Remove Dual Boot

I have two hard drives in my system. The first has Windows XP Media Center.
From Windows XP I installed Vista and chose the second hard drive so now my
machine comes up with a dual boot screen. I did this so I could try out
Vista but still be able to use XP in case I didn't like it. Now I'm ready
to upgrade my Windows XP to Vista. How do I remove the dual boot (and then
delete vista from the second drive) so the machine boots normally again
before I do my upgrade?

Thanks

Why would you want to do an upgrade when you have a clean install?

If you don't want to see the dual boot screen, there is an option to disable
it or reduce the timer. Check the help.

Whatever you do, don't format your c: drive as you won't be able to boot
your computer again even if Vista is installed on the second harddrive.

Eran


"David Berry" <> wrote in message
news:%...
I have two hard drives in my system. The first has Windows XP Media Center.
From Windows XP I installed Vista and chose the second hard drive so now my
machine comes up with a dual boot screen. I did this so I could try out
Vista but still be able to use XP in case I didn't like it. Now I'm ready
to upgrade my Windows XP to Vista. How do I remove the dual boot (and then
delete vista from the second drive) so the machine boots normally again
before I do my upgrade?

Thanks

Check your BIOS to see that your CD drive boots first,
Install the Vista CD and reboot.
Delete all partitions to clean your hard drives,
Then create new partitions and run the install
Format NTFS if it calls for it..

--
Jerry

If you want the best seat in the house,
You'll have to move the cat.

"David Berry" <> wrote in message
news:%...
>I have two hard drives in my system. The first has Windows XP Media
>Center. From Windows XP I installed Vista and chose the second hard drive
>so now my machine comes up with a dual boot screen. I did this so I could
>try out Vista but still be able to use XP in case I didn't like it. Now
>I'm ready to upgrade my Windows XP to Vista. How do I remove the dual boot
>(and then delete vista from the second drive) so the machine boots normally
>again before I do my upgrade?
>
> Thanks
>

I have a new Dell PC. It came with a free upgrade to Vista that came in the
mail today. The CD they sent me has all the driver, bios and software
updates for this PC. I also have a copy of Vista that I got for being a
part of the Beta testing. I did the dual boot so I could see how it ran on
this PC, what drivers and software didn't work or needed upgrading etc. I
only planned on keeping the PC this way until Dell sent the upgrade CD. Now
that they have I want just one OS on the PC (I plan to upgrade Windows XP
Media Center to Vista Home Premium). The OS and Apps will be on the C:
drive and my files, data, music etc will be on the D: drive. I don't plan
to format the C: drive.

The reason I don't want to keep the dual boot is because I don't have a need
to switch back and forth between the 2 OS's and I don't like having to
reboot to use Vista and then reboot again to use Windows XP. Also, getting
rid of the dual boot means I don't have to keep making sure that my software
is upgraded on both OSs each time a patch comes out or having to install
Office on both OS's and then having to remember which OS I checked my email
(Outlook) on if I'm looking for one. etc ...

Where can I find the option to disable dual boot that you're talking about?
I don't want to just reduce the timer. Can I just run Fix MBR or Fix Boot
from a CMD prompt to get rid of it?



"Eran" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Why would you want to do an upgrade when you have a clean install?
>
> If you don't want to see the dual boot screen, there is an option to
> disable
> it or reduce the timer. Check the help.
>
> Whatever you do, don't format your c: drive as you won't be able to boot
> your computer again even if Vista is installed on the second harddrive.
>
> Eran
>
>
> "David Berry" <> wrote in message
> news:%...
> I have two hard drives in my system. The first has Windows XP Media
> Center.
> From Windows XP I installed Vista and chose the second hard drive so now
> my
> machine comes up with a dual boot screen. I did this so I could try out
> Vista but still be able to use XP in case I didn't like it. Now I'm ready
> to upgrade my Windows XP to Vista. How do I remove the dual boot (and
> then
> delete vista from the second drive) so the machine boots normally again
> before I do my upgrade?
>
> Thanks
>
>
>

I don't want to format the drives. I want to keep Windows XP on the C
drive. All I want to do is get rid of the dual boot screen at start up (and
then I can format the D Drive that has Vista) so that it boots to Windows XP
like it normally would.



