I reinstalled windows 7 (activated), can i restore files from a clone?

[antonio2501]

i was wondering if there is any way to backup my new activated account. thank you for the help.

 

[whs]

Make an image.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html?ltr=I

 

[antonio2501]

i love you guys.

 

[antonio2501]

i had a problem with my windows activating on my old windows 7 account. it activated with a new account. can i make an image of my old account (that doesn't work) and apply it to the new account that works.

 

[whs]

i had a problem with my windows activating on my old windows 7 account. it activated with a new account. can i make an image of my old account (that doesn't work) and apply it to the new account that works.

You have to explain that a bit more. E.g. what are those "accounts".

 

[antonio2501]

crap. i don't think i posted. i meant user profiles. like when you start windows 7 and select a user to log in with. also, i'm trying to copy windows.old to another hard drive. it tells me that there are files that are too long to transfer. i formatted the harddrive to NTFS and the allocation to default. it still won't let me. happy holidays and new year BTW!

 

[Kaktussoft]

it tells me that there are files that are too long to transfer.

files too long (whatever that may be)? Or filenames too long?
Is it the source or destination that's too long?

 

[antonio2501]

sorry file names. i'm never this bad. sorry. files names are too long. i found an app on the microsoft site. i was just wondering if there was an easier way to do that. i was thinking it was a problem with the HDD format (ntsf). if it's a matter of renaming, that's going to take a while.

 

[Kaktussoft]

sorry file names. i'm never this bad. sorry. files names are too long. i found an app on the microsoft site. i was just wondering if there was an easier way to do that. i was thinking it was a problem with the HDD format (ntsf). if it's a matter of renaming, that's going to take a while.

You're copying a source folder and all stuff underneath it? Which folder?
You're copying to which folder?

 

[Kaktussoft]

sorry file names. i'm never this bad. sorry. files names are too long. i found an app on the microsoft site. i was just wondering if there was an easier way to do that. i was thinking it was a problem with the HDD format (ntsf). if it's a matter of renaming, that's going to take a while.

   Information

Actually, the maximum filename + path length can be up to 32767 characters as defined by the NTFS specifications, 255 characters being the "branch" limit (each subfolder shouldn't have more than 255 characters). For some reason, the Windows shell is stupid.

Anyways, I don't think this is a bug, but a lacking feature.

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/177665/EN-US/
Win32 programs are limited to a 256-character string size limit because of the MAX_PATH variable.
The MAX_PATH constant is defined for Windows32 API in the WINDRES.H resp. DEFINES.H file as '#define MAX_PATH (260)', which includes the drive letter, colon, and root directory characters.

See http://blogs.msdn.com/junfeng/archive/2006/02/20/535875.aspx
Handling long path is hard. Win32 has a file name length limit of MAX_PATH (which is defined as 260). People are looking for ways to extend the limit, as the file system supports a file name up to 32767 characters long. Apparently this has huge AppCompat implication. As we can see from this example, current applications may already have difficulty handling file path within the MAX_PATH limit, let alone file name with 32767 characters long.

Keep in mind that the length of 32767 characters is in fact less then this range because there are stored unicode characters, which may have a size up to three or four 8-bit sequence-characters for one unicode character.

 

[antonio2501]

yea. it's the windows.old folder. i figure since it's a saved folder from a previous installation that it would have a lot of characters for the path. renaming is going to be fun.

 

[Kaktussoft]

yea. it's the windows.old folder. i figure since it's a saved folder from a previous installation that it would have a lot of characters for the path. renaming is going to be fun.

Files are on disk and are valid NTFS names. Not too long at all! If their names were too long.... they couldn't be there. It's the windows shell that's only accepting 260 characters maxmium.

Can you rename c:\windows.old to c:\q succesfully?
To which folder are you trying to copy c:\windows.old ?

 

[antonio2501]

just to a harddrive. i'm going to try and rename it. lol.

 

[antonio2501]

renemaing it worked. lol.

 

[antonio2501]

renaming worked and i was able to save windows old. i have another problem. after saving windows.old, i deleted it, in order to make space and try and back up or clone that version of windows because it is activated. it is on a 3TB hard drive that is faulty. i just need the activated version of windows. is there any way to find out why there is more that 900GB of data that i can't seem to find? it's a newly installed version of windows, with the windows.old folder deleted.

 

[antonio2501]

if i use the Andvanced Recovery method to reinstall windows, or use a system image (none at hand gives me the option to factory settings) would i need to reactivate?

 

[Kaktussoft]

if i use the Andvanced Recovery method to reinstall windows, or use a system image (none at hand gives me the option to factory settings) would i need to reactivate?

Yolu always have to reactivate your windows7. You don't have to reactivate in case of "clone" or "system image" restore (to same hardware). Why do you bother?

 

[Kaktussoft]

renaming worked and i was able to save windows old. i have another problem. after saving windows.old, i deleted it, in order to make space and try and back up or clone that version of windows because it is activated. it is on a 3TB hard drive that is faulty. i just need the activated version of windows. is there any way to find out why there is more that 900GB of data that i can't seem to find? it's a newly installed version of windows, with the windows.old folder deleted.

Maybe in a restore point(?)

• Empty recycle bin of all users
• Show hidden and Protected Operating System Files and search for large files. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/394-hidden-files-folders-show-hide.html

WinDirStat - Windows Directory Statistics is the tool to use

 

[antonio2501]

the thing is i activated windows, luckily. i don't want to reactivate, especially when everyone's told me that i was lucky to activate.

 

[antonio2501]

yup. windirstat found a 800GB backup file. lol. thank you.