Completely removing Windows 7 Beta from dual boot with Vista

[GwynO 16]

After running out of space to install more Thirdwire mods, I decided to loose Windows 7 beta from it's seat in drive D. Although I formatted the D drive, the option to boot into it still shows when I start the computer. I read that the installation CD can remove the boot option, however, the puzzle for me is that the manufacturers statement on the box of the laptop is that the hard drive is 120GB, yet windows disk management shows C drive at 102.97GB, and D drive at 8.81GB. I guess the MBR, boot sector type stuff which I know very little about take up some "hidden" space on a disk that Windows doesn't show, what I am wondering therefore is how much if any of this space is needlessly taken up by Windows 7, and if there is some way to claim this space back?

[JediMaster 451]

You've run into the "HD makers vs everyone else" issue.

For everyone who uses computers, 1 MB isn't 1,000,000 bytes, it's 1,024,000 bytes. HD makers say it's 1,000,000.

 

So, my 160GB drive has 159,996,960,768 bytes. Windows (and the world) says that's 149GB, but the HD says "160GB". There was a class action lawsuit years back about it that resulted in little except some lawyers getting rich and people getting the option to buy a new HD at like $10 off. Whoopee.

 

As for the dual boot still showing, you have to edit your boot.ini file to get rid of that. Take EXTREME care when messing with it!

[GwynO 16]

Well that really takes the biscuit, so HD manufacturers are basically allowed to just lie about the actual size by the sounds of it I solved the problem of Windows 7 still being offered at boot through simply deleting the option in msconfig.

[GwynO 16]

My math is not the best in the world, so pardon me if this totally wrong, but.. if manufacturer claims 120GB based on 1MB being 1,024,000 then 120,000,000 divide by that downright fraudulent claim gives 117.188GB more or less. So I should only be missing 2.813GB, yet I am missing 8.21GB according to Windows.. that still leads me to wonder if Windows7 is somehow taking up space somewhere.