"JerryM (ID)" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Check your BIOS to see that your CD drive boots first,
> Install the Vista CD and reboot.
> Delete all partitions to clean your hard drives,
> Then create new partitions and run the install
> Format NTFS if it calls for it..
>
> --
> Jerry
>
> If you want the best seat in the house,
> You'll have to move the cat.
>
> "David Berry" <> wrote in message
> news:%...
>>I have two hard drives in my system. The first has Windows XP Media
>>Center. From Windows XP I installed Vista and chose the second hard drive
>>so now my machine comes up with a dual boot screen. I did this so I could
>>try out Vista but still be able to use XP in case I didn't like it. Now
>>I'm ready to upgrade my Windows XP to Vista. How do I remove the dual
>>boot (and then delete vista from the second drive) so the machine boots
>>normally again before I do my upgrade?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>
>

OK,
Right click My Computer, select properties,
Click the Advanced tab and under Startup and Recovery, click the Settings
button,
Click the Edit button, and under [operating systems]
delete the line with Vista in it.
Ok your way back out and Reboot.

--
Jerry

If you want the best seat in the house,
You'll have to move the cat.

"David Berry" <> wrote in message
news:...
>I don't want to format the drives. I want to keep Windows XP on the C
>drive. All I want to do is get rid of the dual boot screen at start up
>(and then I can format the D Drive that has Vista) so that it boots to
>Windows XP like it normally would.
>
>
>
> "JerryM (ID)" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Check your BIOS to see that your CD drive boots first,
>> Install the Vista CD and reboot.
>> Delete all partitions to clean your hard drives,
>> Then create new partitions and run the install
>> Format NTFS if it calls for it..
>>
>> --
>> Jerry
>>
>> If you want the best seat in the house,
>> You'll have to move the cat.
>>
>> "David Berry" <> wrote in message
>> news:%...
>>>I have two hard drives in my system. The first has Windows XP Media
>>>Center. From Windows XP I installed Vista and chose the second hard drive
>>>so now my machine comes up with a dual boot screen. I did this so I
>>>could try out Vista but still be able to use XP in case I didn't like it.
>>>Now I'm ready to upgrade my Windows XP to Vista. How do I remove the
>>>dual boot (and then delete vista from the second drive) so the machine
>>>boots normally again before I do my upgrade?
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

Here is what I've done in the past and it works very nicely.

Download and install in XP, VistaBootPro3.1 beta from:
http://www.pro-networks.org/vistabootpro/
Boot into XP
Open My Computer > right click the drive partition Vista is installed on >
click Format.
Use VistaBootPro to delete the Vista Boot Manager.
Delete the hidden BOOT folder on C:
Delete the files on C: boot.bak, bootmgr, bootsect.bak

Another way that I haven't tried:

Boot into XP
Delete/format the Vista partition
Reboot from XP CD and enter Recovery Console. Run fixboot. (May also need
fixmbr.)
Delete the hidden BOOT folder on C:
Delete the files on C: boot.bak, bootmgr, bootsect.bak

Good luck!

Keith

"David Berry" <> wrote in message
news:%...
>I have two hard drives in my system. The first has Windows XP Media
>Center. From Windows XP I installed Vista and chose the second hard drive
>so now my machine comes up with a dual boot screen. I did this so I could
>try out Vista but still be able to use XP in case I didn't like it. Now
>I'm ready to upgrade my Windows XP to Vista. How do I remove the dual boot
>(and then delete vista from the second drive) so the machine boots normally
>again before I do my upgrade?
>
> Thanks
>

--
Keith

"David Berry" <> wrote
>I have two hard drives in my system. The first has Windows XP Media
>Center. From Windows XP I installed Vista and chose the second hard drive
>so now my machine comes up with a dual boot screen. I did this so I could
>try out Vista but still be able to use XP in case I didn't like it. Now
>I'm ready to upgrade my Windows XP to Vista. How do I remove the dual boot
>(and then delete vista from the second drive) so the machine boots normally
>again before I do my upgrade?

From within XP format the drive that has Vista on it, and use VistaBootPro
to restore the XP boot loader. Then do the upgrade.
http://www.vistabootpro.org/

--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]

I saw Jerry outlined the steps for you to disable or modify the dual boot
screen. Keep in mind that this is not something that you uninstall. It's
always there and starts showing when you install more than one operating
system.

You don't need to uninstall Vista from your D: drive. You can just run the
upgrade on your XP and then you'll have two Vista's installed. If you don't
plan on formatting your D: drive, then why not keep it to test out new
drivers and software before installing them on your "main" Vista?

Just because you have two (or more) OS installed, doesn't mean you have to
always keep them all up to date and install each piece of software on all of
them. Do this only on your "main" OS. Use the others for testing and running
apps that don't run on Vista. If you've go the disk space, why not?

Whatever you decide to do, don't forget to backup everything.

