Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7

Technology and Gaming Help and Support
#1

see, am currently using a 32bit version of windows XP, and am planning to upgrade to the 64bit version of windows 7, now my question is will the upgrade process (it’s a clean installation anyway) delete all my files on the hard disk ? or a certain portion of it, like I have the windows files installed on C:\ portion and I want windows 7 upgraded and replacing the previous windows on the same portion, is that possible ?

an answer would be appreciated

~on a side note: I already moved all the important files that I need from that portion

#2

It’s not nearly as difficult as it seems, but the way you have described it will not work.

You need to either back up all of the files you wish to keep onto another partition, this includes program settings, bookmarks, music, documents, blablabla…
OR
Back them all up onto a separate hard drive, be it internal or external.

The hard drive you wish to install windows on to will be formatted, unless you chose to install Windows 7 in parallel with WinXP. (Which is a bad idea, it isn’t difficult to fix but if you do not know what you are doing it can leave your computer unusable)

#3

no no, I guess I didn’t explain probably what I meant is, that firstly I format the C: portion and then Install Windows 7, my concern is that will it delete my files on other portions ? F:, E: etc…) cause I read somewhere that I should backup my entire HD !

#4

If you have already created another partition on your hard drive, as long as you install windows correctly, you should run into no problems.

Just be very careful when you are selecting what partitions to use and format for Win7. You might accidentally erase your stuff.

#5

@Zageron

That is not exactly true,
The installation program of windows 7 will keep all user files on the system drive
moved to a folder called ‘Windows.old’ in the root system drive unless you
tell it to format the drive.

@Shadi

Backup is just to be sure you don’t make any ugly accidents.
When you install Windows you have to choose what partition of your harddisk
you want to install windows to, and in some cases, those partitions will show up without a name so the only way one can identify them is by their size
so if you have 3 80gb partitions on your harddrive it is very easy to install
windows to the wrong partition (onto a partition which you have not backed up)
and that would be unfortunate if you choose to format the drive you are installing to

Hope this helps.

-Killer

#6

Exactly

#7

damn we’re making this a lil bit complicated, I mean I always formatted my windows through the boot system and everything went fine, it’s just that am worrying about if I installed Windows 7 on C: and deleted the previous windows, all my data on the portions E: F: etc…) will be lost in the process

#8

Why the hell would it be lost. Just make sure not to touch the other partitions and you’re completely safe.

And by touching I mean ‘format’ or ‘delete’.

#9

see, that’s what am trying to understand, damn those guides that just makes things a lil bit complicated… =/, so I guess it’s installation is just easy as Windows xp

#10

As long as you think twice before you do anything you should be safe.
and if you are sure you install to the old C drive, none of your other partitions (d, e ,f…) will be touched.

and the windows 7 installation is easier than xp.

so you should be good to go :slight_smile:

-Killer

#11

Installing a clean win without a proper format of the system drive is just completely retarded.

#12

To install Windows 7, you must first format the partition on which you want to install it. In your case, that’s probably your C:\ partition.

Nothing will happen to your other partitions, E:, F:\ and whatever. Those are treated as separate hard drives and will not be touched in any way when you’re installing Win 7 or formatting C:.

Just make SURE you know which one you have to format, because Windows 7 might give different drive letters to your partitions, I have had this happen many times. So you should also know the name of the partition and its size, to make SURE you recognize it when you select which one you want to format.

But yes, installing Windows 7 is exactly like installing any other Windows. (With the only difference that it creates a tiny partition called “System Reserved” where it puts its bootloader. This is very retarded and stupid, but that’s the way it is. Microsoft thought it was a good idea for some reason. Just make sure you don’t want to Dual-Boot. So no XP and Win 7 Dual Booting, unless you know how to modify the bootloader.)

#13

It’s even easier… don’t worry, it will be pretty easy to delete/format the correct partition without touching the other stuff. You’ll just have to select something like ‘advanced drive options’ (forgot the exact wording) when you get to the “select which partition to install windows on” screen. It will give you a little ‘delete’ button, so you just scrap your C:, then you hit the little ‘format’ or ‘new’ button, and a new partition magically appears, then you select it, hit install, and you’re all set.

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