Windows 7 Delete active system partition

[petersmith]

I have installed Windows 7 on my D:\ drive. I have placed a NEW installation on my C:\ drive besides it.
See the attached image.
I ONLY use the W7 on the C:\ drive now, so I want to delete my D:\ partition completely (416GB).
HOWEVER, I see that it is labeled: "System, Active, Primary Partition".
Can I just format this drive and will my PC still boot or do I have to take particular steps?

Thanks!

 

[busydog]

Assuming you have SATA Drives, I would disconnect the 500g (D) and see if you can boot to the smaller drive (C). If you can't you are going to have to rely on booting to the system disk and doing a system repair. With the 500g drive disconnected, you should repair the smaller drive making it the active, system drive. If that fails to go OK, you should be able to plug your 500g back in and use the BIOS to select it for booting. Nothing is fool-proof above but your risks should be less.

I have installed Windows 7 on my D:\ drive. I have placed a NEW installation on my C:\ drive besides it.
See the attached image.
I ONLY use the W7 on the C:\ drive now, so I want to delete my D:\ partition completely (416GB).
HOWEVER, I see that it is labeled: "System, Active, Primary Partition".
Can I just format this drive and will my PC still boot or do I have to take particular steps?

Thanks!

 

[petersmith]

I get this message:
NTBTLDR missing
Press Crtl+alt+del to restart

I checked you explanation, but its not clear to me (I've never done this) what I should do:
"booting to the system disk" = boot normally via Windows on the D:\ partition with all drives connected?
"doing a system repair. " = How? Where's this function?
"With the 500g drive disconnected, you should repair the smaller drive making it the active, system drive." = When should I disconnect the drive? When my system is booted normally?

Thanks!

 

[Saltgrass]

Busydog is correct about a startup repair setting you SSD up as the system drive.

Right now the boot files are on the other drive. It is active and the primary drive in your system, so it is the system drive.

To get the other drive to be system, you need to put the boot files on that partition. Since it is already active, you will not have to change that. Then set that partition first in the boot sequence.

To add the boot files, you can follow the commands below or do as Busydog suggests and disconnect the other drive, or make the SSD drive the primary in the bios. Run a startup repair from either the Repair CD or the install DVD. After booting go to the Repair area and select Startup repair. It will take two or three runs to get the system to boot.

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To add the boot files without using a startup repair:

While in Win 7, open an administrative command prompt type the following:

bcdboot C:\Windows /s C:

Hit enter after and wait for a response. Close the window.

Now make that drive primary in the bios or disconnect the other one as Busydog suggests.

If you want to verify, set the folder view to see hidden system files then look for a bootmgr file and a Boot folder in the C: \ directory.
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To open an administrative command window, type CMD in the Start Menu search box and hit CTRL+Shift Enter.