Some of the users do not like the soul in Windows 7 and do not even want to talk about any other operating system. And someone, apparently obsessed with the spirit of conservatism or because of the remarkable abilities of his PC, abandons the "seven" and returns to the old XP. This is despite the fact that it is no longer supported by Microsoft. However, lovers of everything new are in solidarity with these comrades. They without delay and any doubts remove the "seventh Windows" and install the newly-made distributions of Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.
All these zeal, in principle, are understandable and justified. And then, in taste and color, when choosing an operating system, there are no comrades. The question is different. How to remove Windows 7 so that there are no elements left on the hard drive and that it does not interfere with the installation of another system?
The solution to this problem depends on the specific situation and the intentions of the user. Let's take a look at the most common removal methods from a Windows 7 computer.
Formatting the disk
With this approach, Windows 7 is completely neutralized during the installation of another system by means of total disk formatting (that is, its contents are completely erased). The installation discs, both XP and Windows 7/8, have all the necessary tools to implement this function. Let's learn how to use them.
Note. If you do not want to switch to a new system, but simply want to reinstall Windows 7, correctly remove the old distribution and install a new one, you can also use the instructions below.
1. Insert the installation disc of the operating system you want to install (XP, 7, 8 or 10) into the DVD drive.
Attention! Before performing the next step of the instruction, ask which key on your computer activates the menu for configuring the boot of disks and devices or BIOS (add-on shell), in which this menu is integrated.
2. Click on "Start". From the drop-down menu (shutdown), click the left arrow icon and select Restart.
3. During the reboot process, hold down "F2", or "F8", "F9", "F12" (depending on the manufacturer of your computer! See note).
When the "Please select boot ..." window appears:
- use the cursor arrows to select CDROM from the list;
- press "Enter".
If the order of loading the disks is performed in the BIOS, do the following:
in the "BIOS SETUP UTILITY" menu go to the "Boot" tab;
open the subsection "Boot Device Priority";
in the additional window "Options" use the "up" and "down" keys to select "CDROM".
After completing this setting, at the time of restarting the PC, first of all, go not to the system partition, but to the installation disk. What is required in this case.
Windows XP:
- upon completion of the preparation procedure, when the XP installation menu appears, press "Enter" (thus, you select the first item - "Start installation");
- press "F8" to accept the agreement;
- select the system partition (the partition on which Windows 7 is currently installed) and press "Enter";
- select the option "Format partition ... NTFS" from the list or the same function marked "Fast". And press "Enter" again.
At the end of the formatting, Windows 7 will be completely removed and the installation of Windows XP will begin.
Windows 7/8:
- wait until the installer components are loaded into the PC memory;
- select the system interface language;
- in the new window, click "Install" (the message "Start installation" will appear);
- enter the license key, click "Next";
- accept the agreement;
- in the "Windows Setup" window, select the system partition (on which Windows 7 is located) by clicking the mouse;
- at the bottom of the same window, click "Format";
- when formatting is complete, click Next and continue with the installation.
These actions will allow you to correctly remove the old OS (in this case, "seven") and install a new one.
Removing the second system
This method of uninstalling Windows 7 is suitable if multiple systems are installed (for example, XP and 7). Either the "seven" was removed or installed incorrectly and when the PC starts up, it displays a menu with a proposal to load one of the existing systems, although one of them is inoperative. (For example, the list displays a copy of Windows 7.)
To remove an unnecessary distribution from a disk (or a non-working copy of Windows 7), do the following:
1. Press the "Win + R" keys simultaneously. (The Run window appears on the display).
2. In the "Open" line, type - msconfig.
3. Click "OK".
4. In the "System Configuration" setting panel, go to the "Boot" tab.
5. Select the OS you want to remove from the computer by clicking the mouse.
6. Click the "Remove" button, then "Apply" and "OK".
All. The system is neutralized. Now, when starting the PC, the menu for selecting the system will no longer appear.
How do I delete the Windows.old folder?
