How to Delete an Extra OS in Windows 2000

If you have multiple hard drives on your computer or a hard drive with multiple partitions, it is possible to have more than one operating system at the same time. Eventually, you may find you no longer need the extra operating system and only want Windows 2000 on your hard drive. There are two different ways to remove the operating system. You can either use the boot disk that came with your computer to remove the extra partition automatically or you can manually delete the operating system's files.

Boot Disk

Step 1

Insert the Windows 2000 boot disk that came with your system into the computer's disk drive. Restart the computer.

Step 2

Press "Enter" when the boot screen appears. Press "Enter" again when the "Welcome to Setup" page appears on the screen.

Step 3

Press "F8" and then use the down arrow key to highlight the drive partition that contains the extra operating system.

Step 4

Press "R" to start the repair process and wipe out the partition. Press "Esc" and then press "Enter" to restart the computer.

Manual Delete

Step 1

Click Start > My Computer. Click "View" at the top of the window and then choose "Folder Options."

Step 2

Click the "Show All Folders" radio button and then select "OK." Right-click the hard drive letter that contains the extra operating system and choose "Properties."

Step 3

Un-check the check boxes labeled "Hidden," "System" and "Read-Only." Click "OK." Double-click the drive letter that contains the extra operating system.

Step 4

Locate the folder that contains the extra operating system, which will usually be labeled "Windows" or something similar. Right-click the folder and choose "Delete." Open the Start menu and click the "Search" option.

Step 5

Type "boot.ini" and wait for the boot file to appear. Right-click the file and choose "Open With." Select "Notepad." Locate the lines in the file that list the extra operating system you deleted. Highlight the lines and press the "Delete" key. Save and then close the text file.

Tips

• If you no longer have the original Windows 2000 boot disk you can create a new one on your own. Navigate to the Windows 2000 boot disk website and download the disk image. Save the image to a floppy disk or burn it to a CD.

Warnings

• Any programs you installed while using the extra operating system will no longer work properly once the operating system is deleted.

References

• Windows Reinstall: Windows 2000 Professional Repair Install
• Microsoft: How to Remove Windows 98 When It Is Part of a Dual Boot with Windows 2000

Resources

• AllBootDisks: Windows 2000 Boot Disk Downloads

About the Author

Ty Arthur has been writing technical and entertainment-related articles for a variety of online sources since 2008. His articles have appeared on Metalunderground.com and many other websites. Arthur attended the Great Falls College of Technology and studied both computer science and creative writing.