Formatting a former system drive

PackerFanatic · 11-28-2010, 02:03 AM

Alright, here is the quick version of the story: had Windows XP, wanted to upgrade to Windows 7, but on a different drive. I have 2 internal drives, so I wiped one and installed 7 on that one - so basically I currently have a dual-boot scenario. They are SATA drives, but the now Windows 7 drive (which we will call D) is drive 2 (while the WinXP drive, C, is drive 0)

When I boot to Win7, it has the drive letters "correct" (Win7 as C, WinXP as D) - but I don't put stock in that anyway. Basically what I want to do is format the WinXP drive, wipe it clean. Can't do it with any formatting tool from Win7 though - since it considers it a system drive (and it contains the master boot record). I probably should have unplugged that drive when installing Win7, since it would have installed all the boot stuff on the correct drive, but alas. Any suggestions as to what I can do to get the correct boot files, etc. on the Win7 drive? I have tried doing the repair option from the disc (multiple times) - the repair does find something (saying there are no system files in the partition table, or something to that effect), but the repair doesn't seem to make a difference. Is there a way to fix this without having to reinstall Win7?

Antmeister · 11-28-2010, 03:32 AM

How did you try to format it?

Did you try right clicking on the drive in 'Computer' or did you go to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Administrative Tools\Computer Management and trying to format from the Storage Category? If I remember correctly, for myself, I used the latter to format the drive.

Antmeister · 11-28-2010, 03:51 AM

Ok, I just reread this. Are you saying the MBR is on the WinXP drive only? If this is the case, unplug the Windows XP drive and make the Windows 7 drive first priority in the BIOS. Restart and see if the Startup Repair will work then, because I am wondering if just kept repairing the MBR on WinXP since it already resides there instead of doing it on the drive you want. Afterwards plug in the WinXP drive and you should be able to format it.

PackerFanatic · 11-28-2010, 04:13 PM

That's what I had done, Ant (unplugging the WinXP drive and doing startup repair with only the Win7 drive). In my BIOS, there wasn't option for both drives - just generic "SATA Hard Drive". I got an error saying a drive was missing, but I was able to continue and boot to the Win7 disc. And yes, I think the MBR is on the XP drive only, I think that is why I couldn't boot to the Win7 drive alone.

Shepp · 11-28-2010, 09:15 PM

If you are already booting to W7, can't you just delete the volume of the XP drive through your disk manager?

PackerFanatic · 11-29-2010, 08:03 AM

It won't allow me to - it's viewing the XP partition as the "primary" partition. If I unplug the XP drive, the 7 drive won't even boot. I am thinking I might just be better off wiping everything and installing 7 on the "primary" drive.

Antmeister · 11-29-2010, 08:23 AM

Try this:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...ot-record.html

PackerFanatic · 11-29-2010, 10:16 AM

Thanks, Ant. I will give that a try tonight

PackerFanatic · 11-30-2010, 09:42 PM

Unfortunately, no luck with that command. I tried it both with the XP drive plugging in and not. With the XP drive not plugged in, it wouldn't even run (saying the "system partition was not found"). So back to the drawing board! There has to be a way to make it so that drive can boot alone...

cthomer5000 · 11-30-2010, 09:59 PM

I believe you are fucked, and need to make the new OS drive, drive C, which is going to mean a complete reinstall. Unlesss things have radically changed, you can't change the OS drive letter after the fact.

Don't take my word to be gospel by any means, but i once made a similar mistake and the only recourse was the eventual complete reinstall with the new main drive as the C drive.

PackerFanatic · 12-01-2010, 08:01 AM

It's funny because when I am booted into the 7 drive, that drive is the C: drive (with the XP drive being the D: drive) - but it is the other way around when I am booted into XP or when booted to the 7 DVD. Very odd.

I posted to the SevenForums (that Ant had linked) and got some responses that I am going to try tonight.

weegeebored · 12-01-2010, 09:04 AM

Being from Chicago I wouldn't normally help a Packers fan

but...

...watch the video in this link: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/itdojo/?p=1306

The text version can be found here: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/wi...tCol;post-1306

Good luck as this procedure is not for the inexperienced.

PackerFanatic · 12-01-2010, 10:58 AM

Thanks weegee! The first part (copying the boot files) isn't something I have seen anywhere and might be just the piece I am missing!

weegeebored · 12-01-2010, 10:27 PM

You're welcome. I hope it works. Let us know.

PackerFanatic · 12-02-2010, 07:58 AM

Unfortunately no luck...looks as though the Win7 drive is marked as a logical, extended partition, meaning it is not able to be marked as active. I think the only way for me to make it the primary partition would be to format it as such.