Eran



"David Berry" <> wrote in message
news:...
I have a new Dell PC. It came with a free upgrade to Vista that came in the
mail today. The CD they sent me has all the driver, bios and software
updates for this PC. I also have a copy of Vista that I got for being a
part of the Beta testing. I did the dual boot so I could see how it ran on
this PC, what drivers and software didn't work or needed upgrading etc. I
only planned on keeping the PC this way until Dell sent the upgrade CD. Now
that they have I want just one OS on the PC (I plan to upgrade Windows XP
Media Center to Vista Home Premium). The OS and Apps will be on the C:
drive and my files, data, music etc will be on the D: drive. I don't plan
to format the C: drive.

The reason I don't want to keep the dual boot is because I don't have a need
to switch back and forth between the 2 OS's and I don't like having to
reboot to use Vista and then reboot again to use Windows XP. Also, getting
rid of the dual boot means I don't have to keep making sure that my software
is upgraded on both OSs each time a patch comes out or having to install
Office on both OS's and then having to remember which OS I checked my email
(Outlook) on if I'm looking for one. etc ...

Where can I find the option to disable dual boot that you're talking about?
I don't want to just reduce the timer. Can I just run Fix MBR or Fix Boot
from a CMD prompt to get rid of it?



"Eran" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Why would you want to do an upgrade when you have a clean install?
>
> If you don't want to see the dual boot screen, there is an option to
> disable
> it or reduce the timer. Check the help.
>
> Whatever you do, don't format your c: drive as you won't be able to boot
> your computer again even if Vista is installed on the second harddrive.
>
> Eran
>
>
> "David Berry" <> wrote in message
> news:%...
> I have two hard drives in my system. The first has Windows XP Media
> Center.
> From Windows XP I installed Vista and chose the second hard drive so now
> my
> machine comes up with a dual boot screen. I did this so I could try out
> Vista but still be able to use XP in case I didn't like it. Now I'm ready
> to upgrade my Windows XP to Vista. How do I remove the dual boot (and
> then
> delete vista from the second drive) so the machine boots normally again
> before I do my upgrade?
>
> Thanks
>
>
>

David,
Your best bet is to download and install VistaBootPro
http://www.vistabootpro.org/ . From there you can do a restore of the XP
boot process. That should put you back to booting XP. Check and make sure
that your XP drive is the 'system drive' first.


"David Berry" <> wrote in message
news:...
>I have a new Dell PC. It came with a free upgrade to Vista that came in
>the mail today. The CD they sent me has all the driver, bios and software
>updates for this PC. I also have a copy of Vista that I got for being a
>part of the Beta testing. I did the dual boot so I could see how it ran on
>this PC, what drivers and software didn't work or needed upgrading etc. I
>only planned on keeping the PC this way until Dell sent the upgrade CD. Now
>that they have I want just one OS on the PC (I plan to upgrade Windows XP
>Media Center to Vista Home Premium). The OS and Apps will be on the C:
>drive and my files, data, music etc will be on the D: drive. I don't plan
>to format the C: drive.
>
> The reason I don't want to keep the dual boot is because I don't have a
> need to switch back and forth between the 2 OS's and I don't like having
> to reboot to use Vista and then reboot again to use Windows XP. Also,
> getting rid of the dual boot means I don't have to keep making sure that
> my software is upgraded on both OSs each time a patch comes out or having
> to install Office on both OS's and then having to remember which OS I
> checked my email (Outlook) on if I'm looking for one. etc ...
>
> Where can I find the option to disable dual boot that you're talking
> about? I don't want to just reduce the timer. Can I just run Fix MBR or
> Fix Boot from a CMD prompt to get rid of it?
>
>
>
> "Eran" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Why would you want to do an upgrade when you have a clean install?
>>
>> If you don't want to see the dual boot screen, there is an option to
>> disable
>> it or reduce the timer. Check the help.
>>
>> Whatever you do, don't format your c: drive as you won't be able to boot
>> your computer again even if Vista is installed on the second harddrive.
>>
>> Eran
>>
>>
>> "David Berry" <> wrote in message
>> news:%...
>> I have two hard drives in my system. The first has Windows XP Media
>> Center.
>> From Windows XP I installed Vista and chose the second hard drive so now
>> my
>> machine comes up with a dual boot screen. I did this so I could try out
>> Vista but still be able to use XP in case I didn't like it. Now I'm
>> ready
>> to upgrade my Windows XP to Vista. How do I remove the dual boot (and
>> then
>> delete vista from the second drive) so the machine boots normally again
>> before I do my upgrade?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
>>
>
>