Installing Win7

valdai · 25 Oct 2009 at 17:41

So I'm going to buy Windows 7 soon, and was just thinking what I'm going to do with the installation. I currently have Win7 RC and XP installed on the same HD. Few questions:

1. Can I install over the RC without affecting my XP installation? (And then reduce the size of my XP installation to its current size)

2. If I buy a new HD at the same time, would I need to install Win7 on both drives?

3. Is there any way of taking my steam games over to Win7 without re-downloading all of them?

Thanks

Meatball · 25 Oct 2009 at 17:51

valdai said:
1. Can I install over the RC without affecting my XP installation? (And then reduce the size of my XP installation to its current size)

I assume XP and Windows 7 are on the same physical hard drive but on separate partitions? If so when you come to install Windows 7 simply delete the Windows 7 RC partition and install as normal.

valdai said:
2. If I buy a new HD at the same time, would I need to install Win7 on both drives?

No, just delete Windows 7 off the old drive then just install Windows 7 on your new drive. What you do with the space Windows 7 used to take up on the old hard disk is your choice, you can free it up for XP or use it as a backup partition.

valdai said:
3. Is there any way of taking my steam games over to Win7 without re-downloading all of them?

SEE POST BELOW.

millsy888 · 25 Oct 2009 at 17:52

3. backup steamapps folder to another hard drive, install steam on new setup copy back the steamapps folder.

rhysduck · 25 Oct 2009 at 17:58

RE: Copying/Backing up STEAM games.

As already suggested, you need to backup the steamapps folder. As this is where the game files are kept.

A good method is the following;

Backup the steamapps folder
Reformat / etc.....
Install Steam to the new pc/hdd
START to redownload the games you wont, wait for it to do a few percent and cancel it. Close Steam.
Now, COPY over the steamapps folder and reload Steam.

You're games should now just need a quick update through Steam (patches etc) and you should be good to go...

millsy888 · 25 Oct 2009 at 18:04

rhysduck said:
RE: Copying/Backing up STEAM games.

As already suggested, you need to backup the steamapps folder. As this is where the game files are kept.

A good method is the following;

Backup the steamapps folder

Reformat / etc.....

Install Steam to the new pc/hdd

START to redownload the games you wont, wait for it to do a few percent and cancel it. Close Steam.

Now, COPY over the steamapps folder and reload Steam.

You're games should now just need a quick update through Steam (patches etc) and you should be good to go...

Ahh i forgot about starting the download and then cancelling.

valdai · 25 Oct 2009 at 18:32

Thanks for all the quick replies. That's nice to know that in theory at least it should all go quite smoothly and easily

Meatball · 25 Oct 2009 at 18:42

valdai said:
Thanks for all the quick replies. That's nice to know that in theory at least it should all go quite smoothly and easily

So you're currently dual booting XP and Windows 7 RC which are both installed on the same physical hard disk but seperate hard disks. Is this correct?

.

valdai · 25 Oct 2009 at 23:16

I'm dual booting them from a single physical hard drive, on their own partition each.