How to Remove Windows from a Hard Drive Without Formatting
Jonna joined AOMEI in 2021 and has become a professional in the areas of computer backup and restoration, disk cloning, file synchronization, etc. She maintains a keen eye for the latest technology trends, ensuring that the information provided is always in step with industry developments.
Yes, you can remove Windows from a hard drive without formatting.
To delete OS from hard drive but keep files, there are two simple processes to go:
First, remove your Windows boot entry and all related system files.
Secondly, erase the old Windows folders from the hard drive. And then run the disk cleanup utility to eliminate any leftovers from the previously removed OS.
However, to protect your data from accidental deletion, it is highly advisable to perform a backup before proceeding with the removal of Windows. You risk losing your data if something goes wrong during the process. To backup files on hard drive easily, you can turn to AOMEI Backupper Standard for help.
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To remove the Windows boot entry and system files from hard drive, you could follow the steps below:
1Press Windows + R keys to open the Run window.
2ype msconfig in the Run window, and click OK.
3Under the Boot tab, pick Windows 11/10/7/8 to remove, then click Delete.
4After removing the boot entry, now, you should delete all the Windows directories from your hard drive.
5Once you have successfully eliminated all the Windows directories, your drive should have the necessary space without requiring a format.
