OS and Data on separate drives

[bluedragon]

I am doing a clean install of Win 7 Pro 64bit over Vista home premium 64bit, and currently have my OS and data on separate drives. Once i install the OS on drive C: what do i need to do to insure that my data i.e. music, pictures, documents etc. will still point toward the drive with the data on it. ???
Regards, BD

 

[Adam S]

I am not sure a 100% percent if there is an rule about this but why dont you copy it all back to the folders ie documents music video pic ect to the windows 7 pc from the old disk

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello bluedragon, welcome to Seven Forums!





I'm not real clear on what you're asking; if you're asking if installing Windows 7 over Vista on C: will over-write data you have on another separate partition then no it will not, any data on a separate volume/partition will not be affected by the install, only anything on C: will be lost.

Here's 3 words for you, backup, backup and again I say backup; well that's more than 3 words but make a backup anything you can't afford to lose.

 

[1Bowtie]

One little followup, if i understand you right your data is on a seperate drive, unplug that drive before you start that way there will no chance of losing your data

 

[Wishmaster]

To move the location of your user Folders (DATA)

Tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18629-user-folders-change-default-location.html?ltr=U

Just make a new folder on the second drive named the same (I/E My Music etc) and relocated the source folder.

Then Move all your DATA to the corrosponding folders.

Windows will now use that location (and Drive) as the default location.

You can do this for: My Music, My Pictures, My Videos, My Documents, and Podcasts.



Since your doing a clean install:
Depending how many drives and space you have, I would also highly recommend choosing a Imaging program you like.
Reserve a drive, partition, or external drive for back up purposes.

Make the 1st image after 7 is installed and activated.
Make another after you get it setup the way you want.
Then periodic images thereafter.

Having DATA on another driver separated from the OS makes Imaging faster and easier.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

To move the location of your user Folders (DATA)

Tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18629-user-folders-change-default-location.html?ltr=U

Just make a new folder on the second drive named the same (I/E My Music etc) and relocated the source folder.

Then Move all your DATA there.

Windows will now use that location (and Drive) as the default location.

You can do this for: My Music, My Pictures, My Videos, My Documents, and Podcasts.

DSince your doign a clean install:
Depending how many drives and space you have, I would also highly recommend choosing a Imaging program you like.

Make the 1st image after 7 is installed and activated.
Make another after you get it setup the way you want.
the periodic images thereafter.

Having DATA on another driver serperated from the OS makes Imaging faster and easier.

Good info mate, thanks; here's an excellent free imaging program.


Macrium Reflect FREE Edition

Imaging with free Macrium

 

[bluedragon]

Ok, Just for clarity (i hope), I already have two drives in my computer. One with Vista and the other with my data files, pictures, documents, etc. When i originally installed the OS on the computer I had to physically, point the data files to the second drive. My question is when i do a clean install of Win 7 my OS will be on C: drive, and my old data from before will still be on the second drive. Do i have to do something in Win 7 to make sure that once the OS is installed and i want to save data, that it will copy to the second drive??? vice the drive with the OS.
Sorry for the confusion, but i don't like muddling around too much OS's, DOS, Registry, etc etc. Regards, BD

 

[karlsnooks]

Probably your simplest and surest approach is:
1. Disconnect your data drive.
2. Do a clean install of Win 7
3. Reconnect the data drive.
4. Use the power of Win 7 libraries to add the folders on your data drive to the appropriate library.

Now some links:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/91339-ssd-hdd-optimize-windows-reinstallation.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31402-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html


http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/585-library-include-folder.html

 

[Nahtimu]

4. Use the power of Win 7 libraries to add the folders on your data drive to the appropriate library.
------------------------------------
yes win 7 libraries work really nicely...configure those for Music, Videos, Pics, Docs, etc...
Also BD, you may have to configure settings of other misc apps to point to your data drive / folders. That way when you click open or save it will use your data drive. Either way, your data drive should have an associated drive letter and knowing that should help ensure where your files are saved. Cheers...

 

[tw33k]

+1 for Libraries. A lot of people diss libraries but I love them. Makes having data on a 2nd OS so much easier. And yes, having the OS on a different drive to data is definitely the way to go. My OS is on an SSD and my data is on a decent spinner...love it!

 

[Barman58]

After you have completed the new install - use the built in location feature to point the user data folders to your existing data folders on the second drive - instructions are in the reply from Wishmaster post #5 - when prompted to move existing files say yes as this will move the hidden desktop.ini file to your data folder that makes the folder into a special folder.

As the data is more than likely on an NTFS drive you will need to take ownership of the folders on your data drive and add your new user to have full permissions - this is due to the fact that user Fred on vista is not the same as user Fred on win7 and due to UAC the actual user in normal use will not have these rights by default.

Once you have these transferred, the folders on the data drive will be accessible from the links in your user folder and the others that can be added to the right of the start menu

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Probably your simplest and surest approach is:
1. Disconnect your data drive.
2. Do a clean install of Win 7
3. Reconnect the data drive.
4. Use the power of Win 7 libraries to add the folders on your data drive to the appropriate library.

Now some links:


http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/91339-ssd-hdd-optimize-windows-reinstallation.html

As it seems you may have only one Hard Disk Drive (HDD) DO NOT use the method listed in this tutorial as IT WILL over-write everything of the HDD, it cannot be done to a single volume/partition on a HDD it will do the entire HDD and all data will be lost.

 

[karlsnooks]

BlueDragon,

Barefoot is correct. I did not pay enough attention to your system specs.

Since you have only one physical hard drive (which is divided iinto two logical drives), then you would end up losing your data when the hard drive was cleaned.

One suggstion then is to simply backup your entire Data drive to an external USB drive and then when setting up the hard drive, set up your two partitions and after the install then copy your data back to your new data partition.

 

[1Bowtie]

Probably your simplest and surest approach is:
1. Disconnect your data drive.
2. Do a clean install of Win 7
3. Reconnect the data drive.
4. Use the power of Win 7 libraries to add the folders on your data drive to the appropriate library.

Now some links:


http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/91339-ssd-hdd-optimize-windows-reinstallation.html

As it seems you may have only one Hard Disk Drive (HDD) DO NOT use the method listed in this tutorial as IT WILL over-write everything of the HDD, it cannot be done to a single volume/partition on a HDD it will do the entire HDD and all data will be lost.

If you read BlueDragon's post 1 and post 7 he says there are 2 seperate drive's that's the reason i told him to be sure and unplug his data drive before the clean install that way he can't lose his data

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello Smitty.





I saw his use of the term "drive" that's the problem, so many confuse the terms for drive, partition and volume, not to mention HDD with drive; I would rather err on the side of caution than be responsible for someone losing their data.

 

[karlsnooks]

Unfortunately, terms are ofter used interchangeably causing confusion.

I sure do find a snapshot of the maximized output of Disk Management to be helpful in eliminating misunderstandings.

 

[1Bowtie]

Sorry we both have the same concurns for his data, maybe if he would clarify 2 harddrives or 1 harddrive with 2 partitions we could better help him

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello bluedragon.





Will you please post a snip/screen-shot of the entire disk management drive map so we can see what you have going on as there may be a fairly simple way to resolve the situation.

In the Windows start menu right click computer and click manage, in the left pane of the "Computer Management" window that opens click disk management and post a snip of that.


How to Post a Screenshot in Seven Forums

 

[whs]

The easy solution is to go to the folder(s) on the other drive (I guess it is really another partition), right click on the folder and "Include in Library"

 

[bluedragon]

Hi, If you read my first post and my 7th post. I clearly indicate that i have two drives... thanks for your concern. Regards, BD.