How do I clear windows without deleting the files and programs.

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Pigeondoesmc

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Jan 20, 2015
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So i bought this new laptop with expandable storage. It came with windows 10 on the ssd already but i'm want to transfer my old hard drive from my old laptop into the expandable storage since i do not want to lose my files and programs. Is there a way i can keep the files and programs there and delete the window files that were previously form the last laptop.
 
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USAFRet


Only if the two laptops are almost identical.
And then you run into licensing issues.

Just install your applications on this new laptop, and copy your personal files over.
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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No, it does not work like that.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Only if the two laptops are almost identical.
And then you run into licensing issues.

Just install your applications on this new laptop, and copy your personal files over.
 
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Rafael Mestdag

Rafael Mestdag

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Mar 25, 2014
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Whether he'll run into licensing issues or not depends on whether his Windows is genuine. If not, he can do what I said to at least clear the space occupied by x:\Windows.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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nooo....
1. Just renaming your existing windows folder to windows.old is pretty much the worst thing you could actually do.
It doesn't work like that.

2. Licensing. Genuineness does not matter here. Generally a laptop comes with its own OEM license. Non-transferable.

3. Using a drive from Laptop A in Laptop B and expecting it to actually boot would require that the twp laptops be almost identical.
 
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Rafael Mestdag

Rafael Mestdag

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Ok, I get the idea now, but he hasn't made clear if all he wants is to get rid of the x:\Windows folder in the HDD he's adding to his new laptop. Or at least I haven't understood exactly what he needs/wants.

Anyways, whenever I want to clear that folder on a secondary HDD that's what I do and it works. Granted, it's not a very clean solution since all the other installation folders like Program Files are still going to be stuck to the hdd until you make another windows installation.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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To delete the windows folder from a purely secondary drive, there is no reason to rename it to windows.old.
Just delete it.
Of course, this leaves all sorts of other gunk behind, and does not do what the OP thinks he wants to accomplish.
 
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Rafael Mestdag

Rafael Mestdag

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I've tried deleting the Windows folder on a secondary drive before and it doesn't work for the most part, so I rename it to windows.old and use the disk cleaner and it simply works. I've recently used this technique to delete a 26GB Windows 10 folder from a secondary drive. It deleted it only leaving a couple of empty in-folders.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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So...back to the original question.

No. What you are looking to do will not work.
The applications that exist on the old laptop can't be used with a whole different OS. You have to actually install them.

You can copy your personal files over, but the applications will not work.
 
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