Windows 10: Will I destroy my ability to boot Windows if I delete the hidden partitions on an old OS drive?

Discus and support Will I destroy my ability to boot Windows if I delete the hidden partitions on an old OS drive? in Windows 10 Gaming to solve the problem; I hope makes sense, I haven't dealt with boot loaders for years.I had Win 11 running on a Gen3 NVMe drive.I installed a new mobo and decided on a fresh... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Gaming' started by Fluid Poetry, Aug 17, 2022.

  1. FLUID POETRY
    Fluid Poetry Win User

    Will I destroy my ability to boot Windows if I delete the hidden partitions on an old OS drive?


    I hope makes sense, I haven't dealt with boot loaders for years.I had Win 11 running on a Gen3 NVMe drive.I installed a new mobo and decided on a fresh install on a new Gen4 NVMe drive. The problem is: I installed the new OS while keeping the old NVMe drive in the mobo.Now when I startup my system, I have two OS location options and I'm wondering if Windows has placed it's boot loader in a hidden partition of the old drive.For example, BIOS lists both NVMe drives at the same time and lists the older drive in the summary in the boot priority.Basic Question:Is it ok to delete the hidden partitio

    :)
     
    Fluid Poetry, Aug 17, 2022
    #1
  2. NEWTEKIE1
    newtekie1 Win User

    Partition Windows XP problem

    You might have to go into the BIOS and change the boot order to boot from the CD.

    Then boot from the Windows XP CD. Delete all the partitions(this will destroy all the data on the machine!), then install Windows on the drive you want, partitioning it if you wish.
     
    newtekie1, Aug 17, 2022
    #2
  3. DIPPYSKOODLEZ
    Dippyskoodlez Win User
    /boot Partition?

    If you have a newer CPU, I would suggest using some Virtualization software.

    Virtual machine software that's free like Virtual Box or a "to buy" one like Vmware...

    You can install, mess with and even straight up destroy OS's in a nice, safe little sandbox, and it doesn't hamper a thing *Wink Will I destroy my ability to boot Windows if I delete the hidden partitions on an old OS drive? ;)
     
    Dippyskoodlez, Aug 17, 2022
    #3
  4. ANGELKILLER
    angelkiller Win User

    Will I destroy my ability to boot Windows if I delete the hidden partitions on an old OS drive?

    /boot Partition?

    [Solved] /boot Partition?

    Ok, I like playing around with multiple operating systems so I tend to have a few installed at a time. My issue is related to the bootloader. Every new Linux OS I install installs its own version of Grub. That's fine until you delete that partition.... *Bang Head :banghead:

    I was thinking about creating a small (ie ~50MB) partition that /boot will reside on. This way I can have one copy of Grub that would boot my several OS(s) depending on what they are. I think this is a good idea so I can delete one OS's partition and still be able to boot the other OS(s).

    Unfortunately, I am not an expert with bootloaders and I'm not really sure how /boot has to do with booting. Can someone tell me how feasible my idea is? I'm looking for a way to have multiple OS(s) but only one bootloader so when I delete one OS, the bootloader will still be intact.

    Any ideas/suggestions/advice is appreciated! *Smile Will I destroy my ability to boot Windows if I delete the hidden partitions on an old OS drive? :)
     
    angelkiller, Aug 17, 2022
    #4
Thema:

Will I destroy my ability to boot Windows if I delete the hidden partitions on an old OS drive?

Loading...

  1. Will I destroy my ability to boot Windows if I delete the hidden partitions on an old OS drive? - Similar Threads - destroy ability boot

  2. Will I destroy my ability to boot Windows if I delete the hidden partitions on an old OS drive?

    in Windows 10 Software and Apps
    Will I destroy my ability to boot Windows if I delete the hidden partitions on an old OS drive?: I hope makes sense, I haven't dealt with boot loaders for years.I had Win 11 running on a Gen3 NVMe drive.I installed a new mobo and decided on a fresh install on a new Gen4 NVMe drive. The problem is: I installed the new OS while keeping the old NVMe drive in the mobo.Now...

  3. I can't delete partition in my USB drive

    in Windows 10 Network and Sharing
    I can't delete partition in my USB drive: I flash a os in my USB drive, that time the USB as accidentally removed. I USB drive as automatically created a partitions and I can't delete the partitions...

  4. I can't delete partition in my USB drive

    in Windows 10 Gaming
    I can't delete partition in my USB drive: I flash a os in my USB drive, that time the USB as accidentally removed. I USB drive as automatically created a partitions and I can't delete the partitions...

  5. I can't delete partition in my USB drive

    in Windows 10 Software and Apps
    I can't delete partition in my USB drive: I flash a os in my USB drive, that time the USB as accidentally removed. I USB drive as automatically created a partitions and I can't delete the partitions...

  6. Can I delete the whole OS partition on old HDD?

    in Windows 10 Drivers and Hardware
    Can I delete the whole OS partition on old HDD?: Hi! I bought a new SSD and cloned the OS from my HDD into it. I tried booting the computer without the HDD opened the computer, physically removed it and booted. It booted just fine but I noticed that the pathway for my apps is still C:/.... when the letter for the OS in...

  7. Will windows still boot on the first drive if I delete the partitions on my second drive?

    in Windows 10 Installation and Upgrade
    Will windows still boot on the first drive if I delete the partitions on my second drive?: Hello All, I've treated myself to a new SSD. I've moved my old HDD to the secondary slot with windows still installed - its slow but can still be used for storage. Installed windows 10 on the SSD. Moved my data over to the SSD. I was about to delete the partitions and...

  8. I deleted my Windows boot manager partition

    in Windows 10 Installation and Upgrade
    I deleted my Windows boot manager partition: HELP! I accidentally deleted the windows boot partition when trying to dual boot with another system, how do I restore it? Can I reinstall it? https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/i-deleted-my-windows-boot-manager-partition/dfa6be84-33b3-4e7b-a1db-91bd6df0a2c3

  9. I deleted my OS

    in Windows 10 Installation and Upgrade
    I deleted my OS: I was trying to factory reset my computer. I deleted my OS and now when I turn on the PC it goes straight to a black screen once in a great while it would load up the bios screen but it would freeze. I do not know what else to do. I have windows 10 on a USB I had almost had...

  10. Reformatting Old OS Drive Partition

    in Windows 10 Support
    Reformatting Old OS Drive Partition: Just cloned Windows 10 system disk from 230 Gb SSD to 900 Gb SSD using Acronis. New system drive works fine. Trying to remove the OS partition from old OS drive and get "OS (E*Smile Simple Volume is currently in use" and statement regarding forced deletion may affect...