Removing XP for Ol' W2K

I have a secondary computer that runs W2K. I installed XP in a dual-boot configuration to run some software that required it. Now I no longer need XP and would like to remove it. Various sites say you just have to modify boot.ini so that the dual boot is no longer an option, then just delete the WINDOWS folder. However, when I do this XP is still there. The only difference is that the boot menu doesn't offer "Windows XP ", just plain "Windows" - which is the default. I guess those MS folks just wanted to make sure XP was hard to get rid of. A couple other sites said to use the Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs option to get rid of XP, but something must be wrong there because it doesn't show me that I have anything installed.

Any advice on how to get rid of XP? Besides the dual boot irritation, XP takes up a fair amount of hard drive space. Thanks.

 

Operating Systems don't show up in the Add/Remove software listing. Nothing wrong there. That's not the way you would uninstall one so it wouldn't make sense.

If you deleted it, it won't still be there. You must have deleted the wrong folder. Perhaps you were booted to XP when you tried to delete it. That wouldn't be possible since it was in use. Try again but do be sure you have the right folder and are booted to 2K and not XP. Report back any error message you may get.

 

I managed to remove the dual boot problem. It's not enough to remove the option from boot.ini; you have to set the default to WINNT (W2K).

But I still can't delete C:\WINDOWS. This is what happened before when I said that nothing happened. It wouldn't be a big thing, but this computer has a small hard drive (20 MB) and that folder is taking up 3 MB by itself.

Ideas?

And thanks.

 

Right click on the Windows folder and choose "Delete." Is that how you tried it? If so, what happened? Any error message?

Did you verify that you are now booting to 2K with your present boot.ini doing its job? BTW, you can give it any label so long as the proper rdisk and partition are listed. Normally that would be rdisk (0) and partition (1).

Post back what is happening when you try to delete the Windows XP folder.

 

Tried right-click > Delete; dragging C:\WINDOWS to Recyle Bin (may be too big); etc. Nothing happens. The hard drive chatters for a few seconds, then stops. No error, nothing. Am definitely logged in under W2K; no longer have multi-OS boot option. Seems like you'd at least get a 'File in Use' prohibition if something there were being used.

Am reloading/repairing W2K to try to solve the empty Add/Remove Programs list. It may be a side effect of the dual OSs. When I try this from W2K, the list showed nothing. When I tried it from XP (when I still could), it only showed the downloaded XP updates. MS Office is loaded (loaded it under W2K), but it didn't show as installed under either OS.

The Duffer

P.S. Back on my original post: I didn't think Add/Remove would Uninstall XP (?!), but a couple of sites I found said this was the way to go. At least it revealed my Add/Remove problem.

 

I must run for now. I'll check back later.

BTW, if your boot.ini looks like this you're likely OK in that area:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT= "Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

CUL

EDIT. I see you posted while I was typing. Based on what you said, try booting to Safe Mode and doing the delete. I'm surprised you get no error also. You can also go to individual folders and delete until you come to something that resists. That will give a clue.

later.

 

Reloading/repairing W2K took care of the Add/Remove empty list problem. It took a while though with all the updates.

Now as to C:\WINDOWS . . . I can rename it, move it, and delete files within it, but as to a wholesale delete - no. I guess I could chop it down a few subfolders at a time and see where it hangs. What d'ya think?

The Duffer

 

Yep, and try Safe Mode also.

 

You need, in Win2k, to assert ownership to the folder.
It was created under a completely different security SID.

Right click the folder, Sharing and Security, and use the Security tab to add yourself as Owner of the folder with full rights.

Then go ahead and delete it.

 

Gettin' Close

I changed the security settings, but system still did not allow a mass delete. I started deleting subfolders in bunches. I zapped all of them except system32. That one gives an error message: "Error deleting file custdll.dll. File may be in use. "

Ideas?

 

Unlocker the file(s):
http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

 

Very Close . . .

I downloaded and ran Unlocker. Don't know how successful it was though. By avoiding the files that were preventing mass deletions (e.g. custdll.dll, flash.ocx), I managed to delete virtually all the others. All that's left now is flash.ocx and a folder called update, which contains custdll.dll and a few other files (like update.exe). Every one of them resists deletion and Unlocking, with the usual "The source file may be in use." message.

I've reclaimed 98%+ of the hard drive space the unneeded XP install was using. What's left is now buried in a place I'll never see it. Other than the academic solution of total victory, I think I'm okay. That small part will remain as a reminder not to install an OS unless you really need it.

Any other suggestions? Thanks for your help.

The Duffer

 

MaccDuff, In order to follow through and win this battle, I now suggest that you get the freeware MoveOnBoot. It's will allow you to mark a file for deletion upon the next reboot, before the Windows environment is able to lock things.

It generally is able to delete stubborn files easily. It's well tested and widely used so not to fear. When installed, it places an option on your right-click context menu that will allow easy access to it.

 

No Go

I downloaded and ran MoveOnBoot. I selected flash.ocx, which it accepted for deletion on reboot. However, none of the other files that I selected for zapping were accepted. Just got a generic "Access is Denied" message. Upon reboot, flash.ocx was still there. Net result: nada.

 

That's disappointing to say the least.

I'll share the following things that I have gleaned from past experiences in hopes that one of them may hold an answer for you. Some are not applicable due to system type but it's easier to paste the whole bunch and let you pick what may apply:

Good luck.

 

When I get a chance I'll try some of these things. But I've already done MoveOnBoot and the ownership issue. And I think I tried the renaming to prevent whatever process is operating to grab these. Various things were done in Safe Mode, but I can't guarantee they all were.

Thanks for hanging with me on this. I'm sure these files aren't interfering with anything, but it's become personal.

The Duffer

 

Success At Last!

Hurrah!!! I just kept banging away: Safe Mode, "editing" files, changing ownerships, protections, and accesses. Apparently XP created an "UNAUTHORIZED USER" who owned these files and prevented zapping. At any rate, they're all gone! Thanks for all the help received here.

The Duffer