Multiple Windows 7 installations

[vladivoj]

Hello,
some time ago I upgraded Win XP to Win 7. The first provided copy of Win7 did not match the license code so I had to download a different installer. I foolishly started it from the old copy of Win7 and from then, I always get the option at startup to choose between Win 7 and Win 7. Apart from looking ridiculous, I suspect that the old installation is hogging up disk space which is not aplenty in my case.
Therefore, is there any way to remove the older installation and keep the correct one intact?

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-system/how-to-remove-second-operating-system/1be3f238-a7f3-455c-87c2-0e8ff1ec70cf

 

[vladivoj]

Sorry, doesn´t seem to be a solution, since msconfig doesn´t show any systems in Boot tab.
Also, the Boot tab doesn´t react. I mean, nothing is clickable there.

 

[mbarnes86]

Hi

You need to find out if you have 2 installations of Windows or 2 entries in boot menu

I don't think you can have 2 installations of Windows on the same partition but if you have 2 or more partitions you could have 2 installations. One in each of first two visible partitions

Normally the second one replaces the first and moves all the old c:\windows & c:\program files to c:\Windows.old

Windows disk cleanup can get rid of c:\windows.old

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows7/how-do-i-remove-the-windows-old-folder

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/delete-files-using-disk-cleanup#delete-files-using-disk-cleanup=windows-8

to sort out problem with 2 boot menu entries to same Windows you need a bcd editor
Windows has a very unfriendly command line version

I use Vista boot pro (old versions (3.3) were free current version shareware $10)
although it says vista it also works with 7

regards
Mike Barnes

 

[vladivoj]

Well, the worrisome thing seems to be that even the VistaBootPro does not detect ANY systems. The Manage OS Entries tab is blank.

 

[vladivoj]

Reinstalled, therefore if mods choose to, could be closed.