I want to remove windows vista from my 2nd hard drive, but the computer won't let me.?

Question

I installed a beta of Windows Vista on my 2nd hard drive, and do not like it much. I wish to delete it to reclaim my space, but when I try to, I get an error telling me that files within the "Windows" folder on that drive can not be deleted. How can I remove vista and reclaim my precious gigabytes?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Make a boot floppy disk and then when you boot the computer up it will load command prompt.
Type Format {drive letter with a : next to it}
than say yes
and its clean.

Answer 2

Since you installed it on a second hard drive, all you've got to do is reformat it, you can use a program like PartitionMagic or you can do it through Disk Management in Windows. You can't just delete the stuff by pressing Delete...

@vexation: He's not trying to delete the files while using Vista, he's running XP and is trying to clean off his second hard drive. Your solution won't necessarily work since the Vista system files will still be protected regardless of whether you try to delete them from a command line or not.

Answer 3

This must be done while windows is not running. Windows can not delete files it already has loading or is currently using.

To delete it, use your Windows XP boot cd, then choose recovery console. This will drop you into DOS.

While in dos, you will be in your C:\ or primary drive. If Vista is installed on your Secondary drive (D:\ for example) then simply change to that drive by typing D:\ (hitting enter)
then change to the directory where vista is located and delete the files. For a list of commands in dos type "/?" (without the quotes)

Answer 4

the only way you can it is to do a system restore.Start from scratch
you will not lose your myspace etc but that is going to be your best bet

Answer 5

maybe you cant its because its a OS (operating system). if you really want to fragement the HDD. and see if that works.