PackerFanatic · 12-02-2010, 09:02 PM

Oooh snap - got it figured out! Thanks to the wonderful folks at SevenForums.com, I was led to a tool called Partition Wizard. I was able to download a bootable version and mark my Win7 drive as active and primary, then I just had to swap the SATA ports of the two drives (since the XP was the drive that was booting before)

In case anyone is interested in the resolution: Moving MBR to Windows 7 drive - Windows 7 Forums

Thanks for all your help here too, folks. Love the power of the interwebs

11-28-2010, 03:32 AM	#2
Antmeister Pro Starter Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: At the corner of Beat Street and Electric Avenue	How did you try to format it? Did you try right clicking on the drive in 'Computer' or did you go to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Administrative Tools\Computer Management and trying to format from the Storage Category? If I remember correctly, for myself, I used the latter to format the drive. __________________ "I'm ready to bury the hatchet, but don't fuck with me" - Schmidty "Box me once, shame on Skydog. Box me twice. Shame on me. Box me 3 times, just fucking ban my ass...." - stevew

11-28-2010, 03:51 AM	#3
Antmeister Pro Starter Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: At the corner of Beat Street and Electric Avenue	Ok, I just reread this. Are you saying the MBR is on the WinXP drive only? If this is the case, unplug the Windows XP drive and make the Windows 7 drive first priority in the BIOS. Restart and see if the Startup Repair will work then, because I am wondering if just kept repairing the MBR on WinXP since it already resides there instead of doing it on the drive you want. Afterwards plug in the WinXP drive and you should be able to format it. __________________ "I'm ready to bury the hatchet, but don't fuck with me" - Schmidty "Box me once, shame on Skydog. Box me twice. Shame on me. Box me 3 times, just fucking ban my ass...." - stevew Last edited by Antmeister : 11-28-2010 at 03:51 AM.

11-28-2010, 04:13 PM	#4
PackerFanatic Pro Starter Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Appleton, WI	That's what I had done, Ant (unplugging the WinXP drive and doing startup repair with only the Win7 drive). In my BIOS, there wasn't option for both drives - just generic "SATA Hard Drive". I got an error saying a drive was missing, but I was able to continue and boot to the Win7 disc. And yes, I think the MBR is on the XP drive only, I think that is why I couldn't boot to the Win7 drive alone. __________________ Commissioner of the RNFL

11-29-2010, 08:03 AM	#6
PackerFanatic Pro Starter Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Appleton, WI	It won't allow me to - it's viewing the XP partition as the "primary" partition. If I unplug the XP drive, the 7 drive won't even boot. I am thinking I might just be better off wiping everything and installing 7 on the "primary" drive. __________________ Commissioner of the RNFL

11-29-2010, 08:23 AM	#7
Antmeister Pro Starter Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: At the corner of Beat Street and Electric Avenue	Try this: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...ot-record.html __________________ "I'm ready to bury the hatchet, but don't fuck with me" - Schmidty "Box me once, shame on Skydog. Box me twice. Shame on me. Box me 3 times, just fucking ban my ass...." - stevew

11-28-2010, 09:15 PM	#5
Shepp High School Varsity Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Atlanta, GA	If you are already booting to W7, can't you just delete the volume of the XP drive through your disk manager?

11-29-2010, 10:16 AM	#8
PackerFanatic Pro Starter Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Appleton, WI	Thanks, Ant. I will give that a try tonight __________________ Commissioner of the RNFL

11-30-2010, 09:42 PM	#9
PackerFanatic Pro Starter Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Appleton, WI	Unfortunately, no luck with that command. I tried it both with the XP drive plugging in and not. With the XP drive not plugged in, it wouldn't even run (saying the "system partition was not found"). So back to the drawing board! There has to be a way to make it so that drive can boot alone... __________________ Commissioner of the RNFL

12-01-2010, 08:01 AM	#11
PackerFanatic Pro Starter Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Appleton, WI	It's funny because when I am booted into the 7 drive, that drive is the C: drive (with the XP drive being the D: drive) - but it is the other way around when I am booted into XP or when booted to the 7 DVD. Very odd. I posted to the SevenForums (that Ant had linked) and got some responses that I am going to try tonight. __________________ Commissioner of the RNFL

12-01-2010, 09:04 AM	#12
weegeebored High School Varsity Join Date: Sep 2006	Being from Chicago I wouldn't normally help a Packers fan but... ...watch the video in this link: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/itdojo/?p=1306 The text version can be found here: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/wi...tCol;post-1306 Good luck as this procedure is not for the inexperienced.

12-01-2010, 10:58 AM	#13
PackerFanatic Pro Starter Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Appleton, WI	Thanks weegee! The first part (copying the boot files) isn't something I have seen anywhere and might be just the piece I am missing! __________________ Commissioner of the RNFL

12-01-2010, 10:27 PM	#14
weegeebored High School Varsity Join Date: Sep 2006	You're welcome. I hope it works. Let us know.

12-02-2010, 07:58 AM	#15
PackerFanatic Pro Starter Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Appleton, WI	Unfortunately no luck...looks as though the Win7 drive is marked as a logical, extended partition, meaning it is not able to be marked as active. I think the only way for me to make it the primary partition would be to format it as such. __________________ Commissioner of the RNFL

12-02-2010, 09:02 PM	#16
PackerFanatic Pro Starter Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Appleton, WI	Oooh snap - got it figured out! Thanks to the wonderful folks at SevenForums.com, I was led to a tool called Partition Wizard. I was able to download a bootable version and mark my Win7 drive as active and primary, then I just had to swap the SATA ports of the two drives (since the XP was the drive that was booting before) In case anyone is interested in the resolution: Moving MBR to Windows 7 drive - Windows 7 Forums Thanks for all your help here too, folks. Love the power of the interwebs __________________ Commissioner of the RNFL

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