Dual Boot

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I have xp intalled on my computer. I now run vista all the time.
Both are on there own hard drive. Can I just reformat the xp drive and be
done with it?
 
BobTec shared these words of wisdom:
I have xp intalled on my computer. I now run vista all the time.
Both are on there own hard drive. Can I just reformat the xp drive
and be done with it?
Click to expand...

You'd also have to modify the Boot-Menu.
It's a lot more complicated than it was in XP.

EasyBCD
http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1

worked fine for me.

Rainald
 
BobTec said:
I have xp intalled on my computer. I now run vista all the time.
Both are on there own hard drive. Can I just reformat the xp drive and be
done with it?
Click to expand...

Yes you can but you'll need to then boot from the Vista disk and run the
repair option on the setup screen as you will wipe the Vista boot files.
Remember, wipe the XP partition first, then boot from the Vista disk to
repair the boot setup.
 
Not normally if some of the following is true.

If you installed Vista second without using a third party boot manager
and a separate system partition exclusive of the XP drive, your XP drive
is probably your system drive. Vista would normally install the
bootloader to the system drive(i.e. your xp drive)

Search this newsgroup for dual boot topics..a lot of info is present on
removing Vista as the second o/s in a dual boot, dual drive system.

Here's some additional reading info.

In almost all cases, folks usually suggest using a third party
app(BootItNg, VistaBootPro, EasyBCD) to remove an os from the boot
loader screen, or run a Vista repair install, or clean install Vista
and/or a combination of the these when one wishes to format the XP
drive.

...winston
MS-MVP Windows Live Mail
 
As noted above, you will most likely wipe your boot files. I suggest that
you change the boot priority in the BIOS to have the Vista drive the first
drive in boot priority, then run the Vista repair startup process from the
install DVD. Some have had to run it several times. When it boots safely
into Vista, you can then format the XP drive. This is for either both IDE
drives or both SATA drives. Some BIOS's will produce complications with
combinations of IDE and SATA.
 
You might want to explain how you installed the dual boot..........
was XP installed first and then fom within installed Vista on the other
HD??...then follow the directions already posted.
Was XP installed and you disconnected the XP drive and installed Vista on
the 2nd HD and used your F12 Bios option to chose which drive to boot from
when booting??
In that case each OS has its own MBR on its own drive and it is safe to just
format the XP drive.
peter
 
I have a similar situation, Vista & XP on separate drives. I am happy with
Vista so now want to reclaim the XP drive. When I try to format the drive it
tells me that 'Windows was unable tocomplete the format.' I do not want to
simply delete the files from the XP drve in case it renders the system
unbootable. SATA, btw. XP had been originally installed, currently dual
boot.

Any help greatly appreciated!

Neil
 
I still have not been able to remove XP. One person told me to unplug the
Vista
Drive, boot up in XP and format the drive. I have not tried this yet. I do
love Vista, not one crash.
 
Please note peter's reply - otherwise if dual boot was setup by installing
XP followed by Vista you cannot just reformat the XP partition because the
Vista installation installs boot info on the XP partiton.

Consider looking into bcdedit or a third party boot manager such as
VistaBootPro.
 
It will not let me . Says: I do not have permission to do that. I am setup as
the admin.
Can I just unplug the Vista drive, then format the XP Drive?
 
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