Remove Vista but save data?

Z

ZoSo

Member
I have a dual-boot XP Pro/Vista setup on one HDD with 2 equal partitions, XP was installed first, and I want to set it up just with just XP having 2 partitions but don't want to loose what I have stored on my Vista partition. This machine is just going to be used as a personal file server.
So this is what I plan on doing and just want to make sure this is the proper way to go about it.
Using gparted I'm going to expand the Vista partition for storage and leave about 60GB on the other partition for XP.
Then using the XP CD re-create the boot.ini. Will this be enough to get rid of the Vista boot loader?
Then once in XP I'm just going to delete everything that's on the Vista partition except for what I have stored on it, and use it as a second HDD in XP.

TIA,
ZoSo
 
Well you will have to back up your data from teh Vista partition first. Get everything you want off of there. Then you can remove Vista. Is XP the OS you had installed first or vista?

Cheers,
Mak
 
Well, I don't have anything large enough to back up what I have stored on my Vista partition, that's why I want to try what I explained above.
I'm not removing the Vista partition, I'm just going to expand it for more storage using gparted. Yes XP was installed first as I mentioned earlier.
 
Well the expansion can be difficult. Sometimes GParted cant do it. Best bet is to try.

But i dont understand what you are saying. First you say you want to get rid of Vista to use it as storage now you are saying you dont want to get rid of it?

Then once in XP I'm just going to delete everything that's on the Vista partition except for what I have stored on it, and use it as a second HDD in XP.
Click to expand...

So how can you delete everything but your data and still keep Vista? I dont get what you are trying to do.
 
OK lets try this again. :smile:
I have 2 partitions one with XP, one with Vista. I'm not going to use Vista on this machine so I want to get rid of the OS but not the data I have stored, which is all in one folder I have made. However I want to keep both partitions, one will be for the OS(XP), one will be for data storage. The second partition will be seen as a second drive in XP.
I've used gparted more then a dozen times and have never had a problem with it, I know I should back-up the data but that's just not in the picture this time around and I'm just going to have to chance it.
 
Hello,

Any way you can extend the XP partition big enough to move the Vista data over then jsut get rid of that partition? that would be the best move to do.

Trying to extend the Vista partition then delete all the data but your personal stuff will cause massive issues. XP might not even do it.

Not to mention if the data is stored in a User Folder like Documents or under your profile folder and you have a profile that is password protected you will get a error when trying to access it. Which will force you into more problems trying to take ownership of the files from XP.

Cheers,
Mak
 
That deals with security and I've taken care of that all ready. I can move files to and from Vista using XP and vice-versa.
Let's say at this point I've set up the drive the way I want and Vista is gone. That still leaves the Vista bootloader.
By booting with XP CD and getting to recovery console, rebuild the boot.ini, do a FIXMBR and FIXBOOT, and reboot.
Will that be all I have to do to get rid of the Vista bootloader?
 
1) Move the files you want to save to the root of Vista's partition.
2) Boot into XP
3) Go to my computer and delete all of the folders/files on Vista's partition EXCEPT for the folder containing your files
4) Boot from an XP CD and access the recovery console
5) Your boot.ini should be perfectly fine, so just issue FIXBOOT and FIXMBR and see if it works.
 
ZoSo said:
That deals with security and I've taken care of that all ready. I can move files to and from Vista using XP and vice-versa.
Let's say at this point I've set up the drive the way I want and Vista is gone. That still leaves the Vista bootloader.
By booting with XP CD and getting to recovery console, rebuild the boot.ini, do a FIXMBR and FIXBOOT, and reboot.
Will that be all I have to do to get rid of the Vista bootloader?
Click to expand...

Yes inserting the XP CD and going into the Recovery Console with doing the fixboot and fixmbr will get rid of the Vista bootloader and boot directly to XP.

Cheers,
Mak
 
Well I started the process, gparted is doing it's thing, I'll let you know how it turns out.

Addendum:

Operation was 100% successful!
Thanks guys.
 
Last edited:
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