Using Old HDD After Upgrade

[deems43]

Hi there! I am upgrading my system. CPU, Mobo, and OS. Also adding SSD to put OS onto. I had Windows7 on original system. I want to install W10 onto my new one. I would still like to use my old HDD with my new system as it has got plenty of storage remaining on it as well as a lot of files i want to have accessible.

My question is: will i have to reinstall programs and applications (already present on my old HDD) onto the new OS? Or will programs run off my old HDD with the newly installed OS even though they were installed with the original W7 OS?

Like for example will i have to reinstall all the drivers? My steam library? Benchmarking tools? OC software?

Thanks in advance guys! I've never upgraded my OS and storage before so im not sure how things would work.

 

[RememberThe5th]

Some of them wont require reinstalling but most of them will do.
Yes, you are gonna need to reinstall drivers, but reinstalling steam i think you wouldnt need to do, benchmarking tools will run fine unless they were bound (It really depends), but OC softwares youre gonna need to reinstall them (You mean MSI afterburner?).

 

[rickypratama]

Yes, you have to install all apps and drivers to your system after installing win10 os

 

[deems43]

Yes, you have to install all apps and drivers to your system after installing win10 os

Thanks!

 

[RememberThe5th]

Not all, Steam library only neets to update itself or smth it doesn't require reinstalling, it will just start, just a question are you going from 32bit to 64bit?That could have some issues.But if you have space on SSD to put all stuff i recommend you to format HDD to single patrition for best perfomance.

 

[deems43]

Some of them wont require reinstalling but most of them will do.
Yes, you are gonna need to reinstall drivers, but reinstalling steam i think you wouldnt need to do, benchmarking tools will run fine unless they were bound (It really depends), but OC softwares youre gonna need to reinstall them (You mean MSI afterburner?).

Yes Afterburner.

I think i understand. Some will run, some wont.

Do you think i should have gone through uninstalling a lot of the programs before i went and started changing out my Mobo and cpu? Or will i still be able to do proper uninstalls after upgrading my OS?

Do you know what i mean haha im not sure im explaining clearly

 

[RememberThe5th]

Uninstalling its just waste of time, install Windows on ssd , after installing select SSD as main boot with your HDD plugged in, soo it doesnt mess up boot process, if you are installing new Windows on ssd nothing will be needed for uninstalling. Just after all the process test which programs work and which doesnt, its simple. (after installing all required drivers and gpu etc....).

 

[rickypratama]

Thanks for the correction, I thought steam is the same as other apps because I never used it.
The best you can do is install new os on new drive and format that old win7 partition(make sure no data except program files in there), then just reinstall all apps and drivers. But if you really want to keep some apps on old hdd, you have to uninstall them before changing hardware. Also, you can try robert solution and when you need to free up some space, just delete the program folder of apps that doesn't work anymore

 

[deems43]

Not all, Steam library only neets to update itself or smth it doesn't require reinstalling, it will just start, just a question are you going from 32bit to 64bit?That could have some issues.But if you have space on SSD to put all stuff i recommend you to format HDD to single patrition for best perfomance.

No no 64 to 64.

I see. Thank you! I'll have to do some research on how to do all that.

 

[mitch074]

Yes Afterburner.

I think i understand. Some will run, some wont.

Do you think i should have gone through uninstalling a lot of the programs before i went and started changing out my Mobo and cpu? Or will i still be able to do proper uninstalls after upgrading my OS?

Do you know what i mean haha im not sure im explaining clearly

You can't uninstall after the fact - uninstall informations are kept in Windows registry, and deleting Windows will delete the registry too.
Three methods:

• 
  ■ move your old drive to the new PC, update to win10 in place, then clone the old disk to the new one. Fast if everything works, tricky otherwise.
  ■ clone you old drive to the new one on the old PC, put the new drive in the new PC, upgrade to Win10 in place (this should work better from an external install device)
  ■ uninstall as many apps as you can, do game backups from Steam, do a clean install on the SSD, plug your old disk in the new system, reinstall your apps and restore your Seam games from backups. Once you have a complete system, clean up the old drive (move older files, delete the Windows and Program Files directories, etc.)

The third is longer but much cleaner and failsafe.

 

[USAFRet]

Hi there! I am upgrading my system. CPU, Mobo, and OS. Also adding SSD to put OS onto. I had Windows7 on original system. I want to install W10 onto my new one. I would still like to use my old HDD with my new system as it has got plenty of storage remaining on it as well as a lot of files i want to have accessible.

My question is: will i have to reinstall programs and applications (already present on my old HDD) onto the new OS? Or will programs run off my old HDD with the newly installed OS even though they were installed with the original W7 OS?

Like for example will i have to reinstall all the drivers? My steam library? Benchmarking tools? OC software?

Thanks in advance guys! I've never upgraded my OS and storage before so im not sure how things would work.

Several moving parts here.
1. New system (motherboard)
2. New OS (Win 7 to WIn 10)
3. Different drive (SSD)

This really requires a clean install, in the new hardware, on the new SSD with the new OS.
Cloning and moving things back and forth will almost certainly not work.

Do you have another drive, or can you borrow one? THis is by far the easiest thing.
Save all of your personal docs, AND your SteamApps folder, off to this other drive.

Install the new Win 10 on the SSD, in the new hardware, with only the SSD connected.

Once you have this new system working on the SSD, then you reconnect your old HDD.
Assuming you saved all your personal stuff earlier, wipe this old HDD completely. All partitions.
Then, copy your personal docs and the SteamApps folder back to the original HDD>

In the new Steam client you installed with the new OS, you can tell it where that SteamAPps forlder is. No reinstalling of the games needed.
Steam games location
In the steam client:
Steam
Settings
Downloads
Steam Library Folders
Add library folder

All your other applications WILL need to be reinstalled with the new OS.

 

[deems43]

Uninstalling its just waste of time, install Windows on ssd , after installing select SSD as main boot with your HDD plugged in, soo it doesnt mess up boot process, if you are installing new Windows on ssd nothing will be needed for uninstalling. Just after all the process test which programs work and which doesnt, its simple. (after installing all required drivers and gpu etc....).

ok i understand! Everything clear now. Thanks!

 

[deems43]

Hi there! I am upgrading my system. CPU, Mobo, and OS. Also adding SSD to put OS onto. I had Windows7 on original system. I want to install W10 onto my new one. I would still like to use my old HDD with my new system as it has got plenty of storage remaining on it as well as a lot of files i want to have accessible.

My question is: will i have to reinstall programs and applications (already present on my old HDD) onto the new OS? Or will programs run off my old HDD with the newly installed OS even though they were installed with the original W7 OS?

Like for example will i have to reinstall all the drivers? My steam library? Benchmarking tools? OC software?

Thanks in advance guys! I've never upgraded my OS and storage before so im not sure how things would work.

Several moving parts here.
1. New system (motherboard)
2. New OS (Win 7 to WIn 10)
3. Different drive (SSD)

This really requires a clean install, in the new hardware, on the new SSD with the new OS.
Cloning and moving things back and forth will almost certainly not work.

Do you have another drive, or can you borrow one? THis is by far the easiest thing.
Save all of your personal docs, AND your SteamApps folder, off to this other drive.

Install the new Win 10 on the SSD, in the new hardware, with only the SSD connected.

Once you have this new system working on the SSD, then you reconnect your old HDD.
Assuming you saved all your personal stuff earlier, wipe this old HDD completely. All partitions.
Then, copy your personal docs and the SteamApps folder back to the original HDD>

In the new Steam client you installed with the new OS, you can tell it where that SteamAPps forlder is. No reinstalling of the games needed.
Steam games location
In the steam client:
Steam
Settings
Downloads
Steam Library Folders
Add library folder

All your other applications WILL need to be reinstalled with the new OS.

Wow thanks for putting in the time to explain all that. This makes sense! Thanks a lot !

 

[deems43]

Thanks for your time everyone! I know what i have to do now.