[SOLVED] how can i delete all the windows files from an old hard drive

[lmx036]

i installed windows 10 on a new ssd so the old windows version on my old hard drive is just occupying unnecessary space, and I want to delete it, but I don't know how

 

[thepersonwithaface45]

open disk management and reformat it!
Windows key
"disk management"
enter
right click correct hard drive
format
done day

Assuming you don't have anything important on it AND if you're booting from the SSD and not your old hard drive.
Sorry for assuming someone would... Make sure of this to begin with.

 

[Barty1884]

You cannot remove all traces of Windows, without formatting the drive. Assuming you've nothing else (or nothing you can't move to the SSD temporarily), you can just format and have a completely empty drive.
As a secondary drive, you shouldn't be limited to what you can delete... so you could go through folder by folder if you wanted to.

It's worth checking that your boot partition is not on the secondary drive before formatting though - sometimes, with multiple drives connected you can end up with the boot partition on an unintended drive.

 

[USAFRet]

i installed windows 10 on a new ssd so the old windows version on my old hard drive is just occupying unnecessary space, and I want to delete it, but I don't know how

When you installed the OS on the new SSD, was this old drive still connected?

Is there anything else on it you wish to keep?
If so, the best way is to copy those files off to some other drive, and delete ALL partitions on this drive.
Before you delete anything, verify the system boots up without this drive connected.

 

[USAFRet]

open disk management and reformat it!

Given that this was an OS drive, there is more than one partition on it.
The system needs to be verified working without this drive connected. Otherwise, no boot for you.

 

[Barty1884]

right click correct hard drive
format
done day

Too simplistic. "Done" in the sense the drive is formatted.... Won't do you much good if it contained your boot partition etc though.

Bad day.

Given that this was an OS drive, there is more than one partition on it.
The system needs to be verified working without this drive connected. Otherwise, no boot for you.

Quoting to highlight how important this is, OP.

 

[USAFRet]

Assuming you don't have anything important on it AND if you're booting from the SSD and not your old hard drive.
Sorry for assuming someone would... Make sure of this to begin with.

When someone asks a question like this, we can't assume anything.
Also, this will be read several years in the future, by kids who are currently 9 years old.

Assume nothing...😉