win7 Tip: Reinstall Windows 7 without formatting and retain all your files

[Nazmus Shakib Khandaker]

People tell you that to reinstall Windows 7 or Vista, you will need to move data to an external drive, change BIOS settings, boot from Windows DVD, format hard drive, install Windows, and then recover data from external drive. No, no, no! This isn't the 90's people. Windows installer has become very advanced since the days of Windows XP. There is no need for those convoluted steps. In fact, using the method I am showing you, you can even Reinstall Windows from an ISO image without even burning it to a physical disc.

This tutorial will show you the easiest and safest way to reinstall Windows. There is no need for booting form DVD or formatting the drive. All your files and data are preserved.

If the video above doesn't play,

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Please comment and share your feedback and/or questions. I will be happy to address them.

[xdot.tk]

The time to do a backup is not during a new setup but all the time. This has to be done to a separate physical disk or the cloud.

[moloko]

I have done this. works just fine.

[rfirth]

I've done this so many times... I would assume that most Neowin members already know about this.

[devHead]

This is good if you don't have all your documents, pictures, music on a separate partition or drive, but otherwise, it's pretty much the same as reformatting and installing clean, since you have to reinstall all your apps. That's what takes the most time. Plus, none of his other settings are saved.

The reason why the move from Windows.old to his Documents, Pictures Libraries, etc. was super fast has nothing to do with whether you Cut/Paste or Copy/Paste. It was instantaneous because they were moved to the same partition. If you cut files from one location and paste into another drive or volume, you will see the move dialog. The only difference between copy/paste and cut/paste is that cut/paste moves the files, while copy/paste copies the files and leaves the files in their original location.

I think Nazmus, that the only advantage to installing Windows 7 / Vista this way is that you can browse the web while Windows is installing. Otherwise, it's pretty much the same as formatting and doing a completely new install.

[Kelxin]

This is great advice for people THAT ALREADY KNOW IT.

This is HORRID advice for people that don't know crap about computers. Next thing you know they will try to reinstall windows on a hard drive that is already dying and this will just kill their hard drive the rest of the way causing them to loose all of their data that they didn't backup because the moron advice from some idiot on this forum.