It is worth paying tribute to the programmers from Microsoft: after minimizing the line of Windows 9x, all subsequent operating systems are more resistant to various failures. For example, if in the days of the famous “95-98” the expression “Blue Screen of Death” (BSOD) was familiar to every user, now beginners who have begun exploring the world of operating systems with Win 7 may not even know what BSOD is. The absence of serious errors and an improved memory manager made it possible to achieve high system reliability: for many Win 7 it has been working for years without reinstalling.
However, sometimes there is still a need to reinstall, and at this stage there may be some difficulties, for example, many simply do not know the answer to the question "How to remove Windows." This operation frees up several gigabytes of disk space. Uninstalling Windows 7 is simple enough if you know the procedure.
Let's look at an example from life: the computer turned out to be infected with a virus, extorting money, and does not boot. It is impossible to use antivirus, because there is no Internet to download, and looking for acquaintances with a computer means a loss of time, often exceeding the period for reinstalling Windows. In fact, the reasons for looking for a way to remove Windows can be very diverse.
In any case, the initial data is the folder with the operating system located on the disk partition, which should be deleted. There are three ways to remove Windows, so you need to choose the most suitable one. We list them.
The first is the simplest, but at the same time, the least flexible. Its use is possible if the hard drive is divided into several partitions, among which one is reserved for the system. The second condition is that important user files were saved on other sections or “there is nothing valuable”. In this case, you do not need to search the Web for an answer to the question of how to remove Windows, because the problem can be solved in a few minutes. You need to start the installation of the operating system (Windows or Linux). At one of the initial stages, the partition manager will be loaded, and the user will see a dialog box with possible actions on the hard disk. You should select a system partition and format it. All data will be deleted. It is important not to confuse anything and correctly specify the target section. The main disadvantage of this method, which in some cases makes it completely unsuitable, is the impossibility of such formatting if there is only one main partition on the hard disk.
The second way to remove Windows is to boot a LiveCD from a pre-prepared CD or flash drive. The Live system is the same Windows (Linux), but with support only for basic functions. From the shell, everyone can delete the folder with the old system. If access to files is prohibited, you should add yourself to the list of owners: right-click on the folder, then “Properties - Security - Advanced - Owner” (“change”, put a tick and assign yourself). This order is relevant for Windows 7-based LiveCDs. Note that many CDs that carry the operating system distribution and many auxiliary programs (for example, the famous Zver DVD) already contain the option to download LiveCDs in the menu.
The third method is implemented by the installer. Applicable if necessary, reinstall Seven. Starting the installation from the distribution kit, you will be offered the choice of the target disk for the operating system. It is necessary to indicate exactly the section on which the "old" system already exists. The installer will copy all system folders to Windows.old, from where later all user data can be easily restored. If then it will be impossible to remove Windows.old, then we read the recommendations given for the second method (how to make yourself the owner).