How to remove previous versions of windows. Previous version of Windows

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Often, in order to maintain the functionality of some software tools or computer games we leave the previous version of the operating system. Meanwhile, we are actively using the new system, so to speak, getting used to it. The moment comes to give up outdated version, for several reasons…

How to remove a previous version of Windows?

Everything is much simpler than it might seem! First, we will need to boot into a more recent operating system, for me it is Windows 7, and we will remove the outdated WindowsXP. Already from the active system we will configure the computer boot and clean up unnecessary files!

Cleaning up previous Windows files

The main part is completed, after the above steps, when you turn on the PC, the list of available operating systems will not be displayed. Now you can move the required files from one system to another - the active one.

To do this, use file manager(for example TotalCommander) or capabilities " Windows Explorer" You may have saved office documents, photographs or other personal data.

After the files are copied to the directory active Windows, you should delete the associated directories of the previous version (be careful when cleaning system files)!

Instead of an afterword, we remove the download entries

Actually, you can stop, since the operating system cannot physically be loaded, but there are saved records about loading in active system and it would be nice to get rid of them too:

After installing a new operating system on top of or in parallel (in another partition) the previous one, the question arises of how to get rid of the remnants old version. Legacy Windows, if it is installed on the same partition, it gets the name Windows.old and does not interfere with the main system. If the old operating system is installed on another partition, then the folder name remains the same, but this also does not interfere with the new system. Everything seems to be fine, but there are two problems. Firstly, the old system takes up useful space and the volume can be more than impressive. Secondly, it is present in the boot menu, which we see when we turn on the computer. How to get rid of old Windows?

Why can't you just delete old files?

Old system files You can't just delete it. The user doesn't have access to the folder. current version Windows. Usually this message appears.

Attention! Proceed with deleting old Windows directories and Program Files only after you have transferred all their data to the new Windows!

If the new system is installed on the same partition as the old one

In this case, we just need to clean out the old system files, including the Windows.old folder. To do this, we use the Disk Cleanup program, which is included with the operating system. can be found on the Microsoft website.

By the way, you can delete a number of other service files in the same way.

If the new system is installed on a different partition

Removing old Windows from the boot menu

To restore order in the boot menu, open “ Extra options system" (to do this, click Win-Pause and select the item of the same name).

Now uncheck the “Display list of systems...” checkbox. All: the old operating system will not appear in the boot menu when the computer starts.

For those who like to control all launch parameters, we offer a method with direct editing of this menu. Press Win+R and write msconfig in the window that appears.

We simply remove the old system from the list.

Removing old system files

Now let's start deleting the Windows directory old system. To do this, find it on the disk and open the folder properties.

Here we select “Security” and click on the “Advanced” button.

To become the owner of the folder, enter the username under which you work in the field indicated in the picture.

Don’t forget to check the “Replace owner of subcontainers and objects” and “Replace all records...” checkboxes, click OK.

You are now the owner of the folder and have the power to delete the directory. During deletion, a message like this may appear.

Check the “Run for everyone...” checkbox and click Continue.

Remember that after deleting old system files, there will be no way back. So don't rush into this. First make sure that all the programs and data you need are transferred to new system.

Some users love Windows 7 and don’t even want to talk about any other operating system. And someone, apparently obsessed with the spirit of conservatism or due to the remarkable abilities of their 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 also agree with these comrades. Without delay or any doubt, they remove Windows 7 and install new ones Windows distributions 8.1 and Windows 10.

All these zeal, in principle, are understandable and justified. And then, according to 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 of it on the hard drive, and so that it does not interfere with the installation of another system?

The solution to this problem depends on the specific situation and user intentions. Let's look at the most common removal methods from Windows computer 7.

Disk formatting

At this approach Windows 7 is completely neutralized during the installation of another system by completely formatting the disk (that is, its contents are completely erased). The installation disks for both XP and Windows 7/8 have everything 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 your DVD drive.

Attention! Before following the next step in the instructions, find out which key on your computer activates the menu for configuring the boot of disks and devices, or the BIOS (add-on shell) into which this menu is integrated.

2. Click "Start". In 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 computer manufacturer! see note).

When the “Please select boot...” window appears:

use the cursor arrows to select CDROM from the list;
press "Enter".

If disk boot order is performed in the BIOS, do the following:

in the “BIOS SETUP UTILITY” menu, go to the “Boot” tab;

open the “Boot Device Priority” subsection;

V additional window“Options” use the up and down keys to select “CDROM”.

After completing this setting, when you restart the PC, the first thing you should do is not system partition, and to the installation disk. What in in this case and is required.

Windows XP:

upon completion of the preparation procedure, when the XP installation menu appears, press “Enter” (thus, you select the first item - “Proceed with installation”);
press "F8" to accept the agreement;
select the system partition (the partition on which this moment Windows 7 was installed) and press “Enter”;
select the “Format partition... NTFS” function from the list or the same function marked “Quick”. And press "Enter" again.

Upon completion Windows formatting 7 will be completely uninstalled and the installation of Windows XP will begin.

Windows 7/8:

wait for the installer components to load into the PC memory;
select the system interface language;
in the new window, click “Install” (the message “Starting installation” will appear);
enter license key, click “Next”;
accept the agreement;
in the “Windows Installation” window, click on the system partition (on which Windows 7 is located);
at the bottom of the same window, click “Format”;
When formatting is complete, click “Next” and continue with the installation.

These steps will allow you to correctly remove the old OS (in this case, “Seven”) and install a new one.

Removing a second system

This method uninstall Windows 7 is suitable if you have multiple systems installed (for example, XP and 7). Either the “seven” was uninstalled or installed incorrectly and when the PC starts, it displays a menu asking you to load one of the existing systems, although one of them is not working. (For example, a copy of Windows 7 is listed.)

How to remove an unnecessary distribution from the disk (or a non-working copy of Windows 7), do the following:

1. Press the “Win+R” keys simultaneously. (The Run window will appear on the display.)

2. In the “Open” line, type - msconfig.

3. Click "OK".

4. In the “System Configuration” settings panel, go to the “Download” tab.

5. Select the OS you want to remove from your computer by clicking the mouse.

6. Click the “Delete” button, and then “Apply” and “OK”.

All. The system has been neutralized. Now when you start your PC, the system selection menu will no longer appear.

How to 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 disk space. It stores backups important system components that are used when rolling back (restoring) Windows 7 to previous settings.

To remove it from your computer, follow these steps:

1. Press the “Win+E” keys.

2. Click right click mouse on the system partition (drive C).

3. Select in context menu"Properties".

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 the procedure is complete, return to the list of items and check the box next to the “Previous Windows installations».

7. Click OK.

8. In an additional window, confirm your intention to delete the Windows.old folder: click “Delete files”.

If all operations of this instruction are performed correctly, then Windows.old will safely disappear from the hard drive, and on drive C free space there will be more.

"(BSOD) and freezes, at times, can change its operation beyond recognition or stop functioning altogether. Therefore, it is not surprising that the number of requests from Internet users “how to remove old Windows"is constantly increasing.

Windows OS can last for years for those who limit themselves to working in office applications, viewing multimedia files, and the programs used are not even updated. It's a different matter for those who like to experiment with new programs. Exactly for them the question of removing old Windows is most relevant.

When a new Windows OS is installed on top of the old operating system or in another partition parallel to it, it becomes very important that not a trace remains of the old version. The previous Windows system is called Windows.old, and does not interfere with the main system.

But there are two problems here:

The impressive volume of the old system while occupying the right space;
The presence in the boot menu of an inscription about the old Windows.

Or maybe you're just planning to change operating system, for example, on Linux. All this pushes you to get rid of the old Windows OS As soon as possible.

According to statistics, old Windows XP is uninstalled much more often than Windows 7. It is also worth knowing that deleting the Windows.old folder is an irreversible process. For different versions OS Windows windows and the sequence of actions may vary slightly, but, in general, the principle is the same.

To delete the previous Windows systems There are 3 main ways from your PC. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

Method No. 1

Widely used for Windows 7, but not suitable for Windows XP. You need to insert the disk with the installation distribution into the disk drive, and then begin the installation. A message will appear indicating that an old system has been detected that is stored in the Windows.old folder.

The process will not affect important data, because old system folders and the files will simply be moved. If something happens, you can easily restore them. If desired, the Windows.old directory can be completely deleted.

Method number 2

Not accessible to everyone due to its specificity. Try booting from a different hard drive. There should be no problems with deleting the old version of Windows, since it is visible in Explorer and you can delete any of its directories. However, the presence of two stationary hard drives on one computer is extremely rare.

Method number 3

A universal option based on downloading a smaller version of Windows, called Windows PE. You can boot from a CD or, more popularly, from a flash drive.

But the functionality of the system is extremely limited, so it’s quite difficult to get video. However, work with file system possible in full. After downloading LiveCD old It is recommended to erase Windows. The hard drive may not be displayed in the PE system.

So just change to BIOS mode operation of the disk subsystem on IDE with AHCI. If the erasing process is unsuccessful, then you just need to change the access rights using the commands “Folder Options” - “Security”, and then “Advanced”.

Delete old Windows activator 7 is easiest to remove through its installer. Don't forget to disable protection software using the “Control Panel” services, then “Administrative Tools” and finally “Services”.

In general, to delete the Windows.old folder, you need to open the Disk Cleanup program using the Start button. In the search field you need to enter “Disk Cleanup”, then in the list of results select the item of the same name “Disk Cleanup”.

Then the Windows OS drive is selected, after which the “OK” button is pressed. Go to the “Disk Cleanup” tab and click the “Clean up system files” button. Be sure to select the “Previous Windows installations” checkbox for all files to be deleted, and then click “OK”. A message box will then appear where you simply click on “Delete Files”.

Also for complete removal second or older version of Windows from your computer’s hard drive, a simple but very effective program, which is called NanWick Windows Uninstaller.

Suitable for Windows Vista, Windows 7 and 8. Effectively removes unnecessary files, Related previous versions OS and folders on all subpartitions of the disk and in the boot menu. After making copies of the necessary data, proceed to install the program through the installer.

Good afternoon friends. I think every user has noticed that after he installed a new operating system, this OS begins to work like a well-oiled clock. Everything loads quickly and correctly. It's a pleasure to work with such a system.

But time goes by, and the system begins to slow down. There is a long loading time when turned on, and the system also takes a very long time to turn off. The same thing happens with programs installed on this system. They take a long time to load and do not work correctly.

You need to start working by searching for the necessary drivers for hard drive. Often, when trying to install Windows XP on a laptop, problems arise with definition of hard disk. You can avoid such a disaster by searching on the laptop manufacturer’s website necessary drivers(“by default” your laptop will not have them).

In the Download Center you need to download the files you need, unzip and copy to a flash card (you can use external hard drive with USB connector).

You will need to download the Windows installation disk image and burn it to disk (you can use the ISO File Burning program). Do not remove this disc after recording is complete, insert the flash card with the recorded hard drive drivers and reboot your laptop.

When the laptop starts booting, press and hold the F8 key when the quick change menu appears boot device, use the Internal DVD-Rom item, click on any key to start loading from the disk.

Next, follow the instructions step menu when the download program prompts you to select partitions, or says that HDD absent. You need to select the “Install drivers” menu item, for which write down the path to the USB drive. After the driver installation is complete, remove the flash card.

When the program detects the hard drive, find the partition with Windows 7 installed. Then select “Format to NTFS” and click Enter.

During the installation of OS XP, the laptop will reboot several times on its own. Do not pay any attention to this and do not try to interfere with it, the device will boot from the hard drive itself.

Now all you have to do is go to the laptop manufacturer’s website and download drivers for the motherboard and other devices needed for normal functioning laptop. Just don't forget that you need drivers for Windows XP.

That's all, actually. Good luck with your work on the usual XP.