Dual Boot Windows 7 and Windows 8 - Delete Windows 8

How to Delete "Windows 8" in your Dual Boot with Windows 7 or Vista​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to delete Windows 8 in your dual boot with Windows 7 or Vista when Windows 7 or Vista was installed first and Windows 8 installed second. This will leave you with only having Windows 7 or Vista installed afterwards.

Part One

Here's How:


1. Start or restart your PC, and boot into Windows 7 or Vista. (see screenshot below)

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2. In Disk Management, delete the partition that you installed Windows 8 on so that is is now unallocated space. (see screenshots below)

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3. If you like, you could either create a new partition to use with the unallocated space, or extend the Windows 7 or Vista C: drive into the unallocated space to add it back to the C: partition. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: This will vary depending on how you have your hard drive setup though.

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4. When finished, restart your PC and only have Windows 7 or Vista installed and listed in the Windows Boot Manager screen.

Part Two

When you have your Dual boot on a PC with a uEFI setup.






Follow the steps in Part One.

All done.

Related Tutorials

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• How to Delete "Windows 7" in your Dual Boot with Windows 8
• How to Delete an Operating System Listed in Windows Boot Manager
• How to Do a Dual Boot Installation with Windows 8 and Windows 7 or Vista
• How to Create a Windows 8 VHD at Boot to Dual Boot with Windows 7 or Vista
• How to Enable or Disable the New Windows 8 Startup Options Boot Menu
• How to Choose a Default Operating System to Run at Startup in Windows 8
• How to Downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7

 

[theog]

Hello.
I have a similar issue where it looks like the screen shot at the beginning of the thread. Only there are two windows 8 icons.
There is a short pause during boot up asking which version to boot to. (The default is installed correctly).
When I select the second version there is an error message that it hasn't installed correctly. This is the version I would like to remove.
I checked Disc Management as it has been previously suggested in the thread and there was only one partition on the drive and I can't see from this view what is installed on it.
Any suggestions how I can remove the version that hasn't been installed properly?
Thank you

Try this:
Windows Boot Manager - Delete a Listed Operating System - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[wincwxguy]

I don't know if anyone has had this situation before but I did the following:

I purchased a HP Envy 8-1414 with Windows 8 Pre-Installed. Even though I hated Windows 8 (no offense meant), I left it on the PC because I was using machine solely to run a MySQL database and operated from a separate machine running Window 7.

I no longer need the separate machine and want to phase it out. I still hate Windows 8 (no offense meant), and decided to save money and investigate a dual boot with Windows 7. After weeks of work with UEFI and USB bootable disks I got the dual boot to work.

I use Windows 7 at work and at home and I do not have, or want a touch screen monitor. I only did a dual boot instead of a clean install with Windows 7 because I didn't want to lose the machine though making a mistake.

It isn't a huge deal, I can continue to dual boot, but isn't possible to removed the OEM Window 8 that was preinstalled and make it a totally 7 PC? In otherwords, the reverse process??

 

[cachry]

Hello. I am attempting to delete Win8.1 from my dual boot system, but am having trouble.

First, I don't understand why in your example above Win7 partition is greyed out (with diagonal lines) when the goal is to delete Win8. I thought if one is trying to delete a partition that is the one that would be greyed out. Am I missing something?

Second, and more importantly, when I have attempted to delete my Win8 partition the "delete" option is greyed out, so I have been unable to do what I set out to do.

Here is a copy of my Disk Management information:


Thank you.

 

[cachry]

Update. I used EasyBCD to change my boot menu (How to Geek How to Uninstall or Remove Windows 8 From Your Dual-Boot Setup) so that I am now booting into Win7, but when I open disk management and try to delete the partition that holds Win8 I get the message, "Windows cannot delete the active system partition on this disk." How should I go about doing that so I can complete the job?

Incidentally - Excuse my impatience trying to roll back Win8, but my time is limited and I like to solve my own problems when I can.

Thanks again.

 

[genet]

How should I go about doing that so I can complete the job?

Step One:

Your Windows 7 hard drive (Disk 1) should be the primary hard drive (Disk 0).

Step Two:

If Windows 7 does not start. => How to fix the Windows 7/8/10 bootloader if the hard drive has an MBR (Master Boot Record) partition table. -> link

 

[cachry]

Okay, thanks for that information, but just how do I go about accomplishing that? I have to tell you I'm no tekkie.

When I restart my computer, Win7 comes up as I would want it to, so it does start (your Step 2).

 

[genet]

Switch the data cables between the two motherboard HDD ports (Disk 0 and Disk 1).

And after that, if Windows 7 does not start. => link

 

[cachry]

Thanks for your response, but (since Win 7 now boots upon startup) I have some questions and possible other solutions:

1. What would happen if I simply formatted the disk holding Win8?
2. If I made the partition containing Win7 active -- and that containing Win8 inactive -- would that work?

 

[genet]

1. What would happen if I simply formatted the disk holding Win8?

Windows 7 does not start.

2. If I made the partition containing Win7 active -- and that containing Win8 inactive -- would that work?

No.

 

[cachry]

Bottom line from a simple-minded standpoint is it's impossible to swap Disk 0 with Disk 1 (in the partition table) without making the hardware change . . . Is that right?

What I find most confusing is that Win8 was installed after Win7, and if so shouldn't Win7 be the system partition?

 

[genet]

You can change the boot order of drives in your computer's BIOS.

 

[cachry]

I've done that before. So you think that would do it? It's much easier than pulling the case apart.

 

[genet]

So you think that would do it?

Yes.

 

[cachry]

Thank You

I'm sure you get tired of answering (what are for you) very basic questions, but you have been very helpful to me and I thank you for that. My computer is working as I had hoped, and is now ready for Win10.

 

[genet]

You are welcome.