disk management it will not let me delete XP, it says it is a system partition and cannot be deleted. I'm stuck at a block here.

 

[JonM33]

Ok, so I got a computer that came preinstalled with XP. I then bought a Windows 7 DVD and arranged a dual boot. Well I figure out now I don't need Windows XP and it is just taking up valuable HDD space. For some weird reason Windows 7 thinks its E: and not C: (Windows 7 think XP is C So in disk management it will not let me delete XP, it says it is a system partition and cannot be deleted. I'm stuck at a block here.

Windows XP was installed first on C:\. That is normal. When you dual boot it installs to another partition/volume.

Your best bet is to back everything up and completely reformat your drives, then just install Windows 7.

 

[theog]

Can you post a screen shot Disk management?
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-how-post-screenshot-seven-forums.html
Screenshot tools.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9717-screenshot-paint.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/51160-screenshot-upload-using-mwsnap.html
Fscapture free download

 

[RJ12]

I don't really have a external hdd to back up on to though

 

[RJ12]

Can you post a screen shot Disk management?
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-how-post-screenshot-seven-forums.html
Screenshot tools.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9717-screenshot-paint.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/51160-screenshot-upload-using-mwsnap.html
Fscapture free download

Sure, Ill get that to you in a second

 

[RJ12]

Here it is

 

[theog]

As you have install Windows 7 to logical partition, you can not delete the Win XP partition.
If you wont Windows7 only, the easyest way is a clean install. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31402-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html?ltr=C

Make sure you backup your data first.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/615-backup-user-system-files.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/648-restore-backup-user-system-files.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11470-windows-easy-transfer-transfer-computers.html?ltr=W

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/91339-ssd-hdd-optimize-windows-reinstallation.html

 

[gregrocker]

You have Windows 7 on a Logical data partition, so it needs to be converted first to a Primary partition so it can be marked Active and the System MBR can be recovered to it from XP. At the same time you can also delete XP and reclaim its disk space into your Win7 partition.

The tool to do all of this is free Partition Wizard bootable CD. Boot PW, select 1 for screen res, rightclick on Win7 partition, select Modify>Convert to Primary, OK. Then select Modify>Set to Primary, OK.

Now if you want to delete XP and recover its HD space into WIn7 partition, rightclick on XP, Delete, OK.

Then rightclick again on WIn7, select Resize, left click drag the left grey border over to the left border of HD, OK. Apply all steps.

WIn7 will not now start until you boot the Win7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD, click through to Recovery TOols list to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots until Win7 starts. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html?ltr=S
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html

Back up your files first and a Win7 backup image as Resizing operations can fail, although we have not had one fail here using Partition Wizard for these operations hundreds of times.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/93322-partition-wizard-use-bootable-cd.html

 

[RJ12]

Well, I'm doing this for someone else, they said they will do a reformat later. I'll just go ahead and report it as solved.