MORE INFORMATIONTo revert back to your previous Operating
system, select the option below that represents the way you
installed Windows 7, and then follow the steps for that scenario to
revert back to your previous operating system. You installed
Windows 7 as a new installation over an earlier version of Windows
You installed Windows 7 on a computer that did not have an
operating system installed You upgraded from Windows Vista to
Windows 7 You have a multi-boot system that has Windows 7
installed
Note:If you currently have Service Pack 1 for Windows 7
installed, the uninstall steps are the same as with Windows 7
without any service packs installed.
Scenario 1: You installed Windows 7 as a new installation over
an earlier version of WindowsYou used the Windows 7 installation
media to install Windows 7 to the same hard disk drive on which you
had Windows XP, Windows Vista, or another version of Windows 7
installed.
Note This Scenario applies when upgrading to Windows 7 using
both the Upgrade media and the Full product media.
In this scenario, the Windows 7 installation will have created a
Windows.old folder that contains your previous operating system and
personal files. This Windows.old folder is in the root of the
Windows partition. To revert to this previous operating system,
click the following article number to view the article in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:971760 How to restore a Windows 7-based
computer to a previous Windows installation by using the
Windows.old folder Important Reverting to a previous operating
system by using the Windows.old folder does not keep any files or
settings from the current installation of Windows 7. Reverting to
the previous operating system will restore the computer back to the
previous installation at the time that Windows 7 was installed. For
more information about how to back up your data, click the
following article number to view the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base: 971759 How to back up your data on a Windows-based
computer Scenario 2: You installed Windows 7 on a computer that did
not have an operating system installedIn this scenario, you used
the installation media to install Windows 7 to an empty hard disk
drive.
In this scenario, there is no previous operating system to which
you can revert. If you want to back up your computer and transfer
the data from this Windows 7 installation to your next operating
system, follow these steps: 1. Back up your data to a network
location or removable media. For more information about how to back
up your data, click the following article number to view the
article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 971759 How to back up your
data on a Windows-based computer 2. Insert the Windows XP or
Windows Vista installation media, and then install the Windows
operating system.
For more information about how to perform a clean install of
Windows XP, click the following article number to view the article
in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 316941 How to install or upgrade
to Windows XP For more information about how to perform a clean
install of Windows Vista, click the following article number to
view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 918884 How to
install Windows Vista 3. Complete the installation. 4. Restore,
transfer, or copy your data to the new operating system after the
installation has completedScenario 3: You upgraded from Windows
Vista to Windows 7On a Windows Vista-based computer, you inserted
the Windows 7 installation media and selected the Upgrade option.
Then, you upgraded from Windows Vista to Windows 7.
Note This Scenario applies when upgrading to Windows 7 using
both the Upgrade media and the Full product media.
In this scenario, there is no previous operating system to which
you can revert. If you want to back up your computer and transfer
the data from this Windows 7 installation to your next operating
system, follow the steps that are listed in Scenario 2.
Note The only Microsoft-supported upgrade scenario is from
Windows Vista to Windows 7. Scenario 4: You have a multi-boot
system that has Windows 7 installedYou installed Windows 7 on a
separate partition, and kept the earlier version of Windows on your
computer. To uninstall Windows 7 from this multi-boot system, visit
the following Microsoft Web
site:http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Uninstall-Windows-7-on-a-multi-boot-systemFor
more information about multi-boot system, please visit the
following Microsoft Web
sites:http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Install-more-than-one-operating-system-multi-boot
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Can-I-have-more-than-one-operating-system-on-my-computer-multi-bootInstall
more than one operating system (multiboot)If your computer's hard
disk has adequate free disk space, you can install a newer version
of Windows on a separate partition and keep the earlier version of
Windows on your computer. This is called a multiboot or dual-boot
configuration. Whenever you start your computer, you can then
choose which version of Windows to run. For more information, see
Can I have more than one operating system on my computer
(multiboot)?Multibooting requires separate partitions on your
computer's hard disk for each operating system. To create and
format a partition, see Create and format a hard disk
partition.Example of a multiboot disk configuration
WarningYou must install the older operating system first, and
then install the more recent operating system. If you don't (for
example, if you install WindowsVista on a computer already running
Windows7), you can render your system inoperable. This can happen
because earlier versions of Windows don't recognize the startup
files used in more recent versions of Windows and can overwrite
them.To install Windows on a separate partition or hard diskBefore
installing Windows, be sure to disable all antivirus software and
back up your files to an external hard disk, a CD, a DVD, a USB
flash drive, or a network folder. Also, find your 25-character
Windows product key. You can find it on the installation disc
holder inside the Windows packageor in a confirmation email if you
purchased and downloaded Windows7 online. For detailed instructions
about installing Windows7, see Installing and reinstalling Windows
7. 1. Turn on your computer so that your current version of Windows
starts normally, and then do one of the following: If you
downloaded Windows7, browse to the installation file you
downloaded, and then double-click it (often identified as an
Application file under the Type column). If you have a Windows7
installation disc, insert the disc into your computer. Setup should
start automatically. If it doesn't, click the Start button, click
Computer, double-click your DVD drive to open the Windows7
installation disc, and then double-click setup.exe. If you've
downloaded Windows7 onto a USB flash drive, insert the drive into
your computer. Setup should start automatically. If it doesn't,
click the Start button, click Computer, double-click the drive, and
then double-click setup.exe.2. On the Install Windows menu, click
Install now.3. On the Get important updates for installation page,
we recommend getting the latest updates to help ensure a successful
installation and to help protect your computer against security
threats. You must be connected to the Internet to receive
installation updates. This page might not appear if your computer
is not connected to the Internet.4. On the Please read the license
terms page, if you accept the license terms, click I accept the
license terms.5. On the Which type of installation do you want?
