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General discussion

Delete windows vista folders under XP

Jul 26, 2007 4:46AM PDT

hi, i inslalled windows vista in the same partition of my old windows xp, how can i delete the vista folders (windows and program files, etc.) from the vista installation, windows doesn't letme. acces denied...

Discussion is locked

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One major question...
Jul 26, 2007 2:21PM PDT

Do you see a Windows.OLD folder in the root of the partition, just a single Windows folder, or two different Windows folders? Usually Vista will replace the XP installation and move the relevant files into the 'backup folder.' In that case there is no way of fixing it from within Windows, and since Microsoft doesn't support the downgrade of Windows there's no simple way to revert back to XP outside of Windows either. At that point you're looking at a patchwork operation, manually restoring the appropriate files while booting to a Linux Live CD or connecting your hard drive to another computer as a slave. In short, this is far from an easy task. Is there a specific reason you need to revert?

John

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yes
Jul 28, 2007 4:37AM PDT

the incompautibility of hardware. I already instale XP again, but cannot delete the folders of previos vista installation on my other disk.

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Other disk?
Jul 28, 2007 6:14AM PDT

You can use MoveOnBoot to get rid of the otherwise undeletable folders, but remember to check for any files in them you may need and don't want to lose. However, the other disk is a new detail. Did you install XP/Vista on one hard drive or partition and now XP onto another? If so, and both were connected at the same time, the boot manager may be on the other disk, meaning erasing it will cause Windows to fail to boot. Could you clarify what happened there?

John

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Ok.
Jul 29, 2007 4:59AM PDT

I have windows Xp in my master disk (C), and the vista installation in other HD (D), but i cannot format the (D) disk, so, i want to delete the windows and program files,and document and settings, etc. on the (D) disk....