An Old School Geek’s approach to Installing & Setting Up a Windows PC

[mneal]

Thanks for the further tutorial, Kari - I'll check it out.

Wanted to touch base with you on the other data partitions (Audio, etc) - you said you make a root level folder and tie that back to the Library. So, the Audio library points to I:\Audio (for example), correct? You're not just tying the drive itself to the Library location?

 

[Kari]

So, the Audio library points to I:\Audio (for example), correct? You're not just tying the drive itself to the Library location?

Yes and no .

My Music library includes the default Music folder in my user profile folder, public music folder and then the root level folder Music on drive G: (on this computer I am using now, not the same the screenshots come from in my original post) which in my case is the main music container. Adding the drive G: itself would also include other root level folders on G: I do not want to be added in Music library like Audio books, Recorded calls (don't ask!) and so on.

Default save location is G:\Music. The Music folder then contains subfolders for artists and composers.

Another example about my system is the Video drive I: which has root level folders like Movies, Recorded TV, Own videos and so on. Folders I:\Movies and I:\Recorded TV are included in Videos library whereas the folder I:\Own videos belongs to another library.

My way don't have to be the correct way but for me it works remarkable well to create a root level hierarchy, main folders, and include only them in libraries. For my purposes I for instance like the idea of having all audio files on one drive, a main folder for each audio type (Music, Books, Calls etc.) and then store my data under these main folders and include them to respective libraries. Including the drive itself would be too general, including all subfolders unnecessary.

 

[mneal]

Your attachment didn't load, but I think we're on the same sheet of music , to wit: Link a folder back to the Library instead of the root of the drive.

 

[Kari]

Yes. I edited my post adding something, you might want to read the last newly added paragraph.

 

[mneal]

I did read the expansion, thanks for pointing it out - do you set the root level folder as the default download location for the library, or use the drive root and drill down to the appropriate folder from there?

 

[Kari]

As we have been talking of the Music library as an example, I have for instance both default save location and default public save location set to the main music container, in this computer the G:\Music. The library is shared without restrictions so I have no need for separate Public Music folder. I need Public user folders only in Documents and Work libraries as I do not want to share every document so only the folder Public Documents is shared, the rest not, and respectively default public save location is set to Public Documents.

When saving music (or anything else) this default save location is only a convenient starting point as I need in any case browse down to real target folder so I usually end up saving nothing on root of the music container. I want the 1993 The Best of Joe Cocker CD saved under G:\Music\Joe Cocker, not under G:\Music.

 

[Hwky]

Windows Updates

Kari can I do the windows updates before moving the Users profiles to another drive?

 

[Britton30]

Kari can I do the windows updates before moving the Users profiles to another drive?

Welcome to Seven Forums Hwky.
Yes you may do it that way.

 

[bawldiggle]

Thanks "Kari" (from a dinosaur) for this tutorial.
I am semi-retired (I still enjoy paid work for the readie$)
"IT" is not my strength, but I am learning.
This tute is definitely bookmarked for when I get my daughter's Dell up/downgraded from Win8 to Win7.
Thank you

 

[Kari]

Thanks GrayGhost2. Do not hesitate to come back with your questions if you have any trouble when setting up your daughter's Dell .

 

[python134r]

Just read it....like it

 

[mennopython]

Just Tried This Technique on New Build

I had to update my 11 year old HW (don't laugh, I made it last from Win95 through XP) finally due to the end of support for XP and knowing that the motherboard would not support Win7 64 bit. I found this tutorial and studied it and all the supporting links, since I had never tried audit mode before.

It ended up taking a couple of days to do the install, partly due to a flaky graphics card and partly due to installation issues. One of the problems I had was the long green progress bar when viewing directories, even after I tried all the fixes. The other was that I had problems installing my antivirus (Norton Security Suite, free from ISP), so I installed another temporarily. The big success was getting my user files on my HDD while all the boot and system files are on the SSD, however, the users that I added did not show up on my login screen, so I ended up adding them after my initial OOBE boot.

After running through this process, I think one of the issues I ran into was that the Windows update was near the end of the task list, rather than one of the first things. All of my install and delay issues were non-existent once I ran the updates and went through the OOBE startup. I think the order in this tutorial of Kari's would have worked better for me, since the updates are done prior to the SW installs.

All in all, I learned a lot, got everything up and running, all emails and files are transferred, initial backup complete (need to do another one now that I have everything installed that I want). I decided that I should join the forums to at least comment on my experience, and thank everyone who contributes. I expect this one to last another decade (with regular SW updates and maintenance, of course).

 

[Kari]

Hi Mennopython, welcome to the Seven Forums.

You are right, the updates should be done first. I am a bit preoccupied just now but I will change the order in these instructions in a next day or two.

If I got you interested in Audit Mode and Sysprep, see if this gives you some new ideas: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/319903-windows-7-image-customize-audit-mode-sysprep.html

Kari

 

[Bilbo]

Other hard drive lost.

You have a great tutorial here, which i would like to use. I am trying to install window 7 on my old PC (10 years). I am using a 32 bit installation disk and everything seems to go fine, but it does not see my other hard drive. I force it to see the other drive, but if I reboot it does not see the other drive until I force it. Anybody have any ideas?!

 

[Britton30]

You have a great tutorial here, which i would like to use. I am trying to install window 7 on my old PC (10 years). I am using a 32 bit installation disk and everything seems to go fine, but it does not see my other hard drive. I force it to see the other drive, but if I reboot it does not see the other drive until I force it. Anybody have any ideas?!

Windows should be installed with only one drive attached otherwise you could get you bootrec plopped on something other than C.

What do you mean, "forcing" to see the drive?

 

[Bilbo]

See other thread

Hi, I have started another thread, 'Installing Windows 7 on an old computerI am trying to install window 7'.

Unfornunately your suggestion didn't help. But thanks anyway.

 

[hideki2]

I wonder if this same install method will work on Windows 10. I would like to fresh install 10, but i like my stuff and settings on another drive.

 

[Kari]

I wonder if this same install method will work on Windows 10. I would like to fresh install 10, but i like my stuff and settings on another drive.

Two tutorials at our sister site the Ten Forums for you to check:
Windows 10 Image - Customize in Audit Mode with Sysprep - Windows 10 Forums
Users Folder - Move Location in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

 

[mtring]

Just read through the article and it's great, just getting ready to do an re-install of Windows 7 (and maybe update to 10). The re-install was necessary afetr I got a screwed up system that said it ws no longer genuine, despite several hours of work by MS Tech Support and the great users here.

The last time I re-installed, I did move the default user file to a seperate drive, but I wasn't diligent in making an image, my bad. I did however backup all user files the night before the problem occured .

During the trouble shooting sessions with MS they attempted to "repair" using the install disk and here's where there might be a downside to having the default user profiles on another disk. The repair caused an error that said something along the line " to attempt repair windows nneds to have user profiles on same partition/drive" Not the exact words but close enough. The Tech was surprised I had done this and didn't know how to proceed other than a total re-install. I thanked him and went on my way.

Has anyone run into this before?

 

[Kari]

Has anyone run into this before?

This is totally normal when some of the system folders have been relocated. The correct procedure is to first relocate the Users folder back to C: drive, run the repair install, then relocate the Users back to another drive.

Read the last section tiled Upgrade in this tutorial at our sister site the Ten Forums, it explains the procedure: Users Folder - Move Location in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums