Removing 2nd partition containing XP

[neilvb]

Hello,

I've just upgraded a partition on my computer to Win 7 from Vista. The previous owner of my computer dual booted Vista and XP. I would like to remove XP, and remove the option from the Windows Boot Loader (if that's the right name). Is it ok just to wipe the partition?

Thanks,

N

 

[KSoD]

Use GParted to format the 2nd partition. From there use EasyBCD to remove the XP Entry.

It could be hazordous to remove the XP partition. Depending on how the system was setup the XP Partition could contain the boot information. So upon formatting it you could leave your system unbootable.

 

[Jayce]

Pretty sure as long as you have a Windows 7 CD, if you crash the XP partition with GParted you could run a repair install if your Windows 7 partition isn't bootable. Once booted to the CD and the repair install begins it should detect errors and repair it. This is all based on "if" your Windows 7 partition has issues when you nuke XP.

 

[KSoD]

It isnt that easy. As the Win7 DVD only tries to detect if you have a Windows install that matches its criteria. If it doesnt find any boot information, there is nothing that the automated repair will do for you. It will just say no OS found. Which leads to the user having to forcefully rebuild the BCD. Plus other factors come into play, such as which partition is marked as the system active partition. As that does make a difference for the boot storage.

So it isnt just as easy as inserting the DVD and having it fix it for you. There are plenty of other factors that go into it.

 

[neilvb]

Thanks for the replies.

It seems that formatting the partition containing XP is risky if it includes the boot information. I only have the upgrade disk for Windows 7.

I have found some information from the disk management utility in Windows 7; perhaps it makes a difference to the risk level. The C: drive is running Windows 7 and is marked as the 'System, Boot, Page File, Active, Crash Dump and Primary Partition'. The D: drive is the other partition that I mentioned, which runs XP and is marked as 'Logical Drive'.

The PC also has a Vista sticker on it, so I'm pretty confident that Vista was on the system first.

I didn't mention that I have another partition for data. I would like to merge the XP partition with this, to make two partitions in total: one for Windows 7, and one for data.

Help appreciated.

N

 

[KSoD]

Please do this.

Start>Right Click on Computer>Select Manage>Select Disk Management

Post the screen shot of this item. I can better assist you if i see that and let you know how much risk will be involved and how to obtain what you want.

 

[neilvb]

I can't seem to access the attachments option for adding an image when I reply, even using advanced mode.

But here is the image taken from the Disk Management program:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35261178@N08/5033434684/

 

[KSoD]

http://www.techist.com/forums/f127/gparted-usage-tutorial-224994/

That tutorial will be of great help. Use that to delete the XP Partition and then use it to extend the data partition. It can be done without any issues.

 

[neilvb]

Thanks for your help

 

[Jayce]

It isnt that easy. As the Win7 DVD only tries to detect if you have a Windows install that matches its criteria. If it doesnt find any boot information, there is nothing that the automated repair will do for you. It will just say no OS found. Which leads to the user having to forcefully rebuild the BCD. Plus other factors come into play, such as which partition is marked as the system active partition. As that does make a difference for the boot storage.

So it isnt just as easy as inserting the DVD and having it fix it for you. There are plenty of other factors that go into it.

How does it work when Grub overwrites the Windows boot loader? Windows 7 repaired fine for me when it (somehow) began BSOD'ing constantly due to adding a 2nd hard drive. (??). On a hunch I ran a repair install and W7 worked fine, at which point I then over-wrote it again with Grub and all is well with both OS's. Point is I thought Grub takes the Win MBR out of the picture completely. Assuming that's true, I'm confused over how the W7 repair utility fixed the MBR in my case. But this is also assuming the above is true, that Grub takes the Win MBR completely out of the picture.