After reinstalling OS, do I need to reinstall all programs?

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.setup (More info?)

"rocio" <rocio@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:93b701c496ea$35aadbc0$a601280a@phx.gbl...
>I will be doing a re-install of MS2k on a partition of my
> hardrive made to hold the OS.
>
> As my hardrive stands now, I also have a different
> partition where I have installed some programs. The folder
> holding those programs/utilities is called other
> than 'Program Files'. My line of thought in doing this
> partition was that if at one time I needed to do a clean
> isntall of the OS, I wouln't have to reinstall all the
> programs again.

<snip>

since the apps generally have entries in the registry
and often within windows itself...if you install windows fresh...
most of the apps will not work...
so you might as well install all your apps on the same partition as windows


you may very well want to keep your *data* on another partition however!

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.setup (More info?)

You'll need to reinstall the applications. While the directory structure may
still exist there is no registry structure to support the applications,
hence the reason you'll need to reinstall them. As philo said there is no
real advantage to installing the applications to a %programfiles% directory
on another partition. Just make sure your system/boot partition is
sufficient size. Say 10 gB

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

"rocio" wrote:
|I will be doing a re-install of MS2k on a partition of my
| hardrive made to hold the OS.
|
| As my hardrive stands now, I also have a different
| partition where I have installed some programs. The folder
| holding those programs/utilities is called other
| than 'Program Files'. My line of thought in doing this
| partition was that if at one time I needed to do a clean
| isntall of the OS, I wouln't have to reinstall all the
| programs again.
|
| But now, after reading some of the postings in the
| newsgroup, I'm not so sure it works that way.
|
| My question is... after doing the re-install of the OS, I
| guess I will be lossing some important information that is
| linked to the programs installed (when the registry is
| wiped new), therefore, those programs, untouched in their
| own partition, most probably will not operate properly and
| there will be a need to reinstall them again anyway.
|
| Am I thinking correctly or not? Could someone there
| clarify for me what would be the case... and if there is
| something I could do that will allow me to keep my
| programs in its own partition and funtioning properly...
|
| Or maybe I should increase (as I do the re-installing of
| the OS) the size of that partition to hold in it the
| programs as well and forget about the idea of having the
| programs in its own partition if there is not an advantage
| for that.
|
| In advance... Thanks for your help!
|
| Rocio
|

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.setup (More info?)

Thanks ALL you for sharing your knowledge, the sum of your
responses give me a very clear direction.
Thanks again and have a good weekend!  
Rocio

>-----Original Message-----
>I will be doing a re-install of MS2k on a partition of my
>hardrive made to hold the OS.
>
>As my hardrive stands now, I also have a different
>partition where I have installed some programs. The
folder
>holding those programs/utilities is called other
>than 'Program Files'. My line of thought in doing this
>partition was that if at one time I needed to do a clean
>isntall of the OS, I wouln't have to reinstall all the
>programs again.
>
>But now, after reading some of the postings in the
>newsgroup, I'm not so sure it works that way.
>
>My question is... after doing the re-install of the OS, I
>guess I will be lossing some important information that
is
>linked to the programs installed (when the registry is
>wiped new), therefore, those programs, untouched in their
>own partition, most probably will not operate properly
and
>there will be a need to reinstall them again anyway.
>
>Am I thinking correctly or not? Could someone there
>clarify for me what would be the case... and if there is
>something I could do that will allow me to keep my
>programs in its own partition and funtioning properly...
>
>Or maybe I should increase (as I do the re-installing of
>the OS) the size of that partition to hold in it the
>programs as well and forget about the idea of having the
>programs in its own partition if there is not an
advantage
>for that.
>
>In advance... Thanks for your help!
>
>Rocio
>
>.
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.setup (More info?)

philo wrote:
>
> "rocio" <rocio@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:93b701c496ea$35aadbc0$a601280a@phx.gbl...
> >I will be doing a re-install of MS2k on a partition of my
> > hardrive made to hold the OS.
> >
> > As my hardrive stands now, I also have a different
> > partition where I have installed some programs. The folder
> > holding those programs/utilities is called other
> > than 'Program Files'. My line of thought in doing this
> > partition was that if at one time I needed to do a clean
> > isntall of the OS, I wouln't have to reinstall all the
> > programs again.
>
> <snip>
>
> since the apps generally have entries in the registry
> and often within windows itself...if you install windows fresh...
> most of the apps will not work...
> so you might as well install all your apps on the same partition as windows
>
> you may very well want to keep your *data* on another partition however!

