backing up for clean install on the same drive?

Hi!

I want to do a clean install of my purchased Win7 from Win7 RC. The problem is I have a lot of data that I want to keep and since it is about 500GB in size, i have no cheap way of backing it up (obviously considering buying another HDD, but i'd rather not for now). I was thinking that maybe I should partition my 1TB main HDD into 2, and transfer all my data over to new partition, format/clean install the old one and lastly merge the partitions. Is this possible?

Thanks a lot!

personally I have all my data in a separate partition which exists regardless of what operating system is installed on the other partition(s) , I just point the new installs to the "data" drive

Hi Dinesh. I don't really want to upgrade... I'd rather fresh install. I was looking into Windows Easy Transfer and was wondering if it works with clean installs too, perhaps I could put all my data in the easy transfer folders and somehow make em undeletable when I format/clean install.

Ickymay: I have done that before, but I hate the hassle of having to deal with partitions especially when they get full. I remember I had a drive partitioned that way with XP and the XP partition was about 10gb yet it was filling up super fast and giving me alerts every now and then.

I assume you have only 1 drive and it has only 1 partition: C.

If that is so, go to disk management and shrink C, which will leave an amount of unallocated space equal to the amount by which you shrunk C.

Make a partition out of the unallocated space.

Format that space.

You now have C and D partitions. Copy all of your data to D.

Then you can do a clean install to C without affecting your data on D.

Many people would advise you not to then merge C and D back to a single C, but that is personal choice.

Normally, 60 to 80 gigs is enough space for a C partition of Windows 7 and all applications.

If you want to stick with 2 partitions C and D in the long run, try to shrink your current C to 60 or 80 gigs before you make D. Then make a D partition with all of the unallocated space.

If you want to go back to a single C, then just shrink C by enough so that the resultant D can temporarily hold all of your data.

I would back up my bookmarks, emails, and addresses to the new D.

You will have to reinstall all applications if you do a clean install.

Yea, that's what I was thinking. Before I do this however i will research the easy file transfer or whatever its called just in case though.