Trying to delete OS from a hard drive You're allowed to delete any hard drive partitions in Windows Disk Management, except the system partition, which is protected and cannot be deleted, ensuring your current operating system remains intact.
You can easily delete the Windows operating system from a hard drive partition to start fresh with a clean install of your favorite OS. This process will guide you through the steps to achieve a brand-new look for your PC.
To get started, ensure you're running Windows XP or later version and have a Windows installation CD. This will allow you to access the necessary features and tools for the task at hand.
1. Insert the Windows installation CD into your disk drive and restart your computer.
2. Press any key on your keyboard when asked if you want to boot to the CD.
3. Press the "Enter" key at the welcome screen and then hit the "F8" key to accept the Windows license agreement.
4. To view a list of all the operating systems currently installed on your hard drive, press the "Esc" key. This will display a list of all the operating systems available for booting.
5. To delete the operating system partition, use the up and down arrow keys to highlight the partition that contains the operating system. This will be the partition that has the operating system installed on it, typically labeled as "Windows" or the name of the operating system you are using.
6. To delete the operating system, press the "D" key on your keyboard, then press the "L" key to confirm. The deletion process may take up to 30 minutes, depending on the amount of data on the hard drive.