No, you cannot delete it.
No, you cannot delete it.
I purchased an SSD for my operating system and boot drive, plus a drive for frequently used programs. I now have Windows installed on both devices. I don’t need it on the secondary drive, and I also don’t want to risk losing all my files there. First, is there a method to erase the Windows installation without wiping the drive, and second, if not, can I manually remove the Windows files from that secondary drive safely? Thanks!
You're looking for an OS on the SSD while preserving your programs and files. Essentially, you want to keep your existing setup but switch the drive. If you reinstall Windows on a fresh SSD, you'll still need to reinstall most apps and set the HDD as the installation directory—most programs rely on registry entries and temporary files there. But if you proceed this way, simply remove and copy any files you wish from the HDD. The SSD might contain locked or hidden files; just display them and back them up before deleting. Always make sure to save any important data from the drive you're wiping, then restore it afterward.