SillyDog701

[James]

Okay... a couple of simple questions. They've only occurred to me since I've only upgraded twice in the distant past and since that time, I've simply bought new computers when a new OS was introduced.

From everything I've read, folks recommend a clean install of Win 7 rather than an upgrade. I understand that a clean install can be made from an upgrade CD but that is my question since my son-in-law bought the full version rather than the upgrade. When he comes for Thanksgiving, I'm going to have him install all three of our computers with Win7 (he bought three software packages since he gets them so reasonably at MS).

Now to my questions.

- when a clean install is done, isn't the system wiped clean? And if that is the case, where do my files (i.e. pictures, documents, e-mail) go? Is there a transfer or a migration program? Does it take a second computer or hard drive (we have a three terrabyte external hard drive for backup) to transfer these files over while the system is wiped clean and the new OS is installed?

- what about the programs (i.e. Windows Mail, Firefox and so forth)? Would I need to download new versions and install them? If they were also simply transferred wouldn't some of the files from the old Vista system corrupt the new system?

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[Fulvio]

This applies to OS as well as programs.
1.Clean Installs wipe out everything, and the file do not go in the trash, either. Recoverable? Perhaps, but I never bothered. I would back up everything on another drive. Then, I would wipe everything out.
My only experience with something like this goes way back when I wiped out my Win98, from an old computer, and installed Win98SE.
My original hard drive was ok, but the much larger existing drive had gone to pot so, obviously, I had to install some programs.
2. If the original system was wiped out, some programs will have to be installed, but files from the saved profiles could be used, without fear. But not all files. No preference files.
As far as I know to eliminate headaches, I would take my time.

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[James]

Thanks for the information, Fulvio.

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[iJohnE]

Usually I would recommend a clean install.
If you upgrade, you risk carrying over system problems.
With a clean install, it's like a brand new computer.

If your system does not have problems, do an upgrade.
If you are having system problems, back up your data, and preform a clean install.

There's my advice.

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[Antony]

- when a clean install is done, isn't the system wiped clean? And if that is the case, where do my files (i.e. pictures, documents, e-mail) go? Is there a transfer or a migration program? Does it take a second computer or hard drive (we have a three terrabyte external hard drive for backup) to transfer these files over while the system is wiped clean and the new OS is installed?

I believe with clean install, you have the option of keeping all files in a folder somewhere, i.e. you don't perform a reformat of the HDD.
The Windows folder would be new.

Of course, if you have an external HDD, life would be easier.

- what about the programs (i.e. Windows Mail, Firefox and so forth)? Would I need to download new versions and install them? If they were also simply transferred wouldn't some of the files from the old Vista system corrupt the new system?

Well, I don't know. (There's a Migration Assistant in Mac OS X for years which works well.)

I have a recommendation: tell your son-in-law that he will be responsible for screwing up your computer.

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[Don_HH2K]

Windows Vista and 7's installers will put everything they're about to overwrite into a folder called [tt]Windows.old[/tt] if you choose to do a clean install. That said, you can drag and drop certain things back, such as Word documents and MP3s, but you'll need to reinstall software like Office or iTunes.

Personally, I'd also back up to some external media, just in case.

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[James]

Windows Vista and 7's installers will put everything they're about to overwrite into a folder called [tt]Windows.old[/tt] if you choose to do a clean install. That said, you can drag and drop certain things back, such as Word documents and MP3s, but you'll need to reinstall software like Office or iTunes.

Personally, I'd also back up to some external media, just in case.

Ah... so this Windows.old folder will hold "everything"? So... when the install is completed... is that when I can bring back those files (i.e. pictures, documents) I wish to reside on the new OS? And what about e-mail? How do I preserve my e-mails or do I send them to a webmail account for storage?

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[Don_HH2K]

Windows.old will hold your old Windows folder, your old Program Files folder, and your Users (or Documents and Settings) folder. From there, it's just drag and drop, same as you'd be doing if you'd backed everything up to an external hard drive. Let's say your default e-mail client is Thunderbird: copy your Thunderbird profile from Windows.old's Application Data folder to your current one, then reinstall Thunderbird and everything should be intact.

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