Moving data and re-installing OS?

I_bRAD · 02-08-2010, 04:33 PM

So... my computer is wonky. It has been for a while. I have another hard drive, intalled, we'll call that "z"

Most of my files and OS are on my "c" drive.

Can I copy all of the files over to the "z" drive, format C and reinstall windows on C? Will I lose my data? I'm worried that if I reinstall the os, then it won't recognize the Z drive anymore and I'll have to set THAT up again (and reformat and lose everything)

Also, I'm not sure if I got my boot settings right when I installed the new drive. What should I check?

Thanks for the help!

Edit: I realize this is probably a very broad topic and I'm pretty good at fucking around and making things work eventually... I just don't want to lose my baby photos or music. I don't really care about the rest.

I'm open to other ideas as well. I just want to reinstall the os and not lose my data... and I don't have a DVD burner to do backup.

StarvinMarvin · 02-08-2010, 04:42 PM

buy an extranal HD and put all your important crap on there and then mess around

losing baby photos is punishable by death

I_bRAD · 02-08-2010, 04:52 PM

The other drive is essentially empty though. What's the difference between that and the external?

StarvinMarvin · 02-08-2010, 04:58 PM

i'm not savvy with this stuff but I'm guessing not much of a difference but i would still look into saving that kind of stuff outside of my desktop computer HD's and I have no good reason beside being paraniod ..lol

I_bRAD · 02-08-2010, 05:05 PM

ha. I hear ya. Wonder what's cheaper... external hard drive or someone who knows what they're doing!

Anyone care to fix my computer for bike repairs?

Deus · 02-08-2010, 05:09 PM

If it's physically a different drive and not just a partition then it's fine for back up--same as an external HD. Things to back up when reformating:

- Emails, contacts
- Bookmarks
- Foxfire (or other browser) profile, to save cookies and passwords saved in browser
- Files (music, pictures, downloads, documents)
- Saved games
- anything else you can think of

glych t.anomaly · 02-08-2010, 05:28 PM

yeah as long as it is a physically seperate drive, or even a proper partition, you can dump everything important on the empty drive, and then reformat and reinstall.

you will however want to make sure that if there is something on your puter, i.e. malware, virus etc, that all data you stick on that secondary drive has been scanned, and verified that its not just bringing the issue over to the new installation.

once you have basically backed up all the data you need to, make sure you do the reformat from within the Boot up sequence during the fresh installation, and DO NOT i repeat DO NOT choose the wrong drive to format. or else you will be TRES pissed.

[jai]

zoo · 02-08-2010, 05:31 PM

I've done the same thing many times (format C:\, keep all my data on D:\ and E:\). I would partition the drive myself when I first installed Windows from a CD.

While you will "probably" be safe, you also don't want to "probably" not lose your baby photos. The fact that you don't have them backed up anywhere is a problem in itself!

Check out flickr.com for a cheap, reliable storage option. Or just burn lots of DVDs as your offline backup. I like flickr the best, I don't want to have to manage a 20 gig photo collection myself.

I_bRAD · 02-13-2010, 05:13 PM

OS installed
baby pics OK
music OK
works like a million bucks again.

Thanks for the help!

Also, props to Dell who helped me set up my hardware drivers even though my service contract ended over 4 years ago.

If anyone cares, I just copied everything to the other hard drive, and then formatted the other drive and installed the OS on there.

derek · 02-13-2010, 06:08 PM

i lost my wife's bookmarks in the last upgrade. i still hear about it.

02-08-2010, 04:33 PM	#1
I_bRAD TRIBE Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Taking quartz for granite Posts: 10,566	Moving data and re-installing OS? So... my computer is wonky. It has been for a while. I have another hard drive, intalled, we'll call that "z" Most of my files and OS are on my "c" drive. Can I copy all of the files over to the "z" drive, format C and reinstall windows on C? Will I lose my data? I'm worried that if I reinstall the os, then it won't recognize the Z drive anymore and I'll have to set THAT up again (and reformat and lose everything) Also, I'm not sure if I got my boot settings right when I installed the new drive. What should I check? Thanks for the help! Edit: I realize this is probably a very broad topic and I'm pretty good at fucking around and making things work eventually... I just don't want to lose my baby photos or music. I don't really care about the rest. I'm open to other ideas as well. I just want to reinstall the os and not lose my data... and I don't have a DVD burner to do backup. Last edited by I_bRAD; 02-08-2010 at 04:37 PM.

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02-08-2010, 04:42 PM	#2
StarvinMarvin TRIBE Member Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: CACAPOOPOOPEEPEESHIRE Posts: 8,816	buy an extranal HD and put all your important crap on there and then mess around losing baby photos is punishable by death

02-08-2010, 04:52 PM	#3
I_bRAD TRIBE Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Taking quartz for granite Posts: 10,566	The other drive is essentially empty though. What's the difference between that and the external?

02-08-2010, 04:58 PM	#4
StarvinMarvin TRIBE Member Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: CACAPOOPOOPEEPEESHIRE Posts: 8,816	i'm not savvy with this stuff but I'm guessing not much of a difference but i would still look into saving that kind of stuff outside of my desktop computer HD's and I have no good reason beside being paraniod ..lol

02-08-2010, 05:05 PM	#5
I_bRAD TRIBE Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Taking quartz for granite Posts: 10,566	ha. I hear ya. Wonder what's cheaper... external hard drive or someone who knows what they're doing! Anyone care to fix my computer for bike repairs?

02-08-2010, 05:09 PM	#6
Deus TRIBE Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: perfer et obdura, dolor hic tibi proderit olim Posts: 4,742	If it's physically a different drive and not just a partition then it's fine for back up--same as an external HD. Things to back up when reformating: - Emails, contacts - Bookmarks - Foxfire (or other browser) profile, to save cookies and passwords saved in browser - Files (music, pictures, downloads, documents) - Saved games - anything else you can think of

02-08-2010, 05:28 PM	#7
glych t.anomaly TRIBE Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Being right too soon is socially unacceptable. Posts: 14,625	yeah as long as it is a physically seperate drive, or even a proper partition, you can dump everything important on the empty drive, and then reformat and reinstall. you will however want to make sure that if there is something on your puter, i.e. malware, virus etc, that all data you stick on that secondary drive has been scanned, and verified that its not just bringing the issue over to the new installation. once you have basically backed up all the data you need to, make sure you do the reformat from within the Boot up sequence during the fresh installation, and DO NOT i repeat DO NOT choose the wrong drive to format. or else you will be TRES pissed. [jai]

02-08-2010, 05:31 PM	#8
zoo TRIBE Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: putting swords in scabbards Posts: 33,234	I've done the same thing many times (format C:\, keep all my data on D:\ and E:\). I would partition the drive myself when I first installed Windows from a CD. While you will "probably" be safe, you also don't want to "probably" not lose your baby photos. The fact that you don't have them backed up anywhere is a problem in itself! Check out flickr.com for a cheap, reliable storage option. Or just burn lots of DVDs as your offline backup. I like flickr the best, I don't want to have to manage a 20 gig photo collection myself.

02-13-2010, 05:13 PM	#9
I_bRAD TRIBE Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Taking quartz for granite Posts: 10,566	OS installed baby pics OK music OK works like a million bucks again. Thanks for the help! Also, props to Dell who helped me set up my hardware drivers even though my service contract ended over 4 years ago. If anyone cares, I just copied everything to the other hard drive, and then formatted the other drive and installed the OS on there.

02-13-2010, 06:08 PM	#10
derek TRIBE Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: yonder Posts: 8,885	i lost my wife's bookmarks in the last upgrade. i still hear about it.