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Remove Vista but leave Windows 7
Remove Vista but leave Windows 7
- Hi, I've seen topics similar to this, but I think my problem is unique.
Vista came on my Dell Inspiron 1545 when I got it this summer. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. But after trying Windows 7, I was hooked. When I installed the Release Candidate, I just shrunk the Vista partition and made a 50GB one for Windows 7. Works great...love it.
Recently upgraded to the full version RTM and now I want to just get rid of Vista altogether. I've read in various places how to do this. But one look at my Disk Management screenshot will show you my predicament:
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/9504/diskmanagementscreensho.png
I found out how to move the Windows 7 to the Vista partition, and do the Repair and all that:
http://www.experts-exchange.com/articles/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Windows/Windows_7/How-to-Remove-a-Vista-Partition-from-a-Vista-Windows-7-Dual-Boot-Installation.html
However, I also want that wasted 14 gigs near the top. It came with a recovery system on it, but right after I got my laptop, I had to completely reinstall Vista. The recovery partition wouldn't work at all (Dell's Tech Support wasn't that helpful either). So I just deleted it. I flirted with it on and off putting data on it, but now it's just annoying to have that space up there that I can't do anything with.
Here's what I want:
Vista to be gone, Windows 7 by itself at the top of the hard drive, and no wasted gaps.
I've made a full system image backup (Vista and 7) with the Backup and Restore Center in Windows 7, and also a backup of Windows 7 in Acronis True Image (the program I was going to use to overwrite the Vista partition). If I just overwrite the Vista partition with the 7 data, delete the original 7, then repair the copied one (that is now sitting where Vista used to be) so it will boot, that still leaves that annoying 14 empty gigs at the top. I'm thinking the only way I can gain that back (without a fresh install, there's no way in heck I'm doing that) is if I delete the Vista system image (a virtual hard disk) from the backup on my external hard drive, and do a Windows system image restore with the format option. That should just apply the Windows 7 image backup, and leave me with nothing else on my hard drive. Right?
If that didn't make sense, just say so and I'll try and explain it again.
Another way that I thought might work is if I formatted everything, reinstalled Windows 7 (along with Acronis), then applied the Acronis restore (of just Windows 7) to the fresh install. Would that also achieve the same goal of having nothing but my current 7 install?- Edited bykeyboardNinja Sunday, November 08, 2009 2:18 AMfixed image link
Answers
- In regards to the last way you mentioned, if you have made an Acronis boot disk you will not have to reinstall Win7 after formatting the drive. Just boot to Acronis with the boot disk and perform the restore from there to the freshly formatted drive. I have done this and it works well. Just be sure that you in fact have a full system image backed up in a safe place.
- Marked As Answer bykeyboardNinja Tuesday, November 10, 2009 3:41 AM
All Replies
- In regards to the last way you mentioned, if you have made an Acronis boot disk you will not have to reinstall Win7 after formatting the drive. Just boot to Acronis with the boot disk and perform the restore from there to the freshly formatted drive. I have done this and it works well. Just be sure that you in fact have a full system image backed up in a safe place.
- Marked As Answer bykeyboardNinja Tuesday, November 10, 2009 3:41 AM
- Oh, I didn't think of that. Yes, I have made an Acronis boot disk. And I have a full system image backup using Windows. It works great. I've had to use it twice before.
I think that is how I'm going to do it (format, then restore with Acronis), but not for a few days. I have a lab report due Tuesday, and an online quiz that is due tonight at midnight. I think I'll play around with my computer's life after those are out of the way!! (just to be sure!!)
Thanks, OldHobo!! - Hi,
I think it will be available if we delete all partitions, re-partition and use the image to restore Windows 7 to Drive C. Of course it depends on if the image is a working one.
Meanwhile, as I cannot confirm if boot information are saved in the image. If not, we may not able to boot the system. If this happens, we may need to do an inplace upgrade to fix the system.
In addition, we cannot guarantee if third party image backup tool such as Norton Ghost and Acronis always work fine as we do not have enough information of them. Hope you can get the system back to work.
Before doing anything, backup important files first. You can use the Windows Easy Transfer. Incase we failed to restore the system, WET can still help restore settings and files (programs will need to be reinstalled). - Sweet! It worked!
No more Vista!! Yay!!
As I was basking in the glory of a job well done, I noticed that when I opened the Computer window, it showed the D: drive as the System Reserved that was created when I was restoring things. I was like: "Aww, dang it!". I didn't have a problem with it taking up 100 MB of space, but I didn't want to see it every time I opened my Computer. So after a little searching, I discovered that you could easily hide a partition by going into the Computer Management > Disk Management > right-click on the partition to hide > click Change letter or drive paths > then click remove. The drive is still there, but Explorer doesn't know that.
Mission accomplished! Vista is gone, I have my whole hard drive back, and I can enjoy Windows 7 with no inhibitions.
Thanks a million, guys!
