Fixing to completely wipe hard drives..... Need Help

[eyeCpc]

Update or remove usually used to remove a current item by bringing up it's uninstaller. Makaveli213 summed up what I was going to mention anyways about the items tucked away in the sub folders under your user account's folder found in the DocumentsandSettings folder in XP and now users in Vista.

Once you get inside one of those folders it's like being on another hard drive by the way it looks. Here's an example of what else would have to be copied and usually to no avail anyways. The first is the root of the DocumentsandSettings.



Now for a quick look at the folder tree under all of that typically seen.

[Mak213]

Originally Posted by MaXiMuS_N00BuS

Ok when I go to Start > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs, I can see the installer icon next to programs but i dont know where to find them. They're not in the folders. By the way, while were on the Add/Remove Programs subject, In "Change/Remove" what does "Change" mean?

Those are not the installer icons. Those are just the icons used to represent the applications. You will need to download them from the net or someplace else to get the real installers.

Chagne refers to some applicaiton like Adobe CS3 Master Suite where when you "Chage" the setup you can add or remove a specific component of the install.

[eyeCpc]

Now you know why many are going for external drives for storage and backing things up in case they need to see their primary OS drive wiped. Once the one or more OSs are installed fresh they can see all of the previous programs and files restored.

[MaXiMuS_N00BuS]

Ok heres another question. Say I were to copy the directory folder of a program like Visual Studio (i.e. C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\Microsoft Visual Studio 2008) while the red of course indicates it bieng the directory of the aplication and then go into the registry and click "Find" and type in Visual Studio and copy the keys it lists from the first find until the last find. Same goes for the other applications. Then burn everything to a DVD and then place everything where it should go (apllications go to the program files folder and reg keys go into the registry.) Is it even the slightest bit possible that it would work?

[Mak213]

No it will not work. That is not the only folder that gets files for a install. There is the C:\Documents & Settings\<User name>\App Data folder which is a hidden folder that also gets some of the info. Some apps also go further and put info into the Windows folder and the System32 folder.

I have stated it already twice now. There is no way you can just take your current stuff and transfer it. You MUST get the installers and reinstall the apps.

No other ways to do it. Not even if you copied over the stuff from the App Data folder along with the Program Folder and the registry. You will still be missing stuff that is necessary for operation. Plain and simple. Sorry it is not the answer you want but that is the only answer that there is.

[carnageX]

Is it important for you to do a fresh reinstall? If not, (from what I've gathered from the topic anyway), I'd suggest to use Ghost or Acronis to copy your existing drive over to your new 80GB drive. It'll retain your OS, and all your programs, etc. I've done this many times, and it has always worked for me.

[MetalOwns]

Originally Posted by MaXiMuS_N00BuS

Ok heres another question. Say I were to copy the directory folder of a program like Visual Studio (i.e. C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\Microsoft Visual Studio 2008) while the red of course indicates it bieng the directory of the aplication and then go into the registry and click "Find" and type in Visual Studio and copy the keys it lists from the first find until the last find. Same goes for the other applications. Then burn everything to a DVD and then place everything where it should go (apllications go to the program files folder and reg keys go into the registry.) Is it even the slightest bit possible that it would work?

Why would you even try to do that? Just get the installer...I mean, how would you not have them? Either you bought the discs, or downloaded the free apps, or got them in alternative ways. So you either have the discs, or you can download the apps again and just install them. Why are you *****footing around here, trying to copy the program folder and the registry keys and then plant them into a new Windows install? As was already stated, it won't work.

[eyeCpc]

The only programs that could be simply copied over from one drive to another are those self contained in one folder only where the installer creates a desktop shortcut and no entries in the system registry plus other hidden folders and installation logs that Windows itself creates.

With multiple versions of Windows as well as multiple drives any downloads with self installers are simply backed up on removable media, a separate partition, or even a totally separate drive. Once one version is reinstalled fresh on the same or other drive all programs are reinstalled as well.

The files and settings transfer wizard in XP and Vista's backup feature are the tools provied by Microsoft for seeing things restored when simply wiping the first drive or seeing that version of Windows go onto a replacement drive like when upgrading to a larger model. That's how it works. And simply using a cloning software doesn't provide any guarnateed results either. A new mbr and other things like hardware profiling have to be considered.

[carnageX]

Originally Posted by eyeCpc

And simply using a cloning software doesn't provide any guarnateed results either. A new mbr and other things like hardware profiling have to be considered.

I've done it with several computers with Ghost, and it works perfect. A new MBR is made, and the OS is retained. There's an option box that you check that asks you if this drive will be used for the OS to be booting off of. Check that box, and it copies over everything. I've done it on my HP, as well as my current rig, several times to upgrade to new drives, rather than reinstalling totally.

[eyeCpc]

What happens when you change drive types and capacities? hhmmm....

Nothing tops a clean install on a brand new drive seeing a fresh primary to work with. You don't drag all the registry as well as drive clutter along with you.