Vista to 7, lost drivers  

I just updated a computer form Win Vista 32 Home to Win 7 32 Home with a clean install (the computer had a lot of junk and I figured it was best) but for some reason it removed all the drivers from the previous installation of Windows. I have done many upgrades in the past with clean installs and this has never happened, what's different? I'm re-downloading video drivers and what not form the Dell website, unless there is a better way of doing it.

pbcopter said:

What do you mean by "the pre-installation"?

Previous Installation of Windows, IDK why I typed Pre lol

ZenixNet said:

I just updated a computer form Win Vista 32 Home to Win 7 32 Home with a clean install (the computer had a lot of junk and I figured it was best) but for some reason it removed all the drivers from the previous installation of Windows. I have done many upgrades in the past with clean installs and this has never happened, what's different? I'm re-downloading video drivers and what not form the Dell website, unless there is a better way of doing it.

Hello Zenix

You seem to be a bit mixed up If you do a clean install you wipe the HDD and there is nothing left over from the last install, so there should be no surprise with the drivers being missing

If however you do an upgrade, this is not a clean install and this time some parts of the old installation will survive. eg. personal data.

I hope you got it working.

I have done a few clean installs in the past and the drivers were saved, considering you can still find all your user files in the windows.old folder after a clean install I figured drivers were saved somehow as well.

ZenixNet said:

I have done a few clean installs in the past and the drivers were saved, considering you can still find all your user files in the windows.old folder after a clean install I figured drivers were saved somehow as well.

Ok I now know what you are talking about when you have done this in the past you were using Vista and what you call a clean install is actually in my mind a complete system restore. The Vista image is stored on your drive in a hidden partition so everytime you have done this the drivers have all been installed and Windows was the same as when the PC was new except for the folder windows old which is where all your personal files were saved.
When you upgraded to Windows seven however there is no image on you HDD for this system and as Windows 7 uses different drivers to Vista the drivers would not have been installed.
I hope this helps