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    Reformatting Question

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by Levenly, Aug 10, 2009.

  1. Levenly

    Levenly Grappling Deity

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    There comes a time and place when reformatting a computer is needed. and i feel it's about time for mine.

    my computer is running a bit sluggish, and it probably doesn't help that sometimes i trial and error tweaks, most likely changing registry files... anyways, my computer has been running slower lately, so i feel a reformat is needed. i should get rid of a lot of that junk stuff regardless...

    anyways, i have all of my games and large programs that i run on the regular installed on a secondary hard drive.

    if i reformat my primary hard drive with the OS on it, would it be able to read the games on my secondary hard drive without issues?

    i'm not looking forward to having to reinstall every single game.
     
    Levenly, Aug 10, 2009
    #1
  2. Nebelwand

    Nebelwand Notebook Consultant

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    After the reformat your apps/games may or may not be missing needed components that had been installed onto the former system partition, settings/configuration data from the Windows registry or your user profile directory, and who-knows-what-else. Impossible to predict.
     
    Nebelwand, Aug 10, 2009
    #2
  3. Levenly

    Levenly Grappling Deity

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    darn!

    oh well, life should go on.
     
    Levenly, Aug 10, 2009
    #3
  4. kegobeer

    kegobeer 1 hr late but moving fast

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    You'll have to reinstall the games. Installing applications to a drive other than C is a waste of time - when you reinstall Windows, the registry is gone and the programs will not run. Your saved game data should be secure, but you'll have to install everything again.
     
    kegobeer, Aug 10, 2009
    #4
  5. Levenly

    Levenly Grappling Deity

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    well, i originally was confused by this issue because i installed windows 7 on my computer on my primary hard drive. i was dual booting there for a while, and i never had to go about reinstalling the games for windows 7. they just booted up and worked even though they were installed while running XP
     
    Levenly, Aug 10, 2009
    #5
  6. gerryf19

    gerryf19 I am the walrus

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    must not be very involved games...a few games will install all their settings into the program folder, but most will not
     
    gerryf19, Aug 10, 2009
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  7. crash

    crash NBR Assassin

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    As a general rule, when you reinstall your OS you need to reinstall all your programs and games - very few things work through OS reinstalls.
     
    crash, Aug 10, 2009
    #7
  8. Levenly

    Levenly Grappling Deity

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    fallout 3, crysis, and all my steam games
     
    Levenly, Aug 10, 2009
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  9. crash

    crash NBR Assassin

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    You can backup all of your games from Steam so that you don't need to download them again. I think the feature is under File>Backup Games
     
    crash, Aug