How to Completely Remove a Windows XP Partition From a Dual Boot With Windows 7
It is possible to ease your transition to Windows 7 by having a computer with both Windows 7 and Windows XP installed. This is called a dual boot or multiboot system. Eventually, you may find that you no longer need the Windows XP installation at all. Rather than install Windows 7 all over again to get rid of XP, deleting all your files in the process, you can remove the partition containing XP and leave your Windows 7 partition intact.
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Instructions
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Label your partitions where each operating system is stored. Each version of Windows on a dual boot system may give different letters to the same partition. To avoid confusion later on, rename the partitions. For instance, rename the partition with Windows XP on it "Windows XP" or another title you will remember. Do the same for the partition with Windows 7.
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Backup your files and create a system image in case you need to restore your previous settings. Although removing the XP partition leaves Windows 7 intact, you may decide later that you want XP back. Make a backup of your current setup by using Windows 7's Backup and Restore options.
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Copy the boot files from Windows XP to Windows 7. Open Windows Explorer while in your XP installation. Select "Tools" from the top, then "Folder Options," then the "View" tab. Make sure "Show Hidden Files and Folders" is selected, and "Hide Extensions for Known File Types" and "Hide Protected Operating System Files" are not. Close the dialog box. Locate the bootmgr file and BOOT folder in Windows XP and copy them to Windows 7.
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Insert your Windows 7 disc into the CD drive and restart your computer to boot the computer to the disc. On the first screen, select your language preference and hit "Next." On the second screen, select the option to "Repair Your Computer."
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Use the System Recovery Tools on the disc to access the command prompt option. On the first screen, select your Windows 7 partition, make sure "Use Recovery Tools" is selected, and press "Next." On the second screen, it will prompt you to choose a recovery tool. Select "Command Prompt" and the command prompt box will pop up.
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Use command prompts to uninstall XP. Type each command without the quotations marks, then hit the Enter key to input your typed command.
The Command Prompts
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Type "Diskpart" to work with the disk partition commands.
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Type "Select disk 0" to work with your hard drive.
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Type "Select partition 1" to work with your Windows XP partition. If you want to verify the partition information, type "Detail partition." When you are finished, type "Delete partition" to remove Windows XP from the partition.
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Make Windows 7 the active operating system by typing "Select partition 2" then "Active" then "Exit".
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Correct the boot sequence by typing "Bootrec /fixmbr" then "Bootrec /fixboot." Close the command box and restart your computer, removing the Windows 7 disk before it starts up. Your computer will boot with only Windows 7, and your former XP partition is unallocated space, ready to be reconfigured for your sole operating system.
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References
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