page, click Custom.6. On the Where do you want to install Windows?
page, select the partition or disk where you want to install the
new Windows operating system. Be sure to install Windows on a
different partition from the one where the earlier version of
Windows is installed.7. Click Next to begin the installation. You
might see a compatibility report.Uninstall Windows7 on a multiboot
systemIf you are running a multiboot system with Windows7 installed
on a computer that is also running an earlier version of Windows,
such as Windows Vista, you might be able to safely remove Windows7
from the computer, depending on how the computer is set up. To do
this, you need to format the partition containing Windows7, or
delete it entirely. This allows the earlier operating system to
reclaim the disk space. Before you begin, you should back up your
programs, files, and settings. Formatting or deleting a partition
deletes all of the data on the partition. For more information
about backing up data, search Help and Support for "back up." For
more information about multibooting, see Can I have more than one
operating system on my computer (multiboot)?Example of a multiboot
disk configuration
Warnings Don't format or delete the earlier version of Windows
in a multiboot configuration. Doing so could render your computer
inoperable. This is because the computer uses the startup files
from the earliest version of Windows that is installed on the
computer. For more information, see Install more than one operating
system (multiboot). If the earlier version of Windows was somehow
installed after Windows7 was installed on the computer, deleting
Windows7 in this case could render the computer inoperable.To
format or delete an existing partition (volume)To format or delete
the Windows7 partition, you need to start (boot) your computer
using the earlier version of Windows.Formatting a partition deletes
the data on the partition but keeps the partition on your
computer's hard disk. Deleting a partition results in unallocated
disk space on the hard disk. You can create additional partitions
from this space, or expand an existing partition so that it can
make use of the space.
NoteQuick format is a formatting option that creates a new file
table, but does not fully overwrite or erase the volume. A quick
format is much faster than a normal format, which fully erases any
existing data on the volume.1. Open Computer Management by clicking
the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and
Security, clicking Administrative Tools, and then double-clicking
Computer Management. If you're prompted for an administrator
password or confirmation, type the password or provide
confirmation.2. In the left pane, under Storage, click Disk
Management.3. Right-click the volume that Windows7 is installed on,
and then click Format to format the partition, or click Delete
volume to delete the partition.4. To format the volume with the
default settings, in the Format dialog box, click OK, and then
click OK again.To remove Windows7 from the multiboot screenEven if
you delete or format the partition containing Windows7, it can
still appear as an operating system option when you start your
computer. You can remove Windows7 from the multiboot screen.1. Open
System Configuration by clicking the Start button , clicking
Control Panel, clicking System and Security, clicking
Administrative Tools, and then double-clicking System
Configuration. If you're prompted for an administrator password or
confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.2. Click
the Boot tab, and then click the listing for Windows7.3. Click
Delete, click OK, and then click Restart.4. 5. With the release of
Windows 7, there will be those people who still will want to revert
back to Vista or XP for some reason or another. If you want to
uninstall Windows 7 and go back to the previous OS, you may or may
not be able to do so.6. In this post, I will break down all the
options and scenarios for uninstalling Windows 7 from a computer
that already had an operating system, such as Windows XP or Vista.
If you want further information about Windows 7, check out my
previous post on finding the best online resources for Windows 7.7.
