How to delete vista installation folders

[sajiby3k]

My way of doing OS installation in my hdd is that I use a boot cd to boot my machine is DOS or use MINIPE like utilities to boot my machine. Then I use file managers to delete my existing windows installation. By which I am meaning that I delete folders named Program FIles, Documents and Settings, Windows etc. It is not possible for me to format the drive because there are other important files in it. Then I use my XP cd to install OS.

But last week I installed windows vista. After using vista for a couple of days I have decided to uninstall it. To my utter surprise when I boot my machine form the cdrom, none of the file managers were able to delete any file for vista's partition. I had also XP installed in another drive. Even from XP I cannot delete files from the drive where vista is installed.

I am not getting the whole scenerio. Both XP and vista was installed in NTFS partitions but XP cannot have delete permissions on vista drive. Has microsoft updated the NTFS file system for vista, so now xp cannot delete anything from the drive where vista is installed?

Anyone know something about this issue pls help me and is there any way to delete vista files from boot cds or windows XP??

[WBHoenig]

Would you be okay with deleting the entire partition and then re-creating it?

[LLXX]

Would you be okay with deleting the entire partition and then re-creating it?

Read carefully.

It is not possible for me to format the drive because there are other important files in it.

What exactly is the error you're getting?

If it's an NTFS permissions problem, try taking ownership, and if that doesn't work, use Linux (I'm serious - Linux NTFS access ignores all permissions)

[victor888]

get ownership, that is quite right. I did it correctely.

[freightgod]

I also am dual booting, although I have Vista on its own partition. I didn't test deleting any system files, but I have no problem deleting other (ex. program files) on that partition. So while I'm not sure, I doubt that your Vista install alone has caused your problem. Sorry, I realize that's not exactly a helpful answer, but it may point you in the right direction.

If you end up at a dead end, you should be able to salvage the non-vista files from within Vista by resizing your partition on the fly, creating a new partition, and moving your non-Vista files there so that you can delete the Vista partition.

I'm really curious why as to why you didn't create a second partition in the first place. Not being critical, just curious.

[usasma]

There appears to be some differences in the implementation of NTFS between XP and Vista - as such, problems are being reported about this.

FWIW - the simplest solution is to backup the essential data to another hard drive/DVD's and then repartition.

Trusting all of your data to just one partition (and just one copy) - especially when experimenting with OS's - is very dangerous. If it's truly valuable to you, back it up.

If you are going to continue to experiment with OS's - I'd suggest a separate partition (a separate hard drive would be even better) that's dedicated to your important storage. For further compatibility, I'd suggest that you format it as FAT32 - that way you won't have the ownership/file permissions/access denied problems that the NTFS file system can cause.

[Super-Magician]

The problem with trying to delete folders from a Vista installation from XP or even another Vista installation is that Vista locks all the files for other OSes. Unfortunately, you have to take ownership from within Vista and delete them from there, which I don't think is always possible.

For example, I have a Boot folder stuck in my XP partition from when I installed Vista on a separate partition. I can't delete it, even with Unlocker or through DOS!

The best method, like the others said, is to reformat that partition and try not to install Vista and another OS on the same drive.

[neo]

Boot from Vista DVD and Click on Repair Option.

after the scanning pocess select Command Prompt

Now U have two option

1) Go to Vista Drive and use these commands

RD /s Program FIles

RD /s Documents and Settings

RD /s Windows

2) type regedit and open registry editor

now click on File menu and then click on Load or Export (any choice)

the open dialog box will be apeared go to the partition and select folder then press Shift+Delete

[scorpiosoft]

If got another problem of removing a folder with two files from my C: drive. The complete (sub)folder name is C:\Windows.old\Documents and Setings\"my name"\Application Data\SecuROM\UserData\

Inside the UserData folder there are two strange files (see picture) I can not removing or change the security settings. Does anybody knows how to get remove the "Windows.old" folder and it's content?