Hey everyone! I recently installed an old hard drive into my PC for extra storage. I have a quick question that's been on my mind: is it safe to delete Windows from this secondary hard drive without messing up any other files? I'm not using this drive to boot my PC since I have an SSD for that purpose. I've tried looking up answers but haven't found anything consistent. Also, can I delete the Program Files (especially x86) folder? It's taking up a lot of space from programs that I already have on my SSD, like Office and the Windows Suite. Thanks!
5 Answers
Honestly, if you don't have anything super important saved on that drive, just wipe it clean! As for the Program Files, if you’re using apps that need them, those can’t run without those files. So just double-check that you’re not deleting anything crucial before wiping it out.
You can definitely delete those files. Just remember, if you have any personal documents saved on that HDD, make sure to move those over somewhere else before you delete anything.
If you're looking to have a backup of your SSD, you might want to consider cloning it to the HDD. Tools like Clonezilla can help you transfer everything over smoothly!
To clarify, you're asking if formatting the second drive will affect your SSD, right? Don't worry! If you're booting from the SSD, you’re safe to format the secondary drive. Just follow the steps to delete everything, and you’ll be fine.
Since your main drive (C:) has Windows on it, formatting the second drive won’t affect it at all. It’s totally safe!
I see! So, if I delete Windows from the HDD, it won’t mess with my SSD at all?