What files to back up before installing Windows 7?

[AndroidVageta]

Im upgrading to Windows 7 from Vista (only because of the better multi-gpu scaling) and was wondering what files I need to back-up for all my saved games? I already made a straight copy of the "Users" and "ProgramData" which Im thinking counts for like 99% of my saved games.

Any other files you can think of other than the ones above that I may need?

 

[JackMDS]

It always good to backup what One can not afford to lose.

However if you do in-place upgrade from Vista your data and applications should be intact.

 

[AndroidVageta]

No because I am doing a complete formatted install...starting clean.

 

[JackMDS]

Well in such case do not get surprise if some of your "Users" and "ProgramData" would get incorporated back as it was before.

Before such an upgrade I would make an image of the whole Vista installation.

Acronis True image can create such a file that can be mounted later on as a data file.

Or, download this and run it on the current Vista installation and make a VHD file from the whole drive.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/ee656415.aspx

Store the VHD on whatever you have that can store such a File (do not store it on the drive that you intend to use for Win 7).

Do a clean install of Win 7.

When done copy the VHD file as a regular file to the Drive with the new Win 7.

When you need anything from the old Vista drive log to Win 7 Computer management open the Disk Management, right click on it and mount the Vista VHD as a virtual drive. Copy from it whatever you need.

Or the You Tube way, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3Pxn23dFuQ
.

 

[Binky]

You'd be better off just making an image of the whole drive.

If this isn't possible because the space used is too large, consider making an OS partition next time with a second partition dedicated to games, MP3's, and pretty much everything else but the OS and normal prorgam installs.

 

[AndroidVageta]

You'd be better off just making an image of the whole drive.

If this isn't possible because the space used is too large, consider making an OS partition next time with a second partition dedicated to games, MP3's, and pretty much everything else but the OS and normal prorgam installs.

I wouldnt do partitions either...if all my games are installed on partition 2 and my OS is on partition 1 then when I reinstall OS on partition 1 games and programs will no longer work due too the fact that all User files and registry entries have been deleted.

Either case I just backed up Users and ProgramData...should be sufficient...if I loose some shit oh well I guess...no game can't be played through again lol!

 

[Binky]

I wouldnt do partitions either...if all my games are installed on partition 2 and my OS is on partition 1 then when I reinstall OS on partition 1 games and programs will no longer work due too the fact that all User files and registry entries have been deleted.

This isn't entirely true. Many games can run after OS reinstallation (i.e. without a full game reinstall). Even if they need registry settings, those can often be fixed by just reinstalling the game or program over the top of the old installation, or by copying the user files.

The point of keeping large program/game installs separate is to minimize the size of the OS partition. Games can be up to 20gb per installation. Larger partitions make larger backup images, and a backup of your games is far less valuable than an OS backup. In my experience, larger backup images make the user less likely to make regular backups because of the time and space required. Anything you can do to make yourself (or your user) more likely to make regular OS backups is a good thing. In a perfect world, you'd back everything up, but this is rarely the case.