The Windows.old folder is automatically created by the system when updating or reinstalling the OS without formatting the system partition. Takes up about 2-15 GB of disk space. It stores backups of important system components that are used when rolling back (restoring) Windows 7 to the previous settings.
To remove it from your computer, follow these steps:
1. Press the "Win + E" keys.
2. Right-click on the system partition (drive C).
3. Select Properties from the context menu.
4. On the "General" tab, in the properties window, click "Disk Cleanup".
5. In the cleaning settings window, click "Clean up system files".
6. When you are finished, return to the list of items and select the check box next to Previous Windows Installations.
7. Click OK.
8. In the additional window, confirm your intention to remove the Windows.old folder: click "Delete files".
If all operations of this instruction are performed correctly, Windows.old will safely disappear from the hard drive, and there will be more free space on the C drive.
If you notice that windows xp is malfunctioning, errors often appear, certain programs start poorly or do not open at all, then you may need to reinstall the system, for which you need to uninstall it first. In addition, Microsoft has made an official announcement that official support for this version of the operating system will end in 2014. Consequently, users may experience problems related to the use of the system, one of which is the lack of updates, which is unlikely to have a good effect on the operation of the OS. If these or other reasons made you look for information on how to demolish windows xp and install windows 7, then you have come to the right place.
Uninstall windows xp
First you need to go to the My Computer section. Here you need to select the hard drive on which the system is installed and click on it with the right mouse button. From the context menu that opens, select the Formatting item. The next step is to select the file system of the partition to be formatted, as well as the size of the cluster.
In the case when a deeper cleaning is required, the highlight opposite the Quick cleaning item is deselected. You can start the process by clicking the Start button. If you want to leave important documents or programs, and only demolish the system, then you will need to select system folders and delete them using Del.
You can also do this operation using a boot disk. Moreover, this can be done directly when installing another version of the OS. To do this, insert the disc and turn on the computer. To get into the BIOS, press Del. Go to the BOOT section, where we set the boot priority to disk. You can save the settings with the F10 button.
After that, copying system files from the disk will begin. The system will prompt you to select the section where the installation will take place. In its process, you will be able to format partitions, delete unnecessary folders, etc. To do this, you just need to press a button prompted by the system. In addition, windows xp can be removed from the Control Panel, for which you need to go to the Uninstall and install programs section.
As you can see, everything is pretty simple. However, in some cases, even if you want to install a new version of the OS, you can leave windows xp as the second OS. This will allow you to use two systems on your computer. If you still need to delete one of them, do not forget to remove information about it in startup. And how to view and change startup in Windows 7, you will already learn from this
If you have purchased a laptop on which the "Seven" is installed, and for some reason it does not suit you, you want to install XP, I will now tell you how to take Windows 7 off a laptop.
What does that require?
In the case when you previously did not have experience in this matter, it is better to seek help from a professional. As for how to demolish Windows 7 on your own, you will need your laptop with the "Seven" installed; a flash drive with a USB connector, the volume of which must be at least four gigabytes; an installation laser disk with the operating system that you are going to install on your computer (in our case it is XP) and, of course, Internet access. The only thing I want to warn you against is formatting the hard drive. You will need a work computer to prepare the files for installing the new system, so don't do that.
Before you demolish Windows
First, make sure you have the correct drivers for your hard drive. This is necessary in order to avoid possible problems of recognition by the hard drive system. As a rule, the necessary software is included on the disc or on the official website. Write down the downloaded firewood on the USB flash drive. Next, download the image of the required disk with the operating system, burn it to a disc. This is done with the help of Nero or Daimon. When the burning is complete, insert our USB flash drive with drivers and reboot the device.
Starting the drive and installing drivers
If you are still interested in how to demolish Windows 7, continue. When the next laptop is launched, press and hold the F8 button. A menu for changing boot device should appear. Select DVD-ROM and start loading from it. Based on the menu prompts, install the hard disk drivers. This is done when the system reports the absence of the device. You just need to specify the path to the flash drive. After your hard drive is identified, look for the partition in which your "Seven" is installed. You must format it with NTFS file system.
Completing the installation
Consider that you have received the answer to your question on how to demolish Windows 7. While your Piggy is being installed, the device will repeatedly reboot. Don't let this scare you or confuse you. You shouldn't pay too much attention to it and try to prevent the computer from doing it. When everything is over, your laptop will automatically boot the new operating system from the standard hard drive. And although the system will already be installed, that's not all.
Recognition of all equipment
In order for all the devices that are in the computer to become operational, they must be determined by the system. To do this, visit the website of your device manufacturer and download drivers for each undefined object. Remember that you are now interested in the XP section. That's all. Now you know how to demolish Windows 7. But I still recommend making friends with the "Seven", since this system is more modern and functional.
Removing the Windows operating system may be necessary in several cases. First, when switching to another platform, you need to completely erase all OS files. Secondly, a malfunctioning Windows can cause a complete removal. In this article, you will learn how to remove Windows 10 from your computer and in what ways you can do it.
In most cases, you can demolish an OS from Microsoft using the following methods:
- via the command line;
- via bootable media;
- through third-party programs.
Also below will be considered instructions with which the user can erase the previous version of the "dozen" from the computer or roll it back.
Using the command line
Most of the system's services are controlled through the standard command line. Therefore, with its help, you can completely remove the OS from the hard drive.
Since you cannot wipe the operating system while the computer or laptop is on, you will have to create bootable media and use it. To do this, we will resort to the help of the official utility from Microsoft:
- Go to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 and click the Download Tool Now button.
- After downloading, run the downloaded file and follow the instructions. Accept the license agreement.
- After completing the preparation, you need to select the second option and click on the "Next" button.
- If you want to install a new version of Windows 10 from this flash drive, then specify the necessary OS parameters and click the "Next" button. If you only need bootable media for uninstallation, then this item will not be important.
- Select a USB flash drive or DVD to burn.
- Specify the connected USB flash drive and click on "Next" again.
- At the end of the procedure, wait for the OS files to download from the Internet and close the application window.
Now you need to find out the exact name and number of the hard disk partition with Windows 10. Since the designations in Explorer and the uninstall window may differ, we will use the command line:
- Open the command line through the "Run" window. Enter the command "cmd and" press the key combination Ctrl + Shfit + Enter to launch the application with the rights of an administrator account. You can also run the command line in the search.
- In the window, enter the commands "diskpart", "list disk", "sel disk 0", "list partition" (after each of the commands, press the Enter key to execute).
- Look at the volume of the main partition of the hard disk with OS in Explorer and find a completely similar section in the command line list. Remember his number.
We have prepared everything except the procedure for starting the bootable flash drive itself. Therefore, we connect it, reboot the PC and go to the BIOS settings (the required key will be written on the initial screen).
In the settings you need to go to the "Boot" menu and set the boot priority for the connected flash drive. Then save the changes with the F10 key. The computer will restart.
After loading the interface and the next screen appears, you need to hold down the Shift + F10 keys to go to the command line.
Now follow these steps:
- Re-enter the commands "diskpart", "list disk", "sel disk 0", "list partition" in turn.
- Remember the system partition number and enter the "sel part" command followed by the corresponding number. Now enter the line "del par override" to completely format the hard drive. Thus, you delete all system files, but leave data on other partitions. You won't be able to get back deleted files.
The same operation can be done through the Windows 10 Setup Wizard. You can also install a "fresh" copy of the OS from it.
We use a bootable USB flash drive
Since the bootable flash drive is already ready, and the priority is set in the BIOS, you just have to correctly perform the described steps:
- Turn on your computer and wait for the Windows Setup window to appear. On the second screen, click on "Install".
- Skip the step with entering the license key.
- Select any version of Windows 10 and click on "Next".
- Accept the terms of the license agreement.
- Click on custom installation method.
- Select the required partition with the operating system and click on "Disk Setup".
- To start deleting, click on the "Format" button.
Done! Now the operating system is completely removed, and the files on other partitions remain in their places.
Remember that the above methods are available not only in the Windows 10 installer, but also in older OS versions. You can also access this functionality through third-party software.
Using the EaseUS program
You can download and install this utility from the official website of the developers. You can run it for free, no purchase, no additional passwords or keys. Then follow these steps:
- In the main window, select the system partition and right-click on it. In the context menu, select "Delete Partition".
- To confirm the operation, click on the "Apply" button. Now restart your computer and wait for this window to appear. When the "Total Progress" line is 100% full, the operating system will be completely erased. Therefore, before restarting your PC, copy all important files and documents to another partition or external drive.
Gparted program
Gparted LiveCD is another utility with similar capabilities. However, this time you will need a bootable USB flash drive with an iso image of the program. You can download the installer on the official website of the application creators. Then you need to write it to a USB flash drive. After restarting the PC, a window will appear with a list of all connected hard drives. You need to select the desired partition, then click on "Partition" - "Format to" - "NTFS". It is in NTFS that you need to format the hard drive for the subsequent installation of Windows.
Removing the previous OS
If you installed Windows 10 on your hard drive, but you haven't formatted it before, the OS will automatically create a Windows.old backup folder, which will store unnecessary system files. Since they take up space on the hard drive, they must be removed as follows:
- Start the Run application with the Win + R keyboard shortcut. In the line enter the command "cleanmgr" and click "OK".
- In the window that opens, click on the marked button.
- In the list of system files, find the item "Previous Windows installations" and tick it. Click on "OK" to finish.
The standard program will remove Windows.old and thereby free up space on the system hard drive.
Roll back Windows to a previous version
Windows rollback is possible only if you use a licensed copy. Also, the Windows.old folder should be saved on the system partition, and after the update it should not have been more than a month. You can roll back to Windows 7 or 8 using standard tools. To do this, do the following:
- Right-click on the "Start" icon and select the "Options" line.
- In the window that opens, go to "Update and Security".
- Next, open the "Recovery" subsection.
- It should contain the button "Return to Windows 7 / 8.1" in the marked place, if one calendar month has not passed since the installation of the "tens". Click on it to start the rollback procedure.
If you encounter any errors or inactivity of the computer, then be sure to scan the operating system for viruses, and also check that all drivers are installed correctly.
Outcome
To completely remove Windows 10, you don't need anything except a flash drive or a third-party utility. If you do not speak English well, we recommend using the convenient interface of the OS installer in Russian.
Video
You can learn more about all removal methods and see visual guides for each method in the attached video. After viewing, you will have no questions about getting rid of Windows 10.
Sometimes users install new Windows 7 but forget to uninstall the old one. There is nothing critical about this, but the old Windows takes up a lot of space. This article provides information on how to remove old Windows 7.
There are several ways to remove old Windows:
1. Removing old Windows using Disk Cleanup
You must run Disk Cleanup. You can find it through "Start". We click "All programs", there "Standard", then "Utilities" and in the list we find the required component.
It is the item "Previous Windows installations" that we need. Select the checkbox if it is not there and press OK. When asked about irreversible deletion, we answer "Delete files". After a while, the files of the old Windows 7 will be deleted.
2. Removing old windows without programs
If the program cannot be found for some reason, or if there are some problems with it, you can remove Windows manually. To do this, we find the folder Windows.old and set the rights necessary for deletion.
Go to the properties of the folder (RMB - Properties) and go to the "Security" tab
Click on "Advanced". On the "Owner" tab, select the current user and put a tick on "Replace owner of subcontainers and objects" 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 checkmark where it is highlighted in the screenshot below. Then click OK and with a safety warning.
After the done manipulations, it will be possible to delete the Windows.old folder without difficulty and the question of how to remove the old Windows 7 is being solved.
3. Removing old Windows by formatting the disk
This method is more radical, but as the saying goes, "fail-safe". The bottom line is that you need to boot from the installation disk or flash drive and start installing a clean Windows. At the time of choosing a disk, you will need to delete all partitions, partition the hard disk again and format all partitions. This way we get a clean system, without any sign of old operating systems.
Attention! This method will delete all data that is on the computer, so it is recommended if you are not sorry for them.