Delete OS from A Hard Drive

Jean updated on Jan 11, 2024 to Computer Instruction | How-to Articles

Trying to delete OS from a hard drive but don't know where to start? You need a Windows installation USB/CD/DVD which enables to remove operating system off a hard drive partition.

Trying to delete OS from a hard drive but don't know where to start? Technically, as long as you logged into Windows as an administrator, you're allowed to delete any hard drive partitions in Windows Disk Management only except the system partition. Your system partition is protected and not able to be deleted. So there is no way to remove your current operating system off from the partition drive?

Of cause there lies a huge possibility to do so. The following content will guide you through how to delete Windows operating system off from a hard drive partition so that you can do a clean install of your favorite operating system and start your PC with a fresh new look.

Before getting started, make sure you're running Windows XP or later version and you have a Windows installation CD.

Steps to delete Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP from system drive

1. Insert the Windows installation CD into your disk drive and restart your computer;

2. Hit any key on your keyboard when asked if you want to boot to the CD;

3. Press "Enter" at the welcome screen and then hit the "F8" key to accept the Windows license agreement.

4. Press "Esc" to view a list of all the operating systems currently installed on your hard drive.

5. Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight the operating system partition that you want to delete.

6. Press the "D" key on your keyboard and then press the "L" key to confirm your decision to delete the operating system. Depending on the amount of data on the hard drive, the deletion process could take up to 30 minutes to complete.