Windows 7 Formating Xp partition, using Windows 7

[Lakenz]

Hey guys,
I'm a novice with partitioning and formating etc, anyway I originally had Xp as my only OS, now I have windows 7 and Xp on dual boot. I want to format Xp off my disk, and I understand that the boot files located in the active boot (xp) will be lost, and I understand thats not good. So anyway I don't want to delete any files on windows 7 because they are important I just want to completely rid my system of Xp. I have opened disk management in windows 7 and it shows for Xp (D: ) that it is (System, Active, Primary Partition) and for windows 7 (C: ) it has (Boot, Page file, Crash Dump, Log) , And I also understand that I'm an idiot for putting windows 7 on an empty backup drive. But im sure that doesn't matter since windows 7 is working fine. Please help me put the Active on Windows 7 with the boot files. Thanks

 

[reghakr]

Hello and welcome to the windows7forums.

You'll need to hit the F8 key and choose Safe Mode with command prompt use the CD command to find your XP installation.

Because you're at the command prompt, drive letters will be changed.

After you find the XP install directory, change directory to another one and type format......dive letter of your XP install.

Make absolutely sure you don't try to re-format the Windows 7 partition.

 

[Lakenz]

Sorry.

I am a big noob at this stuff, so basically everything you said I didn't understand. Can you please do this step to step.

 

[reghakr]

I tried to make it as clear as possible.

One thing I forgot was to use the dir command to locate the XP partition.

F8 (may be different on other PC's) will get you to the screen with Safe Mode with command prompt.

The cd command means change directory and the dir command lists the files in that partition.

 

[Lakenz]

ok

ok I understand, so once I formated it, it will let me use windows 7 no worries, and that i havnt deleted any crucial files, like the boot ones?

thanks

 

[tblount]

Just delete all the files on D: from Windows Explorer You don't have to format just to get rid of them and you don't need to be "testing" Disk Manager until you take your Windows 7 drive out and practice on one that has no useful data.

 

[Lakenz]

But since windows xp is the active partition wont it have important files like the boot files. And If i delete won't they screw my boot up.

 

[tblount]

But since windows xp is the active partition wont it have important files like the boot files. And If i delete won't they screw my boot up.

Doesn't it show an "Active" partition just before C: 100 mb ntsf ? It has no drive letter.


I think you are looking at an active lable that XP was using. ..... here... try renaming explorer.exe in the d:\windows folder.... if it's active or being used it will be locked and you'll get an error message.


Even easier, look at the file dates in the d:\windows and \windows\system32 folder... if they are older than 2009 you know it's just the old xp stuff. Also, look for the file named bcd on your D: drive and see what date is on it... you may have to set your VIEW options to show hidden and system files to find it. Xp may not have even had one.

 

[Lakenz]

Ok, It did not lock up or give an error when I tried renaming, and all the files in system32 are older than 2009. So this being can I just delete Xp without any issues happening to boot or anything related. Can I just right click the drive and select format?

 

[tblount]

Ok, It did not lock up or give an error when I tried renaming, and all the files in system32 are older than 2009. So this being can I just delete Xp without any issues happening to boot or anything related. Can I just right click the drive and select format?

Go for it. I don't think format will even run if there are any kind of active/open files on the partition... UNLESS you over ride a warning message of some kind.

 

[Lakenz]

Thanks for that, I'll try that now. I'll let you know if it works.

 

[Lakenz]

It says, windows was unable to complete the format!!!! What now?

 

[Lakenz]

no I have not deleted anything, I am trying to remove Xp without removing any crucial windows boot files or something like that.

 

[tblount]

It says, windows was unable to complete the format!!!! What now?

Clean your recycle bin.

Reboot and try again... when you were checking the files and renaming them you may have cause a sharing violation... and format thinks there are files on the disk being used.

If you get the error again I would delete the d:\windows folder if something there is in use it will stop and tell you.. and you would know what is running... at worse case you can restore whatever you deleted from the recycle bin.

 

[tblount]

was there a file named bcd on the d: drive ? if so ... what was the date?

 

[Lakenz]

Theres a file named bcd and it said it is modified today, 8/10/2009 (New Zealand)

 

[reghakr]

If XP was put on your computer first, then you cannot format it because it's the Active and Boot partition

 

[Lakenz]

If XP was put on your computer first, then you cannot format it because it's the Active and Boot partition

Thats what I said at the start, I want to no how to change it, so I can format my XP

 

[tblount]

If XP was put on your computer first, then you cannot format it because it's the Active and Boot partition

I'm glad that format crapped out on him. I didn't know ... or think it was logical ... that Win 7 would install to a partition while depending on another "active" partition to get it started. Why didn't win 7 set up the partition as active that it installed to?

Diskpart can change the active partition.. I temporarily used it building VHD's. and this is a description on how to do it
Mark a partition as active (32-bit only): Storage Services; Local File Systems

BUT the bcd and /or bootmanager files that are on his d: drived would have to be rebuilt on drive c:

....complicated and risky

Anyway, I still don't see any reason he can't delete his old xp folders. He just needs to be sure he leaves bootmanager and bcd alone where they are. He found the bcd and reported the date on it was current. I tell you, that's one mess I would straighten out. I would do a clean reinstall and remove all the partitions and format the drive as a single partition . However if he is putting on RC he'll have to redo all that within a few months because it will die and it can't be upgraded.

 

[Lakenz]

Thanks

Well thanks guys for your time, although it is very complicated to fix for a novice like me, but I am just going to do a clean install and format and remove the partitions. Not to hard, easier than what I was about to do hahaha

Thanks.