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Installing another os but keepin files?

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  • Windows Vista
  • Hard Drives
Last response: in Windows Vista
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January 22, 2009 1:08:17 PM

hello there, I'm using two different harddisks on my pc, on the C drive i have my vista installed and on the second one there's nothing installed but music and some films (I'm using it as a storage I mean). both of'em are internal. so if you come to my question, I downloaded the beta version of windows 7 and I want to install it on the storage hdd. but if I do it, does it automatically delete my files? I'm not doin it as "cd started boot style". I'm about to install it while vista opened, like installing a game. thanks

More about : installing keepin files

January 22, 2009 2:06:55 PM

Wait!

What you want to do is go to control panel > administrative tools > computer management > storage > disk management. There you want to create a new partition from your spare drive by resizing it - I believe the term is 'shrink volume'. Once you shrink it you will have some new unpartitioned space you can partition and format while also in disk management.

Then install 7 to the new partition and it will leave your files alone.

Better still. Don't install 7 from within Vista. That will leave you with a dual boot and the problems of having both OSes defendant upon booting from a config file.

Once you have partitioned and formated the spare drive take the Vista drive out of your system and boot from the 7 DVD. Install 7 and then put your Vista drive back in. Just use your BIOS's pop up boot menu to select which drive to boot from. There is a function key you press on starting up which brings up this handy boot menu.

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January 22, 2009 2:12:39 PM

you answered both of my threads pal, thank you
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January 22, 2009 2:16:27 PM

notherdude said:
Wait!

What you want to do is go to control panel > administrative tools > computer management > storage > disk management. There you want to create a new partition from your spare drive by resizing it - I believe the term is 'shrink volume'. Once you shrink it you will have some new unpartitioned space you can partition and format while also in disk management.

Then install 7 to the new partition and it will leave your files alone.

Better still. Don't install 7 from within Vista. That will leave you with a dual boot and the problems of having both OSes defendant upon booting from a config file.

Once you have partitioned and formated the spare drive take the Vista drive out of your system and boot from the 7 DVD. Install 7 and then put your Vista drive back in. Just use your BIOS's pop up boot menu to select which drive to boot from. There is a function key you press on starting up which brings up this handy boot menu.



will that partition seem like another harddrive with a different letter on my computer? or lets say, an invisible space on my additional storage driver? cuz what i wanna see is, an installed windows 7 os and saved files on the same harddrive
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January 22, 2009 3:27:30 PM

yea when you create another partition it will show up as another hard drive in "my computer". one thing you can do it your just going to test windows 7 out is when you go install win7 after the hard drive is partitioned open the pc and disconnect the data cable from the vista drive and go install windows 7 then. this way you will not have to worry about your config file being messed up from the dual boot
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January 22, 2009 8:42:26 PM

rivariad said:
will that partition seem like another harddrive with a different letter on my computer? or lets say, an invisible space on my additional storage driver? cuz what i wanna see is, an installed windows 7 os and saved files on the same harddrive


Same physical drive but different logical drive - in other words each will have a different drive letter. If you want your files on the 7 drive (letter), say all on drive e, then back them up and put them on again after. There may be a way to merge the drives into one letter even when you have data on both, possibly with a powerful partitioning program, maybe even in Vista, I am not sure - never tried that myself.
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