It often happens that when you install an operating system without formatting the hard drive, files from previous copies of Windows remain on the hard drive. In addition to the fact that they take up some space on the local disk, the boot list when you turn on the computer is also an unpleasant moment - every time you have to choose an operating system.
Instructions
Step 1
Manually edit the system boot list that appears on the screen when you turn on the computer. To do this, select the "System Properties" menu item in the "Control Panel" and go to the "Advanced" tab. In the operating system settings line, select the current copy as the default and set the automatic selection timeout to 3 seconds or less.
Step 2
Make hidden folders and files visible. To do this, in any open folder, click the "Tools" menu item. Next, select "Folder Options" and "View". Scroll through the positions in the list that appears to the very end, check the box next to the item "Show hidden files and folders". Apply changes.
Step 3
Manually edit the system boot list. To do this, using the search, find the boot.ini file (which was previously hidden) and open it using the standard Notepad application. Write the following there:
[boot loader]
timeout = 30
default = multi (0) disk (0) rdisk (0) partition (1) WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi (0) disk (0) rdisk (0) partition (1) WINDOWS = "Microsoft Windows XP Professional RU" / noexecute = optin / fastdetect
Step 4
Be extremely careful when entering the code, as one slightest mistake can mean a complete reinstallation of the system. If you cannot save your changes, then the file is protected from changes. To do this, right-click on it, select "Properties", uncheck the "Read-only" attribute and apply the changes.
Step 5
Reboot your system. Open your computer's local drive containing data from previous operating systems. Delete them.
Step 6
Often these files and folders cannot be deleted in the usual way, try using a forced data deletion program like Unlocker, which you can get on the Internet. You can also try to delete them by logging into the system from safe mode - to do this, when the computer boots, press the F8 key and select the desired Windows logon mode.
Step 7
The next time you install the operating system, it is best to format the partition that contained the previously installed copy of Windows. It is highly undesirable to find files of previous operating systems on the computer.
