How do I delete Windows off of my old Hard Drive?

CaptainCrape · May 8, 2016

So, I recently installed an SSD in my computer and I did a clean install Windows 10 to it. I have moved my most important files over already and I was just wondering how I could delete the old windows install on my HDD, because it isn't necessary anymore, but keep some of my files on it, particularly, my steam games.

My SSD is an A-data Premier SP550 240GB

My HDD is a Seagate barracuda 1TB 7200RPM

And the Windows version I am using is Windows 10 64-Bit.

genthug · May 8, 2016

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/298493-32-delete-formatting

You'd have to figure out exactly what files you want to be deleting so you're not deleting anything that another program would be using down the road. Imo the easiest and most reliable way to do it just going to be to reformat it and reinstall.

Hellfire13 · May 8, 2016

just move the steam games to another location and format the hdd...

genthug · May 8, 2016

Issue being that there may not be another location. That 240Gb SSD ain't gonna be big enough, and there might not be another HDD lying around.

CaptainCrape · May 8, 2016

Hellfire13 :

I don't have enough room to move it anywhere.

genthug · May 8, 2016

My solution would be to just reformat the drive and take not being able to use the games for a day or so, depending on how many games and how large the entire file system is. I can download my entire steam library (120 games) in around a night. Terabyte-ish, but that's at an average of 10-11 mbps.

CaptainCrape · May 8, 2016

genthug :

My internet speed is only 1.6MB/s It would take days to reinstall all of my games.

My internet is fine for streaming HD video and playing online, but it sucks for downloading and uploading.

genthug · May 8, 2016

Do the reformat at night, install the games you'll want to play soonest first in your queue, go to sleep. Continue doing that until the library is finished.

CaptainCrape · May 8, 2016

genthug :

I rather wouldn't.

genthug · May 8, 2016

Ahh, then refer to the first link I posted. That means you'll need to figure out exactly what is Windows and what isn't to delete everything without ruining functionality of any of the other installed programs

Hellfire13 · May 9, 2016

selective recycling will be a very tedious job...and considering u r trying to delete OS folders, it will not be a clean removal unless u format the drive...OS always tends to leave some footprints which are difficult to manually detect or remove...
my advice will be, borrow a drive from a frnd or someone, if u can and transfer ur steam thr and format the hdd...

genthug · May 9, 2016

That would be my next solution past reformatting^

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