Resolved Deleting a damaged Win XP from slave drive

System info:

EMachines T3256, one (new) 320GB disk drive (C:/), one older 160GB dirve (now local disk F:/). Windows XP Pro with service pack 3.

A few weeks back, Win XP suddenly refused to boot. I got a diagnostic that one of the files was missing or corrupted (I think it was a "SYSTEM/WINSYS file, but can't be absolutely sure).

I and a very competent Windows person tried everything we could to get a repair to work, but to no avail.

I bought the new HDD and installed it in the system disk slot and installed a new WinXP copy from my recovery disk. It was SP1, but I ran the MS Update system and got to SP3 ( and a couple of hundred other updates!). It's working fine. I installed the damaged drive as a slave and am using data from it.

What I'd like to do is clean out the old WinXP from that slave disk so I can access more of it. I'm assuming that Control Panel's "Add/Remove Programs" can't be directed to clean out programs fom the F: drive, but regular file delete from "My Computer" doesn't remove them. Must be protected some way.

Any suggestions, or should I just live with it?

I did search the archives but couldn't find a query quite like mine.

 

I assume you’re getting "˜Access Denied’, if so you need to take ownership of the folder(s):

1. If you running XP Pro you must firstly turn off simple file sharing via Folder Options > View Tab > Advanced Settings section and click to clear the Use simple file sharing box.

1A. Now right-click the highest level folder that you cannot access > Properties > Security Tab > then OK on any security message that appears. Click Advanced > Owner Tab. In the Name list, click your user name, or click Administrator if you are logged in as Administrator. Put a tick in "˜Replace owner on subcontainers and objects’ > OK, then click Yes.

2. In XP Home, boot the computer to Safe Mode (start tapping F8 when you switch on), choose an OS and your Account.

2A. Now follow (1A) above to take ownership.

 

Thanks guys. I was able to delete all but two files by going through the Windows directory and deleting them a few at a time. The two that are left aren't big enough to worry about.