Uninstall W7 on Dual Bootxp?

CharmPeddler

CharmPeddler

New Member
I'm wanting to uninstall/remove the Windows 7 partition on my dual boot w7+xp. I installed W7 first so it is the C: drive. i'm concerned that if i just format it, i will screw up the boot.ini file. is there anyway to move that file, or copy it or whatnot?

i'm wanting to do this with out screwing up the XP files/system.

THEN i know that i'll need to designate the xp system from E: to C:. Can i use EasyBCD for this? (i use that to set up the original boot choice screen.

this is just a LITTLE beyond my scope of knowledge, so i'm looking for a lil help. cause if i mess up the wife's Sims3 game (on xp) she will skin me alive :P
 
Why would you need to use EasyBCD if you installed Windows 7 first?

Anyway, the Sims "Profiles" or "Saved" folders can be stored and saved.

I've never done what you're asking about so I'm not sure what will happen.

I would think:

If you formatted the Win 7 partition it would hose the boot file, but you
should then be able to use the XP disc to fix it.

Also, Windows will not allow you to change the drive letter of where Windows is located.

If you do change it, outside of Windows, it would be major fail.

I think your best bet is to backup your data, including the Sims Saved Profiles folder or w/e,
and format and reinstall.
 
Ya, i've thought about that. i really just got it setup the way i like it. (its my HTPC/Server) and dont really want/have the time to redo everything.

if there is a quicker/easier fix that comes along soon i'd rather go that way. but it is looking less and less likely.

thanks though.
 
NOTE:

Let's say you named 2 partitions,

HDD1 for XP

HDD2 for W7

When you're on W7, your main drive is C: (named HDD2 for W7)

When you're on XP, your main drive is also C: but (named HDD1 for XP).

You don't need to change anything.
 
actually no, when im inside of my windows xp partition, everything says "E:". not "C:". all shortcuts, and locations of pics/mp3's/programs.

any other ideas?
 
CharmPeddler said:
actually no, when im inside of my windows xp partition, everything says "E:". not "C:". all shortcuts, and locations of pics/mp3's/programs.

any other ideas?
Click to expand...

yeah, XP will sometimes label it's things as E or whatever else. I used to have the same problem and it annoyed me. I've always had dual or triple boots for the past 7 or 8 years. It wasn't until Vista (and now Win7) that they always started using C when they boot.

You can do this:
Set the XP partition as your default partition to boot to. Then let the PC boot up to XP and go to My Computer and reformat the Win7 partition. Now restart and you should automatically boot to XP.

Then you can relabel the XP partition to C: as you mentioned earlier (if you want).


And just for peace of mind.... don't forget.....
If for some reason something goes wrong, and you can't boot to XP - don't freak out. You haven't lost anything. Although it's a bit tedious, you could always do a new install of XP on the old Win7 partition (just a basic intall so you can boot to something). Then boot to that version of XP and edit the boot.ini file so the old XP partition is included in the boot options. Once you boot to the old XP you can delete the new XP parition and remove its entry from the boot.ini file. I don't think you'll need to do any of that, but it's just a thought in case something doesn't go as planned.
 
Thanks a ton PC_Hobbyist. that is almost exactly what i was thinking would/could happen. i'll give it a shot within the week.

Bodaggit23 - i'll keep all that in mind too. and for sure back up the wife's files (JUST IN CASE)
 
well, ive done all this AND SOME. (hopefully someone will see this update) i have formated the original WIN7 Partition (1), and installed xp in its place. i have been using the new XP partition(1) for a while now, and decided to use Paragon Partition Manager 10 to format the old WINXP partition (2). after rebooting the system i now get a message saying "Error loading operating system". and nothing else happens. i have a feeling that the boot.ini file was on the second partition (2) that i just formated. i've been looking this issue up and the best thing i can find is to load the WIN disk up and do a system repair by using the "bootcfg\rebuild". the only problem is that the windows repair console doesn't see ANY operating system.

Does anyone have an idea??

Update: it seems that even the live Ubuntu CD doesn't even reconize/see the harddrive. running live/memory checking/ or harddisk checking all comes back with "no harddisk found" i have a funny feeling that my HDD just crapped out.
 
Last edited:
CharmPeddler said:
windows repair console doesn't see ANY operating system.

Does anyone have an idea??
Click to expand...
Yes edits are viewed ;)

You need the Hard Drive storage controller from your manufacture support driver page
When repairing Windows, at the point it says press F6; press it, and put the extracted storage driver in
Note: Some computer sold provided this driver on floppy or CD
 
You sir just might be my Hero. its a lil late for me to start up again on this (although i'm sure to loose more than a lil sleep over it), i'll dive right in first thing tomorrow after work. TY for push in a direction.
 
Dell?? ohh, its NOT the computer that is in my sig. it's actually a custom build. thanks though. actually i'm prolly just going to pop another harddrive in and install Ubuntu, and see what happens.
 
Last edited:
i figured out that i had infact deleted the Boot.ini file of the second partition. i remembered that i had made a copy of it before messing with the partitions (a just in case thing). i found that and put in the "C:". when i now try to start up with that single HDD, i get the same msg, about messed up /not found O.S. but when i put it on a dif ribbon and boot, i now get two windows xp boot option in the MBR. when i select the second one (HDD with the issues) i get this message:
"
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt
<Windows Root>\System32\Hal.dll>
Please Reinstall a copy of above file
"
i cope/pasted a working one into that location but there was no diferance.

this is just an update before i go google this new issue/info.
 
How to edit the Boot.ini file in Windows XP

Please follow all steps in that link

Let me know how it goes


This is the one you want for XP Pro:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
Click to expand...

Assuming XP Pro
And that space in "Microsoft" is just coming from this board (line too long)
 
thanks for the link Kimsland, but i've found that and much more. but still nothing. i have also tried to change from the "partition(1)" to P(2), thinking that might have been what it was before i formated the partition. still nothing though.
 
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