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I have windows 7 installed. If I reinstall win 7 from the desktop (so I can retrieve the latest installation files before install), will I lose my partitions automatically or will it give me the option to save my partitions and alter them as it does if you install from the boot disk at startup. I have 2 partitions on my drive, one with backup files that I don't want windows installation to erase or format and the other for windows to be installed on.

Why do you have to install from desktop? It should not remove the partitions, and if you choose the same partition to put Windows on it should move your old Windows folder to like Windows.old.

Any other partitions that you create for data should not be affected. But as always, if you can back up critical data, do so.

Flying Fox wrote:

Why do you have to install from desktop? It should not remove the partitions, and if you choose the same partition to put Windows on it should move your old Windows folder to like Windows.old.

Any other partitions that you create for data should not be affected. But as always, if you can back up critical data, do so.

Old windows folder? My win 7 install went bad, i need to reinstall and installing from the desktop said it gives you updated files that you would be downloading after install anyway but it combines it with the initial install so you don't have to do a bunch of post installation downloads and restarts. This is where it went bad for me I think. I heard windows updates must be done right and they can mess up during install.

RAMBO wrote:

Flying Fox wrote:

Why do you have to install from desktop? It should not remove the partitions, and if you choose the same partition to put Windows on it should move your old Windows folder to like Windows.old.

Any other partitions that you create for data should not be affected. But as always, if you can back up critical data, do so.

Old windows folder? My win 7 install went bad, i need to reinstall and installing from the desktop said it gives you updated files that you would be downloading after install anyway but it combines it with the initial install so you don't have to do a bunch of post installation downloads and restarts. This is where it went bad for me I think. I heard windows updates must be done right and they can mess up during install.

I usually not do the update at the same time and run Windows Update after the install. That may explain why I never seem to have issues. I would still install from disc as this seems cleaner to me, may be the previous install downloaded some bad bits that will corrupt stuff anyways.

BTW, you sure the hardware is ok, especially the RAM?

Flying Fox wrote:

RAMBO wrote:

Flying Fox wrote:

Why do you have to install from desktop? It should not remove the partitions, and if you choose the same partition to put Windows on it should move your old Windows folder to like Windows.old.

Any other partitions that you create for data should not be affected. But as always, if you can back up critical data, do so.

Old windows folder? My win 7 install went bad, i need to reinstall and installing from the desktop said it gives you updated files that you would be downloading after install anyway but it combines it with the initial install so you don't have to do a bunch of post installation downloads and restarts. This is where it went bad for me I think. I heard windows updates must be done right and they can mess up during install.

I usually not do the update at the same time and run Windows Update after the install. That may explain why I never seem to have issues. I would still install from disc as this seems cleaner to me, may be the previous install downloaded some bad bits that will corrupt stuff anyways.

BTW, you sure the hardware is ok, especially the RAM?

The RAM-crap, I installed win7, then put RAM in BIOS back to XMP 1600 from its 1333 default, I also changed all of my other settings back to what I had them at before I put BIOS to default. Then did windows update, its probably where the install went bad.

RAMBO wrote:

The RAM-crap, I installed win7, then put RAM in BIOS back to XMP 1600 from its 1333 default, I also changed all of my other settings back to what I had them at before I put BIOS to default. Then did windows update, its probably where the install went bad.

That is why I always memtest the setup before I even attempt to install Windows. I suggest you thoroughly test that RAM first before attempting a reinstall. Just do it clean, you don't know which files may have been corrupted.

Flying Fox wrote:

RAMBO wrote:

The RAM-crap, I installed win7, then put RAM in BIOS back to XMP 1600 from its 1333 default, I also changed all of my other settings back to what I had them at before I put BIOS to default. Then did windows update, its probably where the install went bad.

That is why I always memtest the setup before I even attempt to install Windows. I suggest you thoroughly test that RAM first before attempting a reinstall. Just do it clean, you don't know which files may have been corrupted.

