Will I need to dump all software for new?

Joan Archer · 01 Nov 2009

Well so far I've no problems with any of my software or hardware running on Windows 7.
My printer is an all-in-one Epson plus it was an old model when I bought it for Vista and it worked fine, that printed fine when I installed Windows 7 but I realised it wasn't showing the utility for doing maintenance or checking the ink but of course I hadn't installed the software that came with the printer so installing that sorted out that problem and the printer is working as it should now, and I don't have to put it in compatibility mode.

I haven't come across any of my programs so far that wont work in Windows 7 and my mouse is the same one I've been using through XP, Vista and now 7, it's an old Microsoft Optical Wheel Mouse so I just downloaded the new Intellipoint and my buttons are set how I want them

harpua · 01 Nov 2009

Way to go.

MacGyvr · 01 Nov 2009

I'm curious as to what "problem" would have caused you to need to buy software to clean the drive if you were going to reinstall the operating system.

moosetracker · 02 Nov 2009

I am notorious for moving software not used into a "drawer" then about once every 3 years going through the "drawer" and chucking very old software, I never needed. (I rebuild about twice a year, and have gone to new computers often, but my harddrives have moved with the computers for a few.
Due to the fact that my harddrives were not recognized during installation, then when you get to the window that states choose which harddrive you want OS on.. I had to point to the drivers dll. Well being old drivers that never gave me install problems, that disk was gone. So I searched the internet and found drivers for it. And during the first install they worked.. But I was so happy getting past that point I failed to notice the advance link that would have allowed me to format hard drive (that link did not show up during hard drive issues, and though I was looking for something offering me an option to format, I thought this screen for the time spent on it was totally searched. So I kept going looking for a spot to format harddrives, until the point of no return.
When I came up 3/4 of my OS harddrive showed it was used up.. So I talking to people I figured it to be on that page. I went back got to the harddrive page and got the "unrecognized hardware" when to repoint to my dlls and this time they would not work. Friend pulled software from manufacture site, with definate W7 compatability. They would not work. So I could not get to the section to reformat. But I needed to reformat, to clear out the setup of the dll to the harddrive to get it to work again.
So decided to reformat using my Windows XP.. But, XP was an update also.. And going to my "drawer" win95 or win97, had been chucked.. Didn't need it for rebuilds as it saw itself installed. Obviously friend who rebuilt computers just used my XP software, but his own software for a check, having maintained our computers since the age of DOS he knew we were legit. But now he has moved cross country.

So no way to reformat with W7 or XP.. So needed software to reformat, to get out of the mess.

Luckily W7 has the ways around needing XP installed & activated to validate.