8. The first thing to note is that you can only upgrade a Windows
Vista computer to Windows 7, not Windows XP. If you already have
XP, you will have to do a clean install of Windows 7.9. However, if
you have a computer with Windows XP and you install Windows 7 ON
TOP of Windows XP, then you can actually revert back to XP. So if
you have a computer with XP and you want to go to Windows 7, do NOT
format your hard drive! Just pop in the disk, boot from the CD and
install Windows 7.10. In this case, Windows created a folder called
Windows.old in the root of the Windows partition with the previous
operating system and data. You can follow the step by step
instructions on how to revert to a previous installation of Windows
after installing Windows 7.11. Now lets say you upgraded Windows
Vista to Windows 7. In this case, you are CANNOT revert back to
Windows Vista. Its a one way process and so you should be aware of
this when going from Vista to Windows 7.12. In order to go back to
Vista, you will have to perform a clean install of Windows Vista,
meaning you will have to backup all your data and then restore it
manually later. You will also have to reinstall all of your
programs.13. Finally, if you installed Windows 7 on a separate
partition to create a multiboot system and now want to remove
Windows 7, you most likely can remove it without messing anything
up.14. 15. Note that this will only work if the older version of
Windows was installed first. If you installed Windows 7 and then
installed Windows XP or Vista to create a multi-boot system, you
cannot remove Windows 7.16. As long as you installed Windows 7 as
the second OS, you first have to boot your computer into the older
version of Windows and either delete or format the partition with
Windows 7 installed on it.17. You have to do this so that the older
version of Windows can reclaim the disk space and use it. You can
do this by right-clicking on My Computer, choosing Manage and then
clicking on Disk Management in the left hand list.18. Right-click
on the volume where Windows 7 is installed and choose Format or
Delete Volume.19. 20. Now you have to remove Windows 7 from the
multiboot screen. You can do this by going to Start, Control Panel,
System and Security, Administrative Tools, System Configuration.21.
Click on the Boot tab and click on the listing for Windows 7. Click
Delete and then Restart.22. 23. Thats it! Once you format the
Windows 7 partition and remove it from the multiboot screen, you
will be able to restart your computer and have it automatically
load the previous installation of Windows! EnjoyWindowsJan 17,
2009My Digital Life Editorial Team106 CommentsDeliciousdiggHow to
Uninstall and Remove Windows 7 or Vista Leaving Windows XP on Dual
Boot SystemTweetWindows operating system supports dual-booting a
PC, where users can install multiple OSes and select which system
to boot up to on machine startup. If you have installed Windows 7
or Windows Vista on top of current existing Windows XP to make the
PC a dual boot system, but now decided to ditch or dump the Windows
7 or Windows Vista partition to revert to the old good classic
Windows XP follow the guide below to uninstall and remove Windows 7
or Windows Vista to leave only Windows XP without having to
reinstall the OS, and without affecting saved files and data.
Important: Do not use this tutorial if your dualboot system is
Windows 7 and Windows Vista.1. Boot up and log on to Windows XP
desktop.2. Insert the Windows Vista or Windows 7 DVD installation
disc into CD-ROM or DVD-ROM optical drive. Alternatively, mount the
Windows 7 or Windows Vista DVD ISO image on any virtual drive.3.
Run Command Prompt, or click directly to Start menu -> Run
command.4. In the command prompt or the Run text box, issue the
following command and hit Enter: [DVD Drive
Letter]:\boot\bootsect.exe /nt52 ALL /forceFor example,If the DVD
drive path is D:, then enter the following:D:\boot\bootsect.exe
/nt52 ALL /force The step will remove the boot menu to select
operating system to start.5. Remove the DVD disc and restart the
computer.6. The computer will boot up with Windows XP installation
partition.7. Manually remove files and folders of Windows Vista or
Windows 7, including Windows, Program Files and Users folder. If
youre installing to separate partition, just format the partition
to clean it instantly (with FDisk, Disk Manager of Computer
Management or third party partition management software such as
Partition Magic or EASEUS Partition Manager).8. On the root system
folder of Windows XP, delete Boot.BAK and BootSect.BAK. The two
files are remnant backup leftover files of previously installed
Windows Vista or Windows 7 bootloader, but no longer useful for
Windows XP only system.Tip: NT52 is the MBR (Master Boot Record)
used by Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, while Windows Vista
uses NT6. So if youre uninstall Windows 7 in Vista/7 dual boot
system, change the NT52 in the command to NT60.Fast Shortcut: Its
also possible to format the Windows Vista or Windows 7 partition
straight away, and then start the computer with Windows XP Setup CD
to repair the system partition, or run the bootsect /nt52 c:
command above from the \boot\ folder of leftover OS immediately to
repair the boot partition.Tip: When startup repair the boot record
after removing an installed operating system from dual-boot or
multi-boot system, always use the highest version of Windows
installation DVD/CD to perform the repair. For example, in a
tri-boot PC with Windows XP, Vista and 7, after uninstalling
Windows 7, use Windows Vista to repair the system. If the PC is
restored and reverted back to Windows XP, then use the Windows XP
setup CD.How to Properly Delete a OS in a Dual Boot
InformationDeleting a double booted OS may seem simple - you
just delete the partition with the OS you want to get rid of and
you are done. Well, it is not that easy. With said approach you may
get yourself into a lot of trouble. This tutorial describes a safe
way how to properly delete a double booted OS.
