Simviation Forum - Safely Removing Windows

Sep 20^th, 2003 at 7:14pm

Iroquois Offline
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As you know, I had a problem with Windows a week ago that forced me to install another copy of windows on a different partition on my Hard Drive. Problem is that the old copy is still there and is taking up a lot of space. Is there some way I can safely remove this or will it effect my programs in doing so?

I only pretend to know what I'm talking about. Heck, that's what lawyers, car mechanics, and IT professionals do everyday. Wink

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Reply #1 - Sep 22^nd, 2003 at 10:13am

Jared Offline
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Not sure what would be the best way, excepts to be very careful whatever you do!

Jared

Good luck!

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Reply #2 - Sep 22^nd, 2003 at 4:23pm

4_Series_Scania Offline
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Quote:

As you know, I had a problem with Windows a week ago that forced me to install another copy of windows on a different partition on my Hard Drive. Problem is that the old copy is still there and is taking up a lot of space. Is there some way I can safely remove this or will it effect my programs in doing so?

Hmm, be careful indeed!

Win installs to C: normally, thus, I'd expect its installed itself over your old O.S. or, you simply have Windows on two drives, but, I'd be surprised if Windows was booting by default to a drive other than C:

I'd use FDISK to get rid of the old Win install, but, I'd be more inclined to just start afresh.

Posting drivel here since Jan 31st, 2002. - That long!

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Reply #3 - Sep 22^nd, 2003 at 5:05pm

Iroquois Offline
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The new windows is kind of installed over the old one but there are two Windows folders. Perhaps I should purchase a new hard drive and move everything important over to there, and do a complete erase of the old one. Or maybe I'll just leave well enough alone.

I only pretend to know what I'm talking about. Heck, that's what lawyers, car mechanics, and IT professionals do everyday. Wink

&&The Rig: &&AMD Athlon XP2000+ Palomino, ECS K7S5A 3.1, 1GB PC2700 DDR, Geforce FX5200 128mb, SB Live Platinum, 16xDVD, 16x10x40x CDRW, 40/60gb 7200rpm HDD, 325w Power, Windows XP Home SP1, Directx 9.0c with 66.81 Beta gfx drivers

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Reply #4 - Sep 22^nd, 2003 at 5:13pm

4_Series_Scania Offline
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orenda635, a simple (ish) way to find which is the correct install....

Rename one (not both!) of your windows folders to something like windok or whatever you fancy....

Then, re-boot your machine.

If you've re-named the windows folder the system is trying to boot from, it will not boot up - it won't be able to locate "WINDOWS"....

Once your sure you know which is the "fake" windows folder, delete it (the folder) ,or, the complete partition.

Should do the trick....

Make sure your BIOS only looks for 1 hard drive on boot up, otherwise, the BIOS will simply skip to whichever drive has a recognisable operating system on it.

Confused? Sorry!

Paul.

Posting drivel here since Jan 31st, 2002. - That long!

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Reply #5 - Sep 22^nd, 2003 at 7:15pm

Iroquois Offline
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Ontario Canada

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I know which Windows is which. I named the new copy WINDOWS1.

I only pretend to know what I'm talking about. Heck, that's what lawyers, car mechanics, and IT professionals do everyday. Wink

&&The Rig: &&AMD Athlon XP2000+ Palomino, ECS K7S5A 3.1, 1GB PC2700 DDR, Geforce FX5200 128mb, SB Live Platinum, 16xDVD, 16x10x40x CDRW, 40/60gb 7200rpm HDD, 325w Power, Windows XP Home SP1, Directx 9.0c with 66.81 Beta gfx drivers

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