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Thread: can you remove xp while keeping game data etc on the hdd?

  1. #1
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    can you remove xp while keeping game data etc on the hdd?

    same as title really

    just want to know for when i get vista and a raptor for my OS drive.

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    Chillie in here j.o.s.h.1408's Avatar
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    well yes and no. Yes but not on the hdd itself.You should backup all those data in blank cd's/dvd,s or do what i did, Buy a external hdd and store everything their.

    Has soon as you install vista, your xp along with all the data will be removed

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    right...can i just wipe xp off my hard drive completetly?

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    glaciation appreciation frazered's Avatar
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    yes, but you will remove all the other data on the drive or partition

    best to back up your game data and saves, format hard drive, install new os, install game, copy back across the save games and data

    questions - are you sure your existing game will work ok in vista? some people are reporting poorer performance due to not many drivers being out there

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    What I do is create two partitions on my raptor. One (about 10gb) for my OS and the rest for Documents / Games. What I then do is use TweakUI to move the default folders for Documents and settings (desktop / favs) to point to the D drive. When I install games I set the installation directory to be D: for games etc. If you reinstall your OS (only on C) you can then rename the D: drive folder and install the game to D: then delete the new folder and rename the old one with your settings etc back to the default... hope this makes sense.

    Not sure if this answers your inital question but what u can do is install Vista on the new drive, reinstall the games to the same location as before (C:\Program...) and then replace the folder with the one from your old drive. You will probably need to copy some files from your My Documents Folder on the old drive to the new one to keep your saves / settings depending on the game.

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    Wack it all on DVD's/CD's or extrenal HDD's.

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    Can't see why this is very different to installing any OS to a drive with data on it, including the one you already have. For example, if I want to reinstall XP onto my drive then I have to access the drive whilst it's not running Windows XP (I do this remotely from my other PC over a network), then rename the Windows folder, Programs folder, Docs folder, and move/delete the root files. Then I set the PC with the drive in it to boot from CD in the BIOS, boot it with the XP disc in and it can't see the existing (now renamed) XP installation.

    Install XP, install your drivers and programs, etc. Then move the files you want to keep from your previous, renamed, folders.

    Remember, when you install a new OS you'll need to install all your programs too, including games. You can't just keep a game's installed folder and put it back when you've installed Vista. You'll have to reinstall the game, and then copy over the old saved games. Usually these are saved with the installation folder, sometimes they are in My Documents somewhere.

    Only do this if you're happy with tinkering with your installation. This seems the safest option to me, though, since you are using the minimum of your old files - who knows whether a game installs the same files in XP as Vista or another OS? I can't say I'd be sure the installation folder is always identical.

    DM

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