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Getting rid of dual boot

Last response: in Windows 7
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Windows 7 Expert

Hi all,

I'll try and keep this brief: I have a single 320GB that is partitioned as follows:

- Primary partition, Windows XP, bootable
- Logical partition, Windows 7, bootable

XP was installed first, and I later added the logical partition to create a dual-boot with Windows 7. I now want to get rid of XP completely and make the Windows 7 partition the primary (and only) one.

I've played around with the settings in GParted and EaseUS Partition Master, and it doesn't seem that there is a way to just swap them around and then delete the XP partition. I have a nagging suspicion that simply deleting the XP partition will prevent W7 from booting and I may not be able to recover it again.

Any advice? Is there a simple way to do this that someone knows about?

Thanks in advance.

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Windows 7 Authority

I don't have a lot of experience with dual booting, so someone jump in if I'm wrong.

You need to use bcedit. This can remove the XP entry, but I don't think you will be able to expand the win 7 partition since it was added later.

After using bcedit, you may need to image the win7 partiton, repartition your drive, then restore the win 7 partion and expand it.

Best solution

Hi,

Windows 7 Boot Configuration Data (BCD) is placed on the XP (primary) partition. It should be moved to Windows 7 partition.

I would proceed as follows (done in Windows 7):
1. Convert Windows 7 partition from logical to primary+active. Use EaseUS Partition Master (RightClick on partition and "Convert to primary". Then "Set Active".)

2. Download and install "Visual BCD Editor" from . It has a "Dual-boot Repair" tool. Run it. Click on "Automatic Repair" and confirm.
This will create BCD on Windows 7 partition as well as write a Windows 7 boot record to the partition.

After rebooting check with Disk Management that Windows 7 partition is now "active+system+boot".

Now the XP partition can be deleted (formated).
You can delete the boot entry for XP using "Visual BCD Editor". RightClick on XP loader entry and "Delete selected object".

Note: After changing (shrinking, expanding, converting to logical or primary) partition properties the BCD data for that partition is no longer valid.
Windows 7 Expert

Hmm... Seems I made a royal stuff-up. My Windows 7 was installed on a logical partition, not a primary. Diskpart is unable to mark it as active, hence I cannot write the MBR to it. Until I find a way to fix this, I can't boot into 7. The XP partition has already been deleted, so there's no going back.
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Windows 7 Expert

Whew... Just got it fixed. I can highly recommend Partition Wizard after all this. I managed to change my logical partition to a primary, mark it as active, and use the Windows 7 disk to repair the MBR.

Thanks for all the input!
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