Step 1 - Check where the bootmgr residesOpen Disk Management and
find the partition that is marked "active". That is the partition
that contains the bootmgr.
The active partition is usually from the OS that was on the
system first - e.g. if you installed Windows 7 on an XP system, the
XP system would be the active partition. But there are also other
cases.
If Windows 7 was the first OS on the system, then your bootmgr
resides most likely in a separate system partition which is usually
small.
If you installed Windows 7 as first OS to a disk that was not
attached to the Sata port0, it can very well be that the bootmgr
resides on an arbitrary partition on the disk that is attached to
port0.
If you have e.g. a Dell system, your bootmgr may be on the
recovery partition. Other OEMs may do the same, but I was not able
to verify that.
This is the example of my current system. Note the two last
partitions which are Windows 7 and Windows 8. The Windows 7
partition is marked as active. You also see that I have no small
system partition because I have eliminated that partition after I
moved the bootmgr from that small system partition to the Windows 7
partition.
If I would delete the Windows 7 partition, my Windows 8 would
not boot any more because it would have lost it's bootmgr that is
in cohabitation with the Windows7 bootmgr.
In order to avoid such an unfortunate situation, we launch the
system that we want to retain and move the bootmgr to that system's
OS partition. Here is how.Step 2 - Delete the unwanted OS partition
and reuse the spaceStay in the OS that you want to keep and open
Disk Management. Right click on the partition that contains the OS
you want to delete and Delete Volume. Then right click on the
deleted volume and Delete Partition. Now you should have
"Freespace" where this partition originally was.
With Disk Management, you can define a new partition in that
freespace or you can add it to the partition that shows to the left
of that freespce. Just click on the partition which is to the left
and Extend Volume.
If, however, you want to add that freespace to a partition that
is to the right of the freespace, then you have to use an external
tool. I suggest the bootable CD of Partition Wizard. Here is
how.
A word of caution: before you manipulate partitions with
Partition Wizard, make an image of all partitions on that disk. I
once lost all my partitions on a disk because I made a small
mistake manipulating one partition with Partition Wizard. For
imaging I recommend Free Macrium. Here is how.Step 3 - Cleanup the
bootmgrNow that we removed one OS, we have a surplus entry in the
bootmgr. We will remove this entry with EasyBCD. As you can see in
the picture, the operation takes only 4 clicks.
EasyBCD is a very handy tool for a variety of operations on the
bootmgr. You should have that in your toolkit anyhow.
If you stop at this step, the MBR is still in a double boot
configuration and when you boot, the BIOS will present you the
black screen where you have to choose the operating sytem -
although only one operating system is present. This is not a
disaster, but it is an unnecessary step that requires your
intervention.
The next two steps will reset the MBR to your current OS and
then your system will automatically boot into that.
Important: You absolutely have to execute both Steps 4 and Step
5. If you only do Step 4, your system will not boot any more.
Step 4 - Clean the MBR
Step 5 - Reset MBR with the entry of the current OS
Reinstall Windows 7 without reformatting the hard drive1. Turn
on your computer and load up Windows.2. Put in the installer DVD
(or plug in the installer USB).3. A window will popup to ask if you
want to Run setup.exe or open the folder. Select Run setup.exe. If
this popup window didnt appear, open your Windows Explorer,
navigate to the DVD drive and run the setup.exe file.
4. The Windows 7 installation page will appear. Click Install
Now.
5. On the next page, select the option Go online to get the
latest update for installation.
6. Accept the license term and click Next.
7. Select Custom.
8. Choose the partition that you are going to reinstall the
Windows OS. This is usually the C: Drive. It will then show a
prompt saying that your existing files will be backup to the
windows.old files. Click Ok.
9. Lastly, you just let the installation do its work. Once it is
done, it will reboot and prompt you to setup your account. After
you have login to your account, you will find that all your data
will still be intact. At this point, you might want to reinstall
all the usual software.
What to do after a reinstallation?Now you have a clean system,
it is best to do a system backup and create a system restore point.
In the future when your Windows messed up again, you can simply
restore to this clean state.