This is of course very true. However it is suprising sometimes what
apps will actually transfer directly to a new installation without
formally installing them. I have a copy of Netscape 4.x (I use it
primarily for the newsreader) which has gone through probably 6 to 8
OS ports simply by copying its directory tree over. Works fine without
problems. Amazing.

The vast, vast majority of apps need re-installing though.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.setup (More info?)

You have (as I type this) this several conflicting responses about the
need to reinstall apps.

In my experience (moving over the years from DOS and OS/2 and Win3
through NTs and W2k)some need reinstalling, some don't.

Without getting into why, one sure way to find out which need
reinstalling is, after installing the new OS, going to the directories
of the apps that remain and doubleclicking (starting) the principal or
"main" file, usually an EXE. Some apps may come up completely functional
as before, some may fail fully or partially. You won't damage anything
by using this pragmatic approach.

If you can't identify the main file, just reinstall the app and the sys
will create the icon(s) you're used to having. For the others that don't
need reinstalling you can create those icons yourself easily.

rocio wrote:
> I will be doing a re-install of MS2k on a partition of my
> hardrive made to hold the OS.
>
> As my hardrive stands now, I also have a different
> partition where I have installed some programs. The folder
> holding those programs/utilities is called other
> than 'Program Files'. My line of thought in doing this
> partition was that if at one time I needed to do a clean
> isntall of the OS, I wouln't have to reinstall all the
> programs again.
>
> But now, after reading some of the postings in the
> newsgroup, I'm not so sure it works that way.
>
> My question is... after doing the re-install of the OS, I
> guess I will be lossing some important information that is
> linked to the programs installed (when the registry is
> wiped new), therefore, those programs, untouched in their
> own partition, most probably will not operate properly and
> there will be a need to reinstall them again anyway.
>
> Am I thinking correctly or not? Could someone there
> clarify for me what would be the case... and if there is
> something I could do that will allow me to keep my
> programs in its own partition and funtioning properly...
>
> Or maybe I should increase (as I do the re-installing of
> the OS) the size of that partition to hold in it the
> programs as well and forget about the idea of having the
> programs in its own partition if there is not an advantage
> for that.
>
> In advance... Thanks for your help!
>
> Rocio
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.setup (More info?)

>> since the apps generally have entries in the registry
>> and often within windows itself...if you install windows fresh...
>> most of the apps will not work...
>> so you might as well install all your apps on the same partition as
>> windows
>>
>> you may very well want to keep your *data* on another partition however!
>
> This is of course very true. However it is suprising sometimes what
> apps will actually transfer directly to a new installation without
> formally installing them. I have a copy of Netscape 4.x (I use it
> primarily for the newsreader) which has gone through probably 6 to 8
> OS ports simply by copying its directory tree over. Works fine without
> problems. Amazing.
>
> The vast, vast majority of apps need re-installing though.

yes...Netscape is one that will work...though i think you need to create a
new profile...

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.setup (More info?)

philo wrote:
>
> >> since the apps generally have entries in the registry
> >> and often within windows itself...if you install windows fresh...
> >> most of the apps will not work...
> >> so you might as well install all your apps on the same partition as
> >> windows
> >>
> >> you may very well want to keep your *data* on another partition however!
> >
> > This is of course very true. However it is suprising sometimes what
> > apps will actually transfer directly to a new installation without
> > formally installing them. I have a copy of Netscape 4.x (I use it
> > primarily for the newsreader) which has gone through probably 6 to 8
> > OS ports simply by copying its directory tree over. Works fine without
> > problems. Amazing.
> >
> > The vast, vast majority of apps need re-installing though.
>
> yes...Netscape is one that will work...though i think you need to create a
> new profile...

Yes, you do as I recall ... but your previous profile is retained as
part of the Netscape directory tree and if you name the new profile
the same as the old one, Netscape will detect the old one and offer to
use it.