Question about WindowsOld

Turkey1126 · 16 Oct 2010

I recently had a gaming pc built and went with 8 gigs ram 1gig ATI gaming card and 2quardcore processor. the system was switched over to 64bit windows 7 to take advantage of the 64bit OS. I had it custom built and picked it up yesterday.

So my computer guy wanted to see World of Warcraft run on the machine to make sure it is the system I wanted and it is, it is the fastest I have ever been on personally. So i begin to install warcraft and he said we might try to install to windowsold to decrease download time since the program files were there but not the actual program. Now I have had some time to digest what he said and was excited to get it home and fire it up, today is saturday and the computer shop is closed. And I have googled everything imaginable.

My question is; can i select and move the world of warcraft program files from windows old over to program files (not program files (x86)) or should i go to (x86)?? and delete windowsold? is it just a simple drag and drop process from windowsold into programfiles? I am about 2 hours familiar with windows 7 so i do know that x86 cannot be deleted as it has to be there.

any help will be greatly appreciated, thanks
sorry for the long background story

Lee · 16 Oct 2010

Not really sure why he had you install it on windows old. Win old is the old OS you had before you moved to Win 7. Win 7 leaves it installed (will not run) so if there are any files you would like to move over to the new OS (win 7) you can.

Now if he had you install WOW to Win Old then moving it will not work; you will have to reinstall it, so that it gets properly installed in the new OS. Also any applications that show up on the Windows Old file will not run in the new OS. The Win old file is saved primarily so you don't loose your data because of installing the New Winodows 7.

Hope this helps. :)

BTW "Welcome To The Seven Forums.". . .

Turkey1126 · 16 Oct 2010

I just went ahead and uninstalled warcraft and reinstalled it... it went into (x86) by default. I am close to being done with installation and all updates. lol this new computer blows my mind.

Now is it safe to delete the windows old file?

Lordbob75 · 16 Oct 2010

Turkey1126 said:

So i begin to install warcraft and he said we might try to install to windowsold to decrease download time since the program files were there but not the actual program.

What the HELL? Not only would that NOT have an effect, it is really stupid.
I would not trust this guy to fix or work on my computer...

The windows.old folder is essentially the folder of settings, programs, and personal files from the old installation.

You want to reinstall to the Program Files x86 directory.

And yes, feel free to delete it.

~Lordbob

Barman58 · 16 Oct 2010

What worries me with this is if it is a new system why do you have a windows.old at all?

You would be much better off, before you put too much onto the system, completely wiping the HDD and installing a fresh copy of windows 7.

No type of upgrade install is ever as stable in the long term as a fresh clean disk install

whs · 16 Oct 2010

Here is a tut on how to delete windows.old Windows.old Folder - Delete And I vote with Barman. An upgrade installation is constant trouble.

Wishmaster · 16 Oct 2010

This is a new build?

I agree, a new build with a fresh install of Windows with Windows.old folder is worrysome.

I would take it back, or do it yourself, and have them install Windows properly. (via Clean/Fresh Installation)

And Im sorry if this sounds rude, but basing a PCs gaming performance on WOW is not going to be very accurate IMHO.

Very old game, with a extremly low system demand.
Laptops with integrated graphics can run the game.

However, if this is all you play and that matters then thats fine.