copy all directories from windows.old?

tersagun

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Btw I may need some help as well.



I wanted to install Win8 on my new Ssd and did so on my current Win7. Interestingly, there isn't an option to choose on which partition to install win8; it just installed the Win8 on C turning my current win7 to windows.old



My question is, cannot I just install win7 on the new ssd and then copy all of the directories from windows.old to the win directory. Wouldn't that work? Or windows isn't that easy to fool? :-)



I'm not expecting all the programs to run like before because of the registry differences but having all the appdata, system settings etc. Should be revertable I think.



What do you guys think?



Thanks!





Edit:

Gee, this was supposed to be a reply to a thread. I guess I was the victimof tapatalk for windows.
 

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What are you trying to do ?

Install Windows 8 or 7 ?

The only thing you grab from the windows old folder is your data.
 

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What are you trying to do ?

Install Windows 8 or 7 ?

The only thing you grab from the windows old folder is your data.



Hi and thanks for the replies guys.



What I'm trying to do is to get my old Win7as much as possible. My win8 install will remain as a fresh install but I would like to make the new win7 as similar to my old win7, meaning program settings etc which are stored in Appdata and so.

Like program settings, cache..
 
Totally confusing, maybe you could start at the beginning and tell us exactly what you have done.

What new Windows 7 install ? Thought you installed windows 8 to an ssd ?
 

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I suggest you slow down and do the research before you just start installing randomly with no plan.

On the same drive, you'd want to shrink C to create a new partition to install the other OS in a Dual Boot Installation - Windows 8 and Windows 7

On a separate HD or SSD it's best to unplug the existing one to Clean Install - Windows 8 or Clean Reinstall Windows 7 to the new one. After install plug back in the other drive and boot your choice via the BIOS, setting preferred HD first to boot and using the Boot Menu key to choose the other. If this isn't to your liking, install EasyBCD to the System partition to add the other to a Windows Boot menu.

Using Windows.old is not a backup method. Files should always be backed up at all times against hard drive failure. If you dont' already have adequate space on another drive for backup, you can use an External drive or if your files fit on a flash stick. Another method is here to Sync, Backup and Store your Files to the Cloud with OneDrive which offers 15gb storage free for every Windows Live ID.

Rich gave you a way to recover your Win7 installation from the windows.old folder. If necessary you can also Clean Reinstall Windows 7 which shows how to get and keep a perfect install, including how to copy your files into a new install and set it up perfectly. Note that you do not want to import Appdata or other settings into a fresh install as they are a corruption path. Start fresh and clean.
 
Last edited:
Totally confusing, maybe you could start at the beginning and tell us exactly what you have done.

What new Windows 7 install ? Thought you installed windows 8 to an ssd ?



Heya,



I tried to explain at the op.



I had a win7 on c: and installed a fresh win8 over c. So my win7 became windows.old



But because I want to keep a running win7 Os as well, I wanted to install a fresh win7 on the new Ssd (win8 remains on c) and would like to make that new win7 as similar to the old build.



For example what would happen if I install Opera on the new build and then copy over all the old appdata to the new build; would it work?





Edit:

Thanks Greg for the appdata comment. I wanted to know that.
 
You could have just created another partition and installed 8 on that, and left Windows 7 alone :)
 

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Well, I thought the setup will,ask where to install the new Os, just like any other windows setups,so far. :-)



Either was my ISO a pure upgrade Iso and not meant to install fresh or it's the way win8 wants to install :-)
 
Please read my post thoroughly including the blue links so you would already know how to Clean Install - Windows 8 and not act as though its still a mystery after I'd already given you the information you need to know for sure.
 
Please read my post thoroughly including the blue links so you would already know how to Clean Install - Windows 8 and not act as though its still a mystery after I'd already given you the information you need to know for sure.

Thank you for the useful information but the guide you're leading is not exactly the scenario I've faced. My installation didn't have that Step 7 where you choose the partition even though I've chosen Custom/New install in the prior step. That's why I think it might be a ISO thing as my ISO wasn't pure Win8 but Win8.1. Maybe 8.1 is only meant for upgrading and not for a fresh install. Or at least the ISO I had was like that.
 

My Computer My Computer

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Windows 10 Pro x64Intel Core i7 6700KGSkill TridentZ RGB 16GB 3600 16-16-16-36EVGA GTX 980 Ti SC x2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Skylake Special #666
OS
Windows 10 Pro x64
CPU
Intel Core i7 6700K
Motherboard
Asus Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1
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GSkill TridentZ RGB 16GB 3600 16-16-16-36
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GTX 980 Ti SC x2
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Realtek High Definition
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AOC G2460PG
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1920 x 1080 144Hz
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Samsung 860 Pro 256GB, Seagate Barracuda 4TB x2
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EVGA 1000 P2, EVGA White Custom Braided Cables
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Corsair H100i v2, Corsair ML120 x2, Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
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Corsair SP120 x4, LG Blu-ray Drive, Durabrand HT-395 100 Watt Dolby Digital Amp, Corsair H2100 Wireless 7.1 Headset
Please read my post thoroughly including the blue links so you would already know how to Clean Install - Windows 8 and not act as though its still a mystery after I'd already given you the information you need to know for sure.

Thank you for the useful information but the guide you're leading is not exactly the scenario I've faced. My installation didn't have that Step 7 where you choose the partition even though I've chosen Custom/New install in the prior step. That's why I think it might be a ISO thing as my ISO wasn't pure Win8 but Win8.1. Maybe 8.1 is only meant for upgrading and not for a fresh install. Or at least the ISO I had was like that.

The ISO's are all the same with some versions hidden or unlocked.

What you describe would be because you didn't boot the disk, the most fundamental thing one must do to Clean Reinstall Windows 7 or Clean Install - Windows 8 . If you don't boot the disk but run it from the OS it locks out the drive letter so even if the OS goes onto another partition, it doesn't boot as C which is undesireable. You must have chosen an Upgrade Install that overwrote 7.

How to Boot A Computer from CD or DVD - YouTube
 
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