Member Avatar for tralfas

ok so i boot and it always comes up with two os's but now i want one of them deleted. one version of xp i have installed has only service pack 1 and the other has service pack 2. i use the one with 2. i would like to delete the one with service pack one. i read up on how to delete os's but the problem is that they are on the same disk. so how do i delete one of these from my c drive with out killing my good one.

  • 4 Contributors
  • 10 Replies
  • 112 Views
  • 6 Days Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by zelkea

Dani AI

Generated

Good outcome: identified the two installs (C:\WINDOWS vs C:\WINNT) and removed the unwanted folder. The thread already covers the core idea (delete the unused Windows folder then remove its boot entry). A few practical, non‑obvious follow-ups make the removal safe and tidy for anyone reading this later.

If the other OS is still present on the boot menu and manual editing makes you nervous, a safer UI route is to run msconfig and use its BOOT.INI editing tab to remove the unwanted entry. Before making any change, keep a copy of the current boot configuration somewhere safe. If you prefer a cautious approach next time, rename the old Windows folder first and boot for a few days; only delete it permanently once nothing breaks.

Cleanup checklist after removing a second XP install:

  • Verify there are no orphaned startup entries or services pointing to the deleted folder. Autoruns (Sysinternals) is excellent for this.
  • Check Device Manager for devices with missing drivers and uninstall any stale entries.
  • Free up space with Disk Cleanup and, if needed, remove old System Restore points (they can reference deleted files).
  • If system file integrity seems off, run the System File Checker (sfc /scannow) from an elevated session and follow any prompts.

Troubleshooting: if the machine won’t boot after changing boot settings, a repair from the original XP media will restore the boot files. Thanks to , and for the original pointers — the above steps are intended to close the loop and prevent leftover clutter or boot surprises after removing an XP installation.

Recommended Answers

All 10 Replies

Member Avatar for zelkea

If you have one logical disk with two partitions with an OS installed on each you can easily delete the unwanted OS by deleting the associated partition via Disk Management. You can access disk management by right click on My computer and clicking Manage. Disk Management is located under Storage.

You will also have to remove the OS you do not want from the boot.ini. Follow the steps below to complete this.

  • Right click my computer and select properties
  • Click on the Advanced tab
  • Click on Startup and Recovery
  • Click Edit and remove the OS you removed. (I would highly recommend that you backup this file first)
Member Avatar for gerbil

Okay, you only have one partition, c:, with both OS's on it, so don't disturb it. Thing to do is to logon with the SP2 OS that you wish to keep, identify the SP1 Windows folder and just delete it. Then you must modify your boot.ini file to remove the loading point for that OS :-
Press Windows-PauseBreak; or open System properties; or Start,Run, sysdm.cpl; > Advanced tab, Startup n Recovery Settings button, and Edit. Delete the line in notepad that refers to your SP1 OS, and Save.
Should be done. If you are not sure about editing the boot.ini file post it here with a remark identifying the SP2 OS.

Member Avatar for tralfas

do you know which folder it is usually in and then once i get to the folder how do i tell the difference between the good os and the bad one.

Member Avatar for zelkea

Pull up a cmd window then type in 'cd %systemroot%' and hit enter this will take you to your current OS’s systemroot. On a default installation of xp this command will take you to c:\windows.

Member Avatar for tralfas

ok so i entered that into the cmd prompt and i got the default. then i typed start %systemroot% and got to see the folder visually. now i just delete delete !!!!!! ? or what needs to be deleted.


sorry everyone on this board is probably like STFU god!!!! but please help i need to get this off my computer. =)

Member Avatar for zelkea

Lol no worries tralfas we all started somewhere. It depends on which OS you ran the command on.
To be safe boot into the OS that you do NOT want and run the command above, this will be the folder you will delete. Now boot into the OS you want to keep and run the same command. Verify that the systemroot folders are different then delete the folder listed from your previous boot. I would recommend having a complete backup and your xp media incase you need to reinstall. The default location for the systemroot is c:\windows what is the location of the second installation do you have a c:\windows2?

Member Avatar for tralfas

Wow thanks for all the help guys you all are AWESOME!!!!


i did system root on both and the first one was the default C:\WINDOWS and the second one was C:\WINNT . so these folders were side by side easy enough and then i just deleted the winnt folder and now its gone. all i need to do now is remove it from the boot.ini then im done but for now i really need to sleep ! =)


Member Avatar for jbennet

To remove it from the boot.ini you co control panel -> system -> advanced tab -> startup and recovery

Make sure you dont delete the wrong one!!!

Member Avatar for zelkea

No problem, thanks for posting the names of the directories.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.