Windows.old clean install

[DaveA]

We did a clean install of Windows 7 Home Premium on a Vista machine.
Every time it it booted, we get the which OS do we want to use "Windows" or the old "Vista".

What is the best way of removing the selection but still keeping Windows.old for a while?

We are not brave enough to select Vista as I am afraid it will do a uninstall of Windows 7.

I did NOT have this issue when I went from Windows XP to Vista 7 on a clean install.

[Argus]

You could use msconfig (System Configuration), with the new* Boot tab (and edit the list, removing the old OS entry).
* New in Vista and 7.

Or perhaps edit the BCD directly? Either via bcdedit or by using some other software, such as EasyBCD.

You could of course temporarily use the Startup and Recovery dialogue (Advanced system settings, in Control Panel, Advanced tab, Settings) and set the "time to display list ..." to 0.

BTW, it doesn't sound like a clean install.

[DaveA]

The msconfig did the trick.
Thanks.

[Leif]

BTW, it doesn't sound like a clean install.

It could be if W7 was installed onto another partition, leaving Vista as part of a potential dual-boot system - no?

[DaveA]

No there is ONLY the one partition and removing the entry did clear up the boot up screen.

[Argus]

BTW, it doesn't sound like a clean install.

It could be if W7 was installed onto another partition, leaving Vista as part of a potential dual-boot system - no?

Hello Leif,
I don't know what was done in this case, but I thought that the "Windows.old" indicated that the latest installed OS, Windows 7, was on the same partition as the previous OS. But, yes, a clean install of Windows 7, on a second partition, will result in such "boot menu", no doubt have many people, "upgrading" from Vista, done that.

[DaveA]

We are NOT alone on this. We have ONLY one partition and the Windows.old folder is on the C drive. I have posted at other sites with other user that have had the same issue. The fix from MSCONFIG stops the selection screen, if one does NOT want to delete the Windows.old folder for a while.

By going to http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/wind ... old-folder" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; one will get full instructions on the removal of this folder.

How do I remove the Windows.old folder?

If you install Windows 7 by performing a custom installation and don't format the partition during the installation process, files that were used in your previous version of Windows are stored in the Windows.old folder. The type of files in this folder depends on your computer. After you’ve used Windows 7 for a while—for example, one or two weeks—and you’re confident that your files and settings are back to where you want them to be, you can safely reclaim disk space by using Disk Cleanup to delete the Windows.old folder.