Remove the operating system completely. Windows XP Removal Procedure

If a person is looking for an option on how to remove Windows 7 from a computer, then most likely he needs to clean the computer from old version operating system. Residual data will be downloaded HDD computer. And this great way his release.

Removing the old operating system

Removing an old operating system is carried out in two stages: first you need to clean your computer of residual files. They are concentrated in a folder Windows.old. You also need to erase the record of the previous OS from the boot file boot.ini.

Step 1: Removing the Windows.old folder

The main part of the files from the previous version of the "seven" will be stored in the directory Windows.old. Erasing it can free up more than 10 GB of hard drive memory. But you shouldn't delete the folder directly. In this case, you should use a special function.

Go to your computer's main directory and open properties system partition. Then click "Disk Cleanup". And then "Clear temporary...". Select all the items and click "OK".

Then call Command line with administrative capabilities. Enter a request there with the following content:

rd /s /q c:\windows.old

If a message appears with the text “It’s not possible...”, then the directory Windows.old no longer exists.

Stage 2: Removing the system from boot.ini

But information about the previous OS version may still be stored in boot.ini. This name is boot file systems. It shouldn't be edited directly either. Use the msconfig utility. It is convenient to run it through the window "Run". Go to the tab
There should be a single line indicating the current OS. If this is not the case, then remove the unnecessary elements. As a result, there should be one record left.

Sometimes users install new Windows 7, but forget to delete the old one. There is nothing critical about this, but old Windows takes up a lot of space. This article contains information on how to remove old Windows 7.

There are several ways to remove old Windows:

1. Removing old Windows using Disk Cleanup

You need to run Disk Cleanup. You can find it through "Start". Click “All Programs”, then “Accessories”, then “Utilities” and find the required component in the list.

It is the item "Previous Windows installations"This is what we need. Select the checkbox if it is not there and click OK. When asked about irreversible deletion, answer “Delete files.” After some time, the files of the old Windows 7 will be deleted.

2. Removing old Windows without programs

If for some reason the program cannot be found or there are problems with it, you can remove it from Windows manually. To do this, find the folder Windows.old and set the rights necessary for deletion.

Go to the folder properties (RMB - Properties) and go to the "Security" tab

Click on "Advanced". On the "Owner" tab, select the current user and check the "Replace owner of subcontainers and objects" checkbox and click "Apply".

Now on the “Permissions” tab, select the account that you made the owner of the folder and change it (the “Change” button)

A window appears with Permission element, where we put a check mark where highlighted in the screenshot below. Then click OK and with a safety warning.

After the manipulations have been done, it will be possible to delete the Windows.old folder without difficulty and the question of how to remove old Windows 7 is resolved.

3. Removing old Windows by formatting the disk

This method is more drastic, but as they say, “fail-safe.” The bottom line is that you need to boot from the installation disk or flash drive and start installing clean Windows. At the time of selecting a disk, you will need to delete all partitions, partition the hard drive again and format all partitions. This way we get a clean system, without any signs of old operating systems.

Attention! This method will delete all data that is on the computer, so it is recommended if you don’t mind it.

Exist different ways removing the operating system from hard drive computer. All of them depend on the specific features of the installed OS and the desired final result. Below we will look at the most common tasks when uninstalling Windows 7.

Removing Windows 7 from a computer when installing another system

If you are going to part with your current OS, wanting to change it to another, you will not need special tools to remove the existing one. Almost all distributions have the function hard formatting disk before unpacking new files onto it. Let's look at this process using the example of installing Windows 8 from external media:

• exit the running operating system by clicking “Start” -> “Restart”;
• We connect a flash drive with a system image, a disk or any other distribution media to the computer;
• Before the “Windows” logo appears on the monitor, press hotkey to select the device from which we want to boot (specifically, our OS media);
• depending on the manufacturer, this menu can be called up using the F2, F8, F12 or other buttons;
• if you don’t want to experiment with buttons, go to the BIOS and on the “Boot” -> “Device Priority” tab, select the drive that the PC will access first;
• when the installation menu for a new operating system appears, specify your preferred language, click “Install”, enter the license key, accept the use agreement;
• the next window will ask you in which partition you need to install the new system;
• select the partition on which Windows 7 is located (labeled “System”);
• Click the “Format” button under the selection menu;
• The partition will be cleaned automatically;
• when the process is complete, the installer will notify you (to continue the installation, just click on “Next” and follow the recommendations on the screen).

How to remove Windows 7 from a computer - removing one of several operating systems

In cases where the computer has more than one operating system, the removal process is a little different. To launch it, we will perform the following sequence of actions:

• press the “Win ​​+ R” buttons to open the “Run” window;
• enter the “msconfig” command into it, send it for execution with the “Enter” button;
• The “System Configuration” window will open, in it go to the “Download” section;
• Below we see a list of operating systems installed on the computer;
• click on the one you want to erase;
• under the selection menu, click on the “Delete” button;
• to confirm the changes, also click at the very bottom “Apply” and “OK”;
• The OS will be completely removed.

Removing Windows 7 without formatting

When installing new Windows versions, if the partition was not pre-cleaned, the previous version of the OS (in our case, Windows 7) can be stored in the Windows.old folder, taking up a decent amount of space on the hard drive. It's easy to remove regular means functioning system. For this:

• go to “Computer”;
• select the disk on which Windows.old is located;
• right-click on it and select “Properties” from the context menu;
• in the properties window, on the “General” tab, click the “Clean up disk” button;
• when the computer finishes analyzing, click “Clean up system files” at the bottom left;
• in new search results, leave a checkmark next to “Previous settings”;
• Click “Ok”, the deletion will happen automatically.

