Removing XP from old hard drive

[Guest]

I replaced my computer, but installed the hard drive from the old one as a
backup storage device. I have had to re-install most of my applications
since I now am using XP on the new hard drive. But I have data files on that
old hard drive that I have to continue to access, and I don't know enough to
figure out if removing the old version of XP on the old hard drive would also
remove data files I need.

I want to get rid of the old XP because it takes up a lot of space.

I already located and moved the data files associated with Outlook and
Outlook Express (address books, inbox, sent, etc. files). I have not figured
out a few others I may need to move such as my "favorites" from the old
install of Internet Explorer. My concern is the other applications such as
word processing or other software where data is created and stored. If I
remove the old XP, will files of this type also disappear? Or will some of
these be rendered unopenable?

Thanks for your help,

SCSI Mike

 

[Guest]

You should have run the File Transfer Wizard from the old pc,saved data
to cd,then run the FTW in new pc,all the data you've mentioned would have
been saved.Yes removing xp would delete the data.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply. So why can't I just use the FTW in the new XP to
transfer the files in the old XP? And if I have data files such as Word
documents, are you saying those will be gone if I remove the old XP? Even if
those files are stored elsewhere?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I replaced my computer, but installed the hard drive from the old one as a
backup storage device. I have had to re-install most of my applications
since I now am using XP on the new hard drive. But I have data files on that
old hard drive that I have to continue to access, and I don't know enough to
figure out if removing the old version of XP on the old hard drive would also
remove data files I need.

I want to get rid of the old XP because it takes up a lot of space.

I already located and moved the data files associated with Outlook and
Outlook Express (address books, inbox, sent, etc. files). I have not figured
out a few others I may need to move such as my "favorites" from the old
install of Internet Explorer. My concern is the other applications such as
word processing or other software where data is created and stored. If I
remove the old XP, will files of this type also disappear?

In general, data files, such as those produced by word processing
applications, are kept by default in the My "Documents" folder.
Removing the operating system will not delete those files.

However, note the phrases "in general" and "by default." I can't
guarantee that every application works the way typical ones do, and I
can't guarantee that you, or someone else, hasn't changed the default.
I can say that it's highly unlikely that removing the operating system
will have any effect on your data files, but there are no guarantees
that some data file has not been installed someplace within the
operating system, where it really doesn't belong.

Or will some of
these be rendered unopenable?

No, there should be issue with that. A data file will be openable if
you have an application installed that knows how to open it. What
*was* installed on an operating system you are not booting from is
irrelevant.

 

[Guest]

In general, data files, such as those produced by word processing
applications, are kept by default in the My "Documents" folder.
Removing the operating system will not delete those files.

However, note the phrases "in general" and "by default." I can't
guarantee that every application works the way typical ones do, and I
can't guarantee that you, or someone else, hasn't changed the default.
I can say that it's highly unlikely that removing the operating system
will have any effect on your data files, but there are no guarantees
that some data file has not been installed someplace within the
operating system, where it really doesn't belong.




No, there should be issue with that. A data file will be openable if
you have an application installed that knows how to open it. What
*was* installed on an operating system you are not booting from is
irrelevant.

Thanks, Ken. But I assume that any applications that were installed on the
old hard drive would have to be re-installed or I can't use them.

Thanks for helping. I just want to make sure I don't erase data files if I
remove applications from that old hard drive. >

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thanks, Ken.

You're welcome. Glad to help.

But I assume that any applications that were installed on the
old hard drive would have to be re-installed or I can't use them.

That's correct, but I thought we were talking about data files, not
applications.

Thanks for helping. I just want to make sure I don't erase data files if I
remove applications from that old hard drive. >

As I said, you shouldn't, but I can't guarantee that's true of every
application. That caveat is not intended to dissuade you from doing
it, but rather to point out that I can't be absolutely sure. If it
were me, I wouldn't worry about the remote possibility, but I just
wanted to point out that the remote possibility exists.