Uninstall Windows 8 by removing VHD and get back Windows 7 Boot [Guide]

Out of curiosity, many of you have installed Windows 8 Bootable VHD. If you are already played enough around and claim back the space taken up by the installation and continue work with Windows 7 normally then, here is a guide to uninstall Windows 8 by removing VHD.

So lets just focus on the topic as to How to remove Windows 8 installed VHD file without affecting your System or HDD. It’s a tried and tested procedure so let’s go step by step and follow the article below to uninstall Windows 8 VHD.

1. Change Default OS to Windows 7

As you can see above, the screenshots are showing the Boot Menu of Windows 8. Here you have to change the default OS as windows 7 instead of Windows 8 Developer Preview. Either way, even if you are keeping your Windows 8 though I will recommend you to keep Windows 7 Boot loader, as its faster.

By this process your system will now be reading the boot menu of windows 7. Here we are almost done. Start Windows 7 and then restart your System. You must have to do this or it will not save the Boot Menu settings that you just changed. Now check which boot menu does your system load. It should load Windows 7 classic Boot Loader.

Windows 7 Boot Menu looks like this

If you are getting this Boot Menu then you are free to do the next step which is very easy, that is to Delete the VHD file in you HDD

After Deleting the VHD file your space is recovered now. You can check it in Disk-Management, there will not be any Unallocated Partition.

Removing the Windows 8 Developer Preview Boot Entry

Go to Start menu and search “msconfig” open it and you will have this Window as I have shown above. There you can see Windows 7 is my Default OS. You just have to select Windows Developer Preview and delete it. Select windows 7 as default if its not showing before deleting. Apply the settings and OK. Now restart your System and you will have a HDD free from Windows 8.

Though  the screenshots refer to Windows 8 Developer Build but it is expected that the procedure should work on all future build of Windows 8 as the concept of VHD remains same.

Note : This is the easiest way to remove Windows 8 installed VHD file. But before doing this process, you must have to define your default OS as windows 7 to your system.