Macbook remove OSX keep windows 7

[scaleblue]

Please answer as many as you can
and even if you beg I wont keep my OSX install.
Also i do not have the windows 7 ultimate install disc so i cant reinstall.

Is there a program that will remove bootcamp loaders and install ntldr? or can I do that myself?
or a way to remove mac and only keep my windows 7 partition
I think that if i remove all partitions besides bootcamp will windows still load & work fine?
I dont like loading through bootcamp is there something that will let me load through normal windows ntldr?
i keep thinking that if i just delete the
bootmgr file and paste an ntldr that it will load
If it helps i have 2 usb flash drives 1GB each. maybe i can create a windows 7 partition(with flash drives) move my data then delete all the other partitions, i only have two 1GB flash drives and no product key or original install disc.


If they dont have any programs that do this, you'd think they would have one by now.

thank you for helping me.

 

[MJL]

Please answer as many as you can
and even if you beg I wont keep my OSX install.
Also i do not have the windows 7 ultimate install disc so i cant reinstall.

Is there a program that will remove bootcamp loaders and install ntldr? or can I do that myself?
or a way to remove mac and only keep my windows 7 partition
I think that if i remove all partitions besides bootcamp will windows still load & work fine?
I dont like loading through bootcamp is there something that will let me load through normal windows ntldr?
i keep thinking that if i just delete the
bootmgr file and paste an ntldr that it will load
If it helps i have 2 usb flash drives 1GB each. maybe i can create a windows 7 partition(with flash drives) move my data then delete all the other partitions, i only have two 1GB flash drives and no product key or original install disc.


If they dont have any programs that do this, you'd think they would have one by now.

thank you for helping me.

I wanted to know the answer too so I tried to do this. Problem is that Windows wants a MBR partitioning scheme and OSX is installed under GUID. BootCamp turns the partitioning scheme into a "hybrid" which by nature is not very stable.

In order to have only Windows on the HDD you'll need MBR and to convert from GUID to MBR the drive needs to be empty.

You can download a Windows iso to reinstall - as long as you have the activation (product) key. There is some software to retrieve this key from your present installation but you'll have to use google for that, I have not had the need to use one for a very long time (I always put the stickers on the bottom of the computer).

Lots of work to do. One downside is that you loose the ability to do a firmware upgrade which is why some people keep OS X sitting on the HDD.

 

[Quad5Ny]

You don't need OS X installed to run Windows. Just wipe the drive and install as you would on any other computer.

 

[thekev]

^Exactly..... why would you need boot camp if you aren't partitioning drives? On something like a mac pro I'd always give Windows its own drive.

 

[MJL]

You don't need OS X installed to run Windows. Just wipe the drive and install as you would on any other computer.

OP mentioned that he cannot wipe the drive since he has not the original install DVD.

 

[johnhurley]

and even if you beg I wont keep my OSX install

Ouch!

I would recommend that you first create a usb lion recovery flash drive. That way "you could go back" if you wanted to at some future point. Don't get excited that just gives you a path back you don't have to use it ... ever.

Then boot up from the lion recovery flash drive and go into disk utility and format the whole drive as exFAT.

Then reboot from a win 7 install image of some kind and partition the whole system as makes sense to you.

 

[MJL]

Ouch!

I would recommend that you first create a usb lion recovery flash drive. That way "you could go back" if you wanted to at some future point. Don't get excited that just gives you a path back you don't have to use it ... ever.

Then boot up from the lion recovery flash drive and go into disk utility and format the whole drive as exFAT.

Then reboot from a win 7 install image of some kind and partition the whole system as makes sense to you.

I would suggest to make a backup with time machine too - if you in due time want to sell the machine then you'll want to have OS X running on it.

I am also running only Windows and have no OSX on the internal drive although I am going to have another go at trying to get Parallels to work (so far nothing but error messages and Parallels support is useless)

 

[Quad5Ny]

I would recommend that you first create a usb lion recovery flash drive. That way "you could go back" if you wanted to at some future point.

OP mentioned that he cannot wipe the drive since he has not the original install DVD.

http://support.apple.com/kb/dl1433
http://www.mydigitallife.info/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-from-digital-river/
                                                  

 

[scaleblue]

Thank you all for the information.
Well if i remove the OSX partition then everything will be fine? and would you bet money on that?
I already use a partition tool that lets me re-size bootcamp partitions and other things and i already stole a lot of OSX's partition space, so it works.
and is there a repair install program that i can use to repair my windows data so it would be like a reinstall?

 

[MJL]

  OP mentioned that he cannot wipe the drive since he has not the original install DVD.   

Seems you missed the point of the OP mentioning a Windows install DVD and the mistaken belief of unable to reinstall Windows Ultimate.

 

[scaleblue]

Seems you missed the point of the OP mentioning a Windows install DVD and the mistaken belief of unable to reinstall Windows Ultimate.

would i need to activate it over the internet?
or would it use my already activated product key?
after 30 days could i just reinstall?
I assume i could install this while running windows 7?

 

[Quad5Ny]

Seems you missed the point of the OP mentioning a Windows install DVD and the mistaken belief of unable to reinstall Windows Ultimate.

I'm not getting what your saying. I gave him the link to the Windows ISO's and the Lion Recovery Disk Assistant because you pointed out he did not have them. (And the quote in your post is wrong. You quoted yourself but have my name.)

would i need to activate it over the internet?
or would it use my already activated product key?
after 30 days could i just reinstall?
I assume i could install this while running windows 7?

• Yes
• Yes, but on a clean install you need to type it in again
• Yes, but you need to re-format the partition to restart the trial (and FYI the trial can actually last 120 days; Google "slmgr /rearm")
• Yes, but what would be the point of that?

 

[scaleblue]

im just going to post my results/conclusion.

I can delete mac partition and windows will load.

I can run windows 7 ultimate 64x, without bootcamp.
when running windows 7 without boot camp, lots of drivers dont work.

To install windows 7 (while running windows 7)without disc is easy, virtual clone drive, and windows iso, from my digital life.

be careful with windows loaders because they dont understand how a "Boot camp" master boot record works.

If you have problems reinstalling mac os x, you can fix everything by reseting the nvram.

You dont need any internet to install and run windows 7.
but you will be on the trial version.

I can resize and delete partitions easily with MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition 7.0, even boot camp partitions.

Dont delete the 200MB partition unless you dont want windows to load correctly or even at all.

The best setup for a mac running windows is a mac partition and a windows partition using bootcamp. all other methods do not work as well or just dont work. To me, big windows partition small mac partition.

if you think you want more space for windows, so you want to delete mac then wipe mac and back up all valuble windows data. if you ever want to reinstall windows 7 with all drivers. YOU WILL have to install Mac os x.

back up what you want
if you want a fresh start then wipe your hard drive (reset the nvram)and install mac then, "Boocamp" windows 7

I use Windows 7 ultimate Intel 64x on a macbook. All this should be true on any mac.

 

[Sincci]

I can delete mac partition and windows will load.

I can run windows 7 ultimate 64x, without bootcamp.
when running windows 7 without boot camp, lots of drivers dont work.

To install windows 7 (while running windows 7)without disc is easy, virtual clone drive, and windows iso, from my digital life.

be careful with windows loaders because they dont understand how a "Boot camp" master boot record works.

If you have problems reinstalling mac os x, you can fix everything by reseting the nvram.

You dont need any internet to install and run windows 7.
but you will be on the trial version.

I can resize and delete partitions easily with MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition 7.0, even boot camp partitions.

Dont delete the 200MB partition unless you dont want windows to load correctly or even at all.

The best setup for a mac running windows is a mac partition and a windows partition using bootcamp. all other methods do not work as well or just dont work. To me, big windows partition small mac partition.

if you think you want more space for windows, so you want to delete mac then wipe mac and back up all valuble windows data. if you ever want to reinstall windows 7 with all drivers. YOU WILL have to install Mac os x.

back up what you want
if you want a fresh start then wipe your hard drive (reset the nvram)and install mac then, "Boocamp" windows 7

I use Windows 7 ultimate Intel 64x on a macbook. All this should be true on any mac.

First of all, you don't need to have OSX installed in order to have Windows 7 running. With a completely empty drive, you can just boot the installation cd when you start your machine (just hold alt button down and select the Windows cd icon to start the installation).

You can also delete the 200mb partition during the setup and let Windows create you different partition that will be around 100mb.

Finally, no matter how you install your Windows, you can always use the bootcamp drivers and have all the hardware working. Just remember to download them in bootcamp assistant and save them on a usb stick or a cd-r before you decide to erase your OSX partition.