I'm building a new computer and want to reuse a previous hard drive until I buy an SSD. To do a fresh install of Windows 8 on the remaining HDD space, can I create a new partition, install Windows 8 on it, copy all of the files off of the Windows 7 partition that I need, then delete the windows 7 partition? I'm worried about possible issues (maybe permission errors)? Thanks!
Windows 8 on a new computer using an old Windows 7 HDD - Partitioning Question
- Thread starter Abhorson
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atheus
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- Aug 2, 2010
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If your files aren't encrypted there shouldn't be any problem, for the most part. You wind up having to use an admin account to "take ownership" of files once you're looking at them from a fresh install of windows, but that's not too bad. If it's encrypted you need to backup your key from the OS you encrypted them on before you do anything (or just disable the encryption, which would probably take much longer to do).
The annoyance I forsee is winding up with a weird drive letter on your OS. If your drive sees that new partition as the D:\, I'm not sure you'll be able to swap that around later on all that easily... maybe you can, but I've just never tried changing the drive letter of the drive an OS is installed on.
Best solution from my perspective is invest in a backup solution now, whether it be nothing but an extra internal HDD you can copy stuff onto, an external HDD, or NAS, or whatever. I know this probably defeats the purpose of your whole scheme of not spending money on another drive, so see solution 2: ↓
Create a new partition, transfer all your personal files to the new partition, then install windows 8 over windows 7 on the original partition. You should have your personal files on a separate partition anyway, especially on a HDD. Less likely to make a massive fragmented mess of your program files.
The annoyance I forsee is winding up with a weird drive letter on your OS. If your drive sees that new partition as the D:\, I'm not sure you'll be able to swap that around later on all that easily... maybe you can, but I've just never tried changing the drive letter of the drive an OS is installed on.
Best solution from my perspective is invest in a backup solution now, whether it be nothing but an extra internal HDD you can copy stuff onto, an external HDD, or NAS, or whatever. I know this probably defeats the purpose of your whole scheme of not spending money on another drive, so see solution 2: ↓
Create a new partition, transfer all your personal files to the new partition, then install windows 8 over windows 7 on the original partition. You should have your personal files on a separate partition anyway, especially on a HDD. Less likely to make a massive fragmented mess of your program files.
photonboy
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- Jun 20, 2006
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I'm assuming you have another PC to use to partition the HDD. This should work:
1. Partition the HDD
2. Remove the drive letter
3. Install Windows 8 to unused partition
4. Buy SSD
5. Clone Windows HDD partition to SSD
6. Upgrade W8.1 to Windows 10 (automatic if you want through Microsoft Updates after July 29th. but make a backup Image... extra space required uncertain but I'd buy a 250GB SSD anyway)
7. TEST
8. Delete all FOLDERS/FILES on the Windows HDD partition
9. COPY all files from 2nd to 1st partition on HDD
10. Delete 2nd partition and recover space.
Other:
You can buy an SSD for pretty cheap now so if you aren't too comfortable with partitioning etc then you may want to simply install W8 to the SSD. Or just install W10 Preview and buy a license code later as it can update automatically to the full RTM version without reinstalling.
*So W10 Preview on SSD right away would save a lot of hassle...
1. Partition the HDD
2. Remove the drive letter
3. Install Windows 8 to unused partition
4. Buy SSD
5. Clone Windows HDD partition to SSD
6. Upgrade W8.1 to Windows 10 (automatic if you want through Microsoft Updates after July 29th. but make a backup Image... extra space required uncertain but I'd buy a 250GB SSD anyway)
7. TEST
8. Delete all FOLDERS/FILES on the Windows HDD partition
9. COPY all files from 2nd to 1st partition on HDD
10. Delete 2nd partition and recover space.
Other:
You can buy an SSD for pretty cheap now so if you aren't too comfortable with partitioning etc then you may want to simply install W8 to the SSD. Or just install W10 Preview and buy a license code later as it can update automatically to the full RTM version without reinstalling.
*So W10 Preview on SSD right away would save a lot of hassle...
photonboy
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You can find a 240GB SSD (USA) for as little as $80 after rebate: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/ocz-internal-hard-drive-arc10025sat3240g
My advice would be the Samsung 850 EVO 250GB for $105: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam
(You can get away with a 120GB SSD as well, but in my experience it often ends up not being enough as it slowly fills up and SSD's are reasonably cheap now)
My advice would be the Samsung 850 EVO 250GB for $105: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam
(You can get away with a 120GB SSD as well, but in my experience it often ends up not being enough as it slowly fills up and SSD's are reasonably cheap now)
Tom Tancredi
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- May 9, 2013
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EASIEST METHOD without any of the hassles based on NO STEAM GAMES.
NOTE ONLY FOR 32bit to 32Bit or 64Bit to 64Bit!
32Bit to 64Bit changes alot that your 'data' is just dumped under your profile, no other way for it to work.
1) Get external drive
2) Run Windows 7's Windows Easy Transfer to back up 'your desktop' as you see it
3) Download and make a DBAN CD, wiping the Windows 7 drive (unplug the external FIRST!)
4) Boot from Windows 8 install
5) Download and install http://www.classicshell.net/ to get your 'START' Orb back
6) Go to Windows Store install Windows 8.1
7) Do Windows Update, install all Windows Updates Including OPTIONAL.
Check them and repeat till ALL are installed.
8) Download and run Slim Drivers, install all the latest updates but you don't need to reboot until you do the last update
9) Go to www.filehippo.com, download Malwarebytes and install.
Then AVIRA, AVG, Comodo or Panda and install.
Then Opera (Chrome dropped NPAPI support which is key to alot of Internet Tech like Microsoft's Silverlight used by NETFLIX for example won't work on Chrome).
10) Now install any other software you would like
11) Plug in ext drive, Run Windows Easy Transfer in Windows 8.1Update, restore data, reboot.
Done.
photonboy
Titan
- Jun 20, 2006
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Tancredi,
Your method relies on him buying an external drive, however the point of the post was he is going to buy an SSD later and just wanted to use his existing HDD for now.
So, I don't understand why he would want to buy a USB drive just to install Windows. He might as well buy the SSD now, install to that, then copy his files over from the HDD.
Unless he has specific NEED of a USB drive which was not stated, it seems a waste of money to me.
Your method relies on him buying an external drive, however the point of the post was he is going to buy an SSD later and just wanted to use his existing HDD for now.
So, I don't understand why he would want to buy a USB drive just to install Windows. He might as well buy the SSD now, install to that, then copy his files over from the HDD.
Unless he has specific NEED of a USB drive which was not stated, it seems a waste of money to me.
Tom Tancredi
Judicious
- May 9, 2013
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1) This method is the one developed by Microsoft specifically so the OP gets "EXACTLY" the same desktop, icons, favorites, etc. as he / she had before. The other methods do not
2) Unless the OP is very specific in finding data that 'old XP' way is not 100% reliable for many reasons. For example many programs use cache that can be in several different places, so if the OP wanted to 'go back' to what they were doing last week, it "won't appear in my list". Besides having to reconfigure every piece of software to how the OP has it right now is alot of unneeded wasted time when WET puts things right back as IS.
3) BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP. I can't not count the number of times I seen the steps otherwised offered fail 'just because' and data was lost. Nevermind Take Ownership and other things "not 'fully working' as the OP had it before", As there is only one source of the data, this provides a EXACT COPY of how OPs desktop, files, settings, etc. are today, so no matter what happens tomorrow can just recover back to exactly as is.
4) CHEAP SOLUTION: 1TB is only $49 at Walmart. It isn't a big and burdensome expense
5) OP won't be able to migrate this all to a SSD anyway, especially if ANY STEAM Games are involved. When OP gets SSD will have to do a CLEAN BUILD from scratch as the current drive will be WAY WAY bigger than the SSD and either not 'fit' or will max the drive. At that point OP will need a third drive (ext) to 'move data' around to optimally not max out the SSD , but also NOT lose anything as the data is moved back and forth/deleted to make room. Again back to #3.
Really do I need to say more?
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