WIndows installation

The files will be overwritten, but they are not unrecoverable.

Unless you plan to install over the top, or repair an installation you should format the drive on a new install, in any case the files won't be readily accessable.

The straight answer, would be that you will lose the files.
 
If you can get your hands on the "ultimate boot disc" it loads up a dummy windows and allows you to copy your contents to a safe place before you wipe or reinstall windows. this worked for me last night, i almost lost 137gb of data :)
 
Damn. Basically my OS drive has crashed (cant even format it now) and my storage drive has my work backed up. I was hoping i could put windows on the backup drive with out loosing files so that i could continue to work or try to fix the other drive from there.
 
Which files?

A repair install will (if memory serves) delete the C:\WINDOWS folder and replace it with a fresh one. Documents in other locations should remain intact.

The other option would be to get an IDE-USB converter (assuming it's an IDE drive) and plug it into another PC and back up the files you want that way.


Personally, I try to only keep Windows and installed programs on the C:\ drive, that way, if something does happen, I can replace the drive or format and reinstall Windows with only minimal data loss. I appreciate that's not possible for everyone, however.

EDIT: You posted ahead of me! :p

In that case, if your C:\ drive is shagged, I'd replace it. if you don't want to spend a lot, I believe 40Gbs are pretty cheap now (Holy crap! £30 inc vat for an 80Gb one from this very site!). Then all your data is safe on the backup drive.
 
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NIce idea, going to have to go shopping tomorrow afternoon for another drive i guess.

[and RMA this one while im at it]

Shame as i was at home till mid tuesday and had access to 2 easily :(
 
Just to clarify - i have the work on USB - so its not the end of the world. I just want a working version of windows ASAP but without loosing the stuff on my 2ndary storage drive. If i put it in a 2nd PC and made a partition - could i then install windows just on that partition (reinstalling office aswell)? Would that allow me to keep the other files?
 
If installing onto another drive, just select "leave current file system intact" and do not select format.

You WILL NOT loose any files. (Maybe t31os wasn't understanding the question?)

As long as there's enough space on there, you'll have a windows install on your storage drive... Without any data loss.
If you select "Format with NTFS" etc, then you'll loose data...
But not just from installing XP on to it.

You can even install onto the same drive as a windows install, same partition, but rename the windows folder when it prompts to "windows1" or similar.
it will install windows into the new folder, leaving the old folder untouched.
(I've had an OS on "C:\Windays" before - Ran for months)

Best idea is to just fit a new drive, but if you want do test it before RMA'ing it, then installing onto your storage drive will not delete any of the data there unless you specifically set it to format.
 
Yes it should keep data, but installing over the top (is that what you're saying) doesnt always keep files as it should or at least it hasnt in my experience.

If you have valuable data, then you really should have a backup drive that backs itself up.

Everything i have on my PC i can afford to lose, although i prefer not to (and have done many times), its nothing of great value.

Formatted the wrong drive once before - lesson 1 learnt.
Knocked sata cable from its port while windows in operation - lesson 2 learnt.

Suffice to say, the stupidest things do happen, so i tend to put data i value on DVD or CD then copy them every 6 months, destroying the old ones. Can't say i've had anything that i value enough to warrant backup though.

I've done more installs as result of stupid mistakes then i have for good reason. I don't mind though, i like learning the hard way....
 
Not too bad in the end. Borrowed a friends HD and his windows managed a sort-of auto repair. Still could boot or repair windows, but was able to successfully format (couldnt see it properly in DOS) and have reinstalled windows on it. After it did the semi-repair i was able to get nearly everything i wanted off aswell, so it wasnt too bad. Just getting updates..etc now, which takes longer than you ever think!!

thanks for the help

EDIT
Crashed as i posted that message so im quite worried something is wrong still :( , but we`ll see how it goes
 
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