It should be remembered that the methods suggested in some manuals uninstall Windows 7, by renaming folders or opening access to them, are not correct and can cause instability in the current OS.

Often, when installing a new operating system, users forget to remove the old one or format the disk. In such cases, when loading the operating system, a window appears on their screen with a choice of operating system, which is very inconvenient, since it only confuses the user. Moreover, in most cases one of the presented operating systems is not working.

How to remove a second Windows 7 from a computer

In such cases, you should remove the unnecessary distribution from your hard drive. This task is completed in several stages:

• removing the operating system from boot options;
• deleting the Windws.old folder from your hard drive.

Note! These actions are relevant for bothWindows 7 and later versions (Windows 8, 10).

Let's look at each of the processes in more detail.

To remove the reflection of a non-working distribution from the loading screen, the user will need to perform the following steps:

After correctly completing all the above steps, the system will ask you to restart your computer. The user must click on the button labeled “Reboot” and wait for the system to restart.

During the next boot, the system will not provide a choice of OS, but will automatically download the working distribution.

Removing the Windws.old folder from your hard drive

A directory called Windows.old is created automatically by the system when installing a new OS if the installation was carried out without formatting the hard drive. This folder is used by the system to restore the previous distribution. The directory size in most cases ranges from 2 to 15 GB, which is very unpleasant. To free up disk space, the user must perform the following manipulations:

If all steps were completed correctly, the folder occupying space will be deleted.

Read effective ways deleting the old folder in the article -

Alternative ways to remove a second Windows 7

It is worth noting that the second folder with old Windows 7 can be removed in another way. To do this you need:

Important! Without emptying the cart deleted file will still take up space on your hard drive.

To delete the folder with the old distribution, you can also:

• select a folder;
• Press the key combination “Shift+delete”.

In this case, the folder will be deleted permanently, bypassing storage in the trash. It is important to note that this removal method will never allow you to restore the previous version of the distribution.

Conclusion

Operating installation process Windows systems 7 over previous version is necessary only if the user wants to keep all the programs and settings installed previously, or use the second OS as an additional one and use it freely, switching between OSes. In other situations, it is better to format the disk during installation. This will reduce the effort and time required to perform the above operations. It is also possible, when reinstalling the OS, to format the disk partitions, thereby deleting the .

Video - How to remove a second Windows 7 from a computer

Removing Windows 7 is sometimes a necessary measure for users. It is especially important to carry out such a procedure if there is another operating system on the computer, which can lead to overloads of the hardware and its less stable operation. We will try to describe the entire procedure as clearly as possible so that everyone can repeat it.

Preparing for removal

First of all, make sure that your important files remain safe. To do this, you should transfer them to a portable hard drive or large flash drive. This is necessary because when you remove the OS, the disk is completely formatted and any data and files stored on it are deleted.

In addition, if the removal is carried out on a laptop without a drive, you will definitely need a flash drive with loaded software, with which the system will be removed. Today, the most effective and safe means for this is the program Acronis Disk Director.

Its main advantage is that it works normally outside the operating system environment, which is very important for us in this case.

How to remove Windows 7: step-by-step scheme

The first step is to debug Bios. This is done so that the PC as boot disk I chose your media where special software is installed. To do this, we do the following:

The process of cleaning your disk will begin. On average, it takes from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the power of the PC, the amount of information being deleted, etc. After the procedure is completed, all data from the hard drive, including operating system files, will be deleted permanently.

Remember that by uninstalling Windows 7, you will not be able to access files and data located on another drive. To continue operation, you must install a new system.

Uninstalling Windows 7 when installing a new operating system

The above method can be somewhat difficult for beginners, because it requires intervention not only in the operating system, but also in BIOS. A simpler method is to remove the old OS when installing a new one, for example, Windows 8. To do this, you will need installation disk or a flash drive with an operating system.

Let's look at the procedure:

The program will automatically begin the disk cleaning procedure and after deleting all files, you can install a new operating system, getting rid of the old one.

How to remove Windows 7 if you have another system?

The easiest way to get rid of Windows 7 is possible when there is already another OS installed on your PC or laptop. In this case, you will not need to go into Bios at all. First you need to make one of the systems the main one. Accordingly, if we need to remove Windows 7, then we need to make any other OS on the PC the main one. For this:

• Launch the Run panel using the Win+R keys and paste the command there msconfig
• The System Configuration window opens. In it you need to go to the “Downloads” tab, where there will be a list of operating systems that are installed on the PC.
• We select the operating system that we would like to keep (in in this example- This Windows Vista) and press the “Use as default” button.
• After that, select Windows 7 from the list and click on the “Delete” button.

After this, you will be able to use the disk on which the system was installed for any of your needs. In addition, removing unnecessary OS helps improve system performance and productivity. Therefore, you should not keep “extra” operating systems unless there is a direct need.

Removing unnecessary operating room Windows systems 7 may seem like a problematic operation, so you can additionally watch a video that clearly shows how to completely remove it from your computer:

What advice do experts give to those users who would like to get rid of an unnecessary OS? Let's look at them:

• Take your time when saving important files. It is best to start collecting everything on one third-party medium a few days before the deletion itself, because, as a rule, haste always leads to you forgetting something or simply losing track of it.
• Beginners are advised not to uninstall Windows 7 unless there is another operating system on the PC. In this case, you will not be able to access the usual graphical interface– all settings will have to be done through Bios.
• If you delete Windows folders and Program Files, this does not mean that the system cleanup was successful. Besides visible files and folders, the OS provides great amount settings and configurations that are essentially “implanted” into the hard drive, remaining invisible to the user. Full Windows removal 7 requires a complete wipe of the disk itself.

Video: How to remove Windows 7

The following video shows and explains how you can completely uninstall Windows to install a different operating system: