Delete Old Version of Windows 7 on a HDD, While Booting With a Second HDD with a Fresh Install of Windows 7

TrumanBenjamin

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Feb 4, 2016
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Hi. I have an old preinstalled version of windows 7 that was paired with my old motherboard (upgraded with a gigabyte GA78LMT-USB3 motherboard) that is currently on a 500gb hdd that i would still like to use. Is there a way I can install windows 7 to a second hard drive, (80gb) hook up the 500gb hard drive, (setting the 80gb hdd with windows as the primary boot device in bios) and format the 500gb? That way I can eventually move the OS to that 500gb and not have to use the other 80gb hard drive at all. And no, I can't install the new version of windows onto the 500gb because like I said, it has an old version of windows on it that won't allow me to install the new version of windows onto it. Thank you in advance!
 
Solution
You are using the wrong type Windows setup, you don't install it from the existing Windows, you boot off the Widows disk, then you can delete the partition on the drive and create a new one for the clean setup. What you are trying to do is an extra 10 steps you don't need to take.

1. Boot off Windows disk
2. Delete existing partitions
3. Install Windows
4. Install Drivers for motherboard/hardware and done.
you could use a Linux boot disk and format the drive with it installed almost anywhere. You could also put it on your current windows system and format it there. Just make sure it is not the boot drive. Format doesn't care about permissions when done right.
 
You are using the wrong type Windows setup, you don't install it from the existing Windows, you boot off the Widows disk, then you can delete the partition on the drive and create a new one for the clean setup. What you are trying to do is an extra 10 steps you don't need to take.

1. Boot off Windows disk
2. Delete existing partitions
3. Install Windows
4. Install Drivers for motherboard/hardware and done.
 
Solution


But can you do that though? When I try to install windows using the windows disk, it automatically starts trying to load up the old version of windows and won't even run the installation disk. Is there a way you can run the installation disk with an old version of windows already on that same hard drive that you are installing it to? Thanks

 


If you have the disk in the system you just need to select it as the device to boot from, when the computer starts there will be a key like F10 or something you press to enter the boot options. Select the Windows disk.