Remove Windows XP from dual boot with Vista

[edsager]

I have been dual-booting Windows XP Pro and Vista Ultimate for more than 6 months. I do not use Windows XP Pro at all, so I want to get rid of the partition on which resides Win XP. I have used EasyBCD to get rid of the Win XP boot prompt and now my computer automatically boots into Vista without asking me into which OS I desire to boot. However, Vista Computer Management will not allow for me to format the XP partition because it is still labeled as a system partition.

How can I delete the XP partition and reclaim that space exclusively for Vista without losing data from the Vista partition? Can I do so with Disk Director? Do I have to worry about breaking the dual-boot boot manager by deleting the XP Partition?

Setup:
250 GB SATA HDD with Win XP (installed 1st) on a 47 GB partition and Vista installed on the other partition.
Win XP partition listed as Healthy (System, Active, Primary Partition)
Vista partition listed as Healthy (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Logical Drive)

Thanks,
edsager

[MudCrab]

The reason you can't delete the XP partition is because Vista is currently booting from it. Since XP was installed first, Vista installed its boot files onto the XP partition (that's why it's labeled "System"). The XP partition is also the Active (booting) partition. Also, according to your post, the Vista partition is Logical. It would have to be converted to a Primary partition to be bootable.

If you don't want to "delete" the XP partition, but just shrink it down and then resize the Vista partition to use some of its space, you can do that with DD.

If you delete or remove the XP partition, you'll have to convert the Vista partition into a Primary partition and run a Vista repair (at the very least) to fix the Vista partition so it will boot. You'd need a Standard or OEM Microsoft Vista DVD for this.

[edsager]

MudCrab:

Thank you for your reply. Can you point me in the direction of how to convert the Vista partition into a Primary partition?

Thank you,
edsager

P.S. I do want to delete the XP partition. Very interesting that it is much easier to create a dual-boot environment than to get rid of it.

[MudCrab]

DD can convert a Logical to a Primary partition. (I've never done it, but the option is there.)

Do you have a standard retail Vista DVD?

Do you have a backup image of your hard drive (with True Image or another partitioning program) in case something goes wrong and you need to restore it?

[edsager]

I have been trying out DD10, so I do not have the retail version of that, though I think it would be a smart utility to have.

I do have a retail DVD of Windows Vista Ultimate.

I do have an image backup using TI Home 10.

If I am correct, I may have to delete/format the XP Partition from within DD's startup disk and then assign the Vista partition as Primary, again from within the DD startup disk. Am I correct?

Thank you for all your assistance,
edsager

[edsager]

I purchased the retail version of DD and will try what has been suggested.

Thanks,
edsager

[edsager]

Hmmm...DD has the option to make my logical partition "active" grayed out. I tried using DISKPART to set the Windows Vista to "active," but my computer informed me that was not possible. I deleted the Win XP Partition from DD and the computer failed to start, so I made sure to bring back the XP partition with DD and now, I cannot start Windows XP or Vista. I tried using the System Recovery on my Vista DVD, Startup Repair and tried fixing and rebuilding the bootrec, with no success. I used System Restore and I am now able to boot. I want to get rid of that XP partition. I will try something else.

edsger

[Brian K]

edsager,

See "What's Wrong with the Microsoft Way?" It doesn't just apply to Win98.

http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/principles.htm

[MudCrab]

edsager,

How are the partitions setup on your hard disk?
Are there only two partitions? (The XP Primary and the Vista Logical.)

You should boot to the DD cd to do the procedure. Windows will have to reboot if you start in Windows, so it's best to avoid that.

The "Make Active" option only applies to Primary partitions. You first have to use the Convert Partition option to change the type from Logical to Primary. Use DD in Manual Mode, right-click on the partition, select Advanced and then Convert.



If you only have two partitions and Vista is the only Logical, then you should just have to delete the XP partition and then convert the Vista partition to Primary and make it Active. Apply the changes. Then resize the Vista partition to use the unallocated space. Apply the changes. Finally, do a Vista repair to make it bootable.

[edsager]

Once again, Mudcrab, you have come up with the solution.

I had already copied all the boot files from the Win XP partition to the Vista partition prior to deleting the XP partition and I wonder if that helped the process.

When I did as you described, I had no problem booting into Vista...and I did not need to do a Vista repair.

Thank you very much,
edsager

[MudCrab]

You're very welcome. Glad to help.