how do i delete windows 8.1

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17 Feb 2013
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Mistley, Essex
Re installed windows on my SSD so I now have 8.1 on SSD and HDD and i want to delete windows of the HDD for obvious reasons, but ive tryed formatting no luck there (windows cannot format) so i tried doing it via disc manager and i get the "windows cannot delete this volume" anybody know a work around for this?

Thanks in advance
 
yeah i used installation disc and when you say boot drive do you mean head to bios and set it as the boot drive or is it something more strenuous?
 
Ok well I've done something hideously wrong now I headed to bios to change boot options and now I get an operating system wasn't found and can't boot up at all even though both ssd and hdd have windows. I need some major help
 
Ok I've got that working again so back to square one tried changing in bios and it ruined everything haha.
 
I did that and that's why I got no os installed changed back to hdd and it boots but gives me the dual boot option and still won't allow me to remove windows of the hdd is it because the hdd has the files on it to make windows boot but it was a clean install on the ssd so I thought it would be a case of backing up files of my hdd and then deleting but nope.
 
Ok I've taken out hdd leaving the ssd in tried changing the boot option to cd windows 8 inserted but it's not booting from cd or ssd it's just giving me no os installed message again hit ctrl alt del to restart
 
Ok tried a different setting in boot options and now it's booting from cd hopefully this works I've chosen auto repair that said windows couldn't fix the problem tried refresh says my drive is locked tried recovery and it says I must select an os or something :/
 
Please, don't autorepair, just run the Windows setup with just the SSD plugged in and do a total reformat and reinstall of Windows. It's the only clean way of doing things.

If it has issues with the installation on the blank partition (after you've formatted and deleted the partitions from the old install), then hold SHIFT + F10 and open boot manager and clean and format the disk to GPT. Then refresh and windows will install on your blank SSD.

Ahh really cos I only have a windows 8 upgrade disc so will I have to re install 7 then do 8 again? Or will it allow me to just re install because I already have 8.1 installed?
 
Dammit well I've formatted my ssd and now trying to install 8 so far it's going ok hasn't asked me for windows 7 but knowing windows rational it will wait till its 99% done and then say couldn't complete. But fingers crossed I'll post again once the installation has done /failed

Thanks
 
Ok so it's done it without windows 7 stroke of luck aye. Now that's all sorted bit worried about the build number being in the right hand corner even though it says windows is activated but just downloading drivers and I can finally make a start on deleting windows of the other hdd
 
Hopefully it'll sort itself out on next reboot. And all will be fine
Thanks very much for the help so far really appreciate it.
 
were back in business all running of SSD nicely boot times are insane compared to the HDD which is now also formatted :D

Thanks Guys
big help
 
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