Merging Partitions after Windows 7 expires.

I was wondering, though I am probably in the wrong forum, I am doing a clean install on my new HD. I have a Thinkpad T400. I will be installing Windows 7 as well on a new partition. I was wondering after Windows 7 is no longer usuable in August, how easy is it to merge the two partitions, of course deleting Windows 7.

How would you merge partitions? Easy is it easy or there is a possiblity of data loss and partition corruption.

 

You wouldn't want to merge the partitions, that would cause problems.

Instead, you would copy any data files you want FROM THE WINDOWS 7 PARTITION to your original. You would then delete the Windows 7 partition, and extend your original (Vista can do this fine with disk management) to fill up the vacated space.

 

I may have been lucky over the years but using Partition Magic I never had a problem merging or changing partition sizes. I have more than 30 hard drives I fiddle with at times.

 

I think jonlumpkin meant that you might get a problem while merging partitions with Windows 7 files still in there. How would you merge partitions with each of them having Windows, Program Files, profiles etc.

Of course, you can reformat W 7 partition (after saving what you need) and then merge, but still deleting depreciated partition and extending remaining one looks like a cleaner solution.