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Win 7 Beta Removal

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18 replies

by jwebfoot2togo

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I have a Beta version of Win 7. Don't like it decided to go back to Vista (which I like) or even XP. But, I can't get Win 7 to go away. I even took the HDD out of the boot sequence (disabled it) and still Win 7 blows by the CD\DVD reader and boots the operating system. Does any body have any ideas. By the way it's on a Dell Latitude notebook so I'd rather not have to clear CMOS if some one has an easier fix.

18 replies

by seanferd

Make sure the machine is set to boot from the optical drive before the hard drive.

by thumbsup2

edit/repair the Vista equivalent of the boot.ini file (whatever it's called) to remove reference to boot to 7. That is, if this was a dual boot setup. I presume it was, since he mentioned 7 being on another drive.

by cg it

Windows 7 installation notes warn users that they can not go back once it's installed.

by jwebfoot2togo

If you had read properly I even went to the point of disabling the HDD in the BIOS boot.

by oh smeg

Of the OS. So you should use a Utility like Kill Disc to wipe the HDD

http://www.killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm

Then using your Recovery Disc install the OS you want installed.

You will need to enter the BIOS and set the Boot Order to Optical First and then the HDD.

You also should back up your data before starting this process as well. ;)

Col

by seanferd

Let's just hope the optical drive can be set to boot first.
Then bootmgr & BCD can be re-written, or the disk wiped and Vist reinstalled.

But why would Win7 cause the system to be unable to boot from CD? (If that is actually the case.)

by thumbsup2

Win7 does NOT prevent booting from CD. I boot to CD all the time with mine. So, there's something else wrong.

It could be (1) the BIOS aren't set correctly, (2) when the prompt says "press a key to boot from CD", they're not pressing the infamous 'any key', (3) the CD isn't bootable or is damaged, (4) the drive isn't jumpered correctly, (5) the drive -or- cable -or- controler is bad.

by oh smeg

Maybe they are using one of those USB Keyboards that doesn't work till the OS is loaded. ;)

Col

by jwebfoot2togo

That seems to be the major malfunction. What about 7 allows it to by pass the boot order even when the drive it is on is not even in the boot order?

by thumbsup2

It's in the boot.ini (if WinXP) or.... ummm... that other file I can't remember the name of (if Vista) which resides on the primary drive and which tells the system which to boot first or give you a menu if that's the way you have it set.

You need to reverse the procedure you used to create the dual boot setup.

by jwebfoot2togo

That is all well and good but it isn't a dual boot system. I wouldn't do that to test for user. I try to create their real world usage,apps and such.

by oh smeg

You need to wipe the HDD and reload it.

This is not something unique to Windows 7 it is quite common with all Beta OS's and every M$ Bets OS in particular.

Just use Kill Disc

http://www.killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm

To wipe the entire Drive and then reload the system on the Partition/s that you need.

Col

by thumbsup2

.... Then how in the heck did you fit a 2nd HDD into a Latitude Notebook?

One way or another, you're leaving out some important information here. Either you have one hard drive which is set up to dual boot, or you have a 2nd hard drive plugged in somewhere which has that 2nd OS installed on it. If it's the latter, how were you setting the computer to boot to that particular HDD first? What ever you did, UNDO it, even if that means unplugging the drive.

by jwebfoot2togo

Definitely single HDD it's on a laptop without the HDD patitioned and as stated earlier would still boot to Win T when the HDD was disabled in the BIOS. And I am trying to UNDO the major malfunction which is Win 7

by older mycroft

So my question then HAS to be - If there are no partitions AND you have a single HDD, then WHERE has your other operating system been living?

[u]ANSWER:[/u] You've never HAD a second operating system. So each time you complain that it keeps booting even when you've disable it - you've NOT DISABLED IT at all.

All you've been doing, is continuing to boot Windows 7 - because that's all your system has got on it.

Now, in order to install anything, the hard drive must be connected. So I suggest you follow the advice you've already had many times - scrub the existing hard drive then reinstall the OS of your choice from scratch.

When any equation involves Windows 7, you MUST blow it away then reinstall from a clean empty hard drive.

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