Accidently Installed Windows 10 over Vista. Help!

Bryce7 · Jun 3, 2016

Hey everyone, I created a Windows 10 bootable usb and installed it on the same hdd as Vista. How do I take it off. When I reboot the pc it boots to Windows 10. Please Help!!!

greens · Jun 3, 2016

Uh oh. It sounds like you actually installed windows 10 over Vista, at which point, there is no "dual boot" option.

Why in God's name would you want vista back?

AUnlikelyPotatoe · Jun 3, 2016

greens :

lol, if you didnt reformat, all your old data should be saved to Window.old folder

Bryce7 · Jun 3, 2016

I didnt delete an partitions I installed it on the same hdd as vista. Vista is what my mom uses and it had pictures etc. on it. Is there a way to recover it. I didnt upgrade, I did a custom install.

Bryce7 · Jun 3, 2016

Also, I have the os in windows.old but how would I boot to it, and would it be possible to dual boot?

slingsrat · Jun 4, 2016

In Settings, Update & Security, Recovery you should have the option to revert back to old operating system. If you want to dual boot you will have to revert back to vista, create a new partition (or install a new hard drive) and install windows 10 again to this blank partition.

USAFRet · Jun 4, 2016

slingsrat :

I'm not sure there is a Recovery between Vista and 10.

USAFRet · Jun 4, 2016

Bryce7 :

No, you cannot dualboot like that.

Your Vista is almost assuredly 'gone'.

Look in that Windows.old, and see if your critical data (pictures) still exist.
If so, copy them out. Copy them to some external drive, USB stick...something.

Colif · Jun 4, 2016

its not a upgrade path so why would they have a downgrade path

looks like a fresh install of something anyway. did you have backups? fresh installing vista now must suck, its why I upgraded to win 7 five years ago, and win 7 now has so many updates itself that win 10 is only sane choice for me.

USAFRet · Jun 4, 2016

Bryce7 :

1. Right now, the only critical thing is your mom's pictures.
Try to find those in windows.old.

2. When you installed the Win 10, what license key did you use?

Colif · Jun 4, 2016

all your files still be in the same folders, if your mum stored them in pictures they would still be in there, just in windows 10, not vista. only thing in .old would be operating systems files...

USAFRet · Jun 4, 2016

Colif :

Not so sure about this.
If it had been 7 to 10, yes.
But there is no direct upgrade from Vista to 10. Might have wiped everything out.

Only way to know is to look.

Colif · Jun 4, 2016

its an unknown quantity really. I figured it would recognise the file structure, they both ntfs after all.

I didnt delete an partitions I installed it on the same hdd as vista. Vista is what my mom uses and it had pictures etc. on it. Is there a way to recover it. I didnt upgrade, I did a custom install.

I am curious what disk management looks like.

USAFRet · Jun 4, 2016

Colif :

Right.
But going from 7/8 to 10, there would be the option to "keep everything", or "keep personal files".
That does not exist when custom installing to on a previous Vista drive.

NerdIT · Jun 4, 2016

USAFRet :

I agree. If you did a custom install and just pointed the install to the whole drive then your old data is probably gone. As said above, if there is a any folder called windows.old....this will contain any files from the old install.

What are your partitions now?

Colif · Jun 4, 2016

think i should copy all mums photos off her pc, just in case. though she is on win 10 so it won't be a problem for a while.

USAFRet · Jun 4, 2016

Bryce7 :

OK...here's a question:
Did you actually install Windows 10? Or is this just booting from your USB stick?

slingsrat · Jun 4, 2016

USAFRet :

He said he found the windows.old so he must have installed windows so his USB stick is just installation media.

USAFRet · Jun 4, 2016

slingsrat :

And still we have no actual answers from the OP.

Bryce7 · Dec 29, 2016

Yes, so sorry, I understand this post was a while back. I recovered all that I could from the windows.old if I remember and reinstalled a clean windows 10 and copied all of our survived archived data. The issue was fixed but lesson learned is to pay attention when selecting a partition to install windows and know what you are doing! Thanks again everyone!

Accidently Installed Windows 10 over Vista. Help!

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