Uninstall Windows Vista

Uninstall Windows Vista

 


If you have installed Windows Vista on a second partition next to Windows XP, e.g. to deal with avista_installation.png Getting an overview of whether the beta version is worth switching is a problem if it is to be completely removed.


Simply deleting the Vista installation is of course not enough; Vista’s own boot manager has placed itself in front of the XP installation and keeps popping up.

 

How do I remove the Vista installation?

This needs to be done in two steps.
First we format the Vista partion from XP and then we will get rid of the Vista Boot Manager, which still appears every time the computer is started.
This description usually works perfectly, however, if the system is interfered with, no guarantee can be given that it will always work properly.
A previous data backup is mandatory here!


Let's start Windows XP first and open it Start> Run
Start here command prompt by entering cmd and confirm with Enter.

The Vista partition is now formatted here.
In this example is Windows XP on C: \ and Windows Vista on H: \ Installed.


Important:

Since Vista's own partition is always displayed as C:\ within Vista, it makes sense to check again in My Computer to be on the safe side on which partition Vista is actually installed.
Because this must be specified for the formatting command!
If you enter C:\ here because it is displayed that way in Vista, you may be throwing away your XP installation and we don't want that.


Now enter the following command in the command prompt:

format h: / q / x

Explanation of the commands

/q
Performs formatting using QuickFormat. Deletes the file table and root directory of an already formatted volume, but does not scan the disk/hard drive sector by sector for bad areas.


/x
If necessary, causes the volume to be unmounted before it is formatted.

 


The following query now appears in the command prompt:

The type of the file system is NTFS
Enter the current volume label for the H: drive.


In this example the vista partition was appropriately called "Vista".

 

After entering Vista As a confirmation, there is another security question:

All data on hard disk drive H: will be lost!
Perform formatting (Y / N)?

Confirm this with J and Enter

At the end the notification of completion appears:

Format with quick format 20089 MB
Volume designation

We enter a name for the partition as a volume description, in this case again Vista.
The formatting is then completed and the available storage space is output.


End the prompt with Exit > Enter

vista_format.gif

 



In the second step we remove the boot manager from Windows Vista

Start the computer with the Windows XP CD inserted.
If the computer does not boot from CD, the boot sequence may have to be changed in the BIOS.


When the setup prompts the button F6 to press (at the bottom of the screen) press instead F10.
Setup initially continues and then starts the repair console.

The message appears:

Which Windows installation do you want to log in to?

Now dial the corresponding number. If only Windows XP is left, the 1 .
Now enter the administrator password. This does not mean that of a personal user account, but the internal administrator account. If none has been assigned there (security hole!), Simply confirm with Enter.
The prompt appears, for example C: \ Windows

 


Give now fixboot and confirm with Enter


The query

Are you sure you want to write a new boot sector to the C: partition?

confirm with J

The message appears:

The file system on the boot partition is: NTFS
Fixboot writes a new start sector
The new starting sector was written successfully.


Well admit fixmbr a

 

The somewhat unsettling message

The MBR (MasteBootRecord) seems to be invalid.
If you continue, FIXMBR may damage the partition table.
As a result, no partition on the current hard drive can be accessed.
Do not continue unless you are having problems accessing the drive.
Are you sure you want to write a new MBR (MasterBootRecord)?


The message is normal and we confirm it with J

The message appears as the final piece of information

New MBR (MasterBootRecord) was written correctly.


Now remove the Windows XP CD, enter exit on and the system reboots.


The Windows Vista boot manager is no longer available and only Windows XP is available.

 

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© Copyright Michael Hille

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