I will do a memtest, hopefully its not the ram, 1 yr corsair 1600. But if I did a install from the desktop, would it restart and give me the option to create partitions and save previously made partitions as it does when you install from the disk.at start up?

As everyone says - always back up all your data, on all the drives and partitions.

Assuming memtest comes back fine and your hardware is in good working order, put the win7 dvd in and start from it, go to the install screen, which brings up a list of hard drive devices. You can only install win7 on 1 new partition, and if you already have partitions on the disks in the system, windows should detect them and list them. If you point the installer to one of the already defined partitions it will overwrite the OS files on that partition (and in theory not destroy any data on the partition), but leave the other partitions alone, and set the harddrive master boot record to default-boot to the partition it just installed on.

The win7 installer can also install to a blank partition, or create a new partition, which shouldn't (again, in theory) modify any of the other partitions.
IMO, it's best to install win7 on a clean/blank partition, not "on top" of another windows OS installation, and not using the "upgrade" installs.

Good luck!

ShadowEyez wrote:

As everyone says - always back up all your data, on all the drives and partitions.

Assuming memtest comes back fine and your hardware is in good working order, put the win7 dvd in and start from it, go to the install screen, which brings up a list of hard drive devices. You can only install win7 on 1 new partition, and if you already have partitions on the disks in the system, windows should detect them and list them. If you point the installer to one of the already defined partitions it will overwrite the OS files on that partition (and in theory not destroy any data on the partition), but leave the other partitions alone, and set the harddrive master boot record to default-boot to the partition it just installed on.

The win7 installer can also install to a blank partition, or create a new partition, which shouldn't (again, in theory) modify any of the other partitions.
IMO, it's best to install win7 on a clean/blank partition, not "on top" of another windows OS installation, and not using the "upgrade" installs.

Good luck!

I have 2 partitions. I have one for windows and another that I just store files on. I wanted to know that if I install starting from the desktop, will I have the option to format and partition the hard drive as I do when I install from the boot disk at start up. I want to keep my partition with my saved files, format the partition that has windows running on it now,and reinstall windows on that fresh, clean partition. I do not want to install over my current installation or keep anything on my win 7 partition. Do I have the option to make partitions and reformat if I install starting from the desktop or do you have to start from the boot disk to be able to format and partition your hard drive?

RAMBO wrote:

I have 2 partitions. I have one for windows and another that I just store files on. I wanted to know that if I install starting from the desktop, will I have the option to format and partition the hard drive as I do when I install from the boot disk at start up. I want to keep my partition with my saved files, format the partition that has windows running on it now,and reinstall windows on that fresh, clean partition. I do not want to install over my current installation or keep anything on my win 7 partition. Do I have the option to make partitions and reformat if I install starting from the desktop or do you have to start from the boot disk to be able to format and partition your hard drive?

I believe I have done that even booting direct from disc/USB. I can just format the system partition and it will leave the data partition alone. What is this obsession with running from the desktop? Your install is already suspect. Just do it clean, after verifying the RAM outside of Windows of course.

Flying Fox wrote:

RAMBO wrote:

I have 2 partitions. I have one for windows and another that I just store files on. I wanted to know that if I install starting from the desktop, will I have the option to format and partition the hard drive as I do when I install from the boot disk at start up. I want to keep my partition with my saved files, format the partition that has windows running on it now,and reinstall windows on that fresh, clean partition. I do not want to install over my current installation or keep anything on my win 7 partition. Do I have the option to make partitions and reformat if I install starting from the desktop or do you have to start from the boot disk to be able to format and partition your hard drive?

I believe I have done that even booting direct from disc/USB. I can just format the system partition and it will leave the data partition alone. What is this obsession with running from the desktop? Your install is already suspect. Just do it clean, after verifying the RAM outside of Windows of course.

Yeah I cant do what I wanted, going to do your method and go lite on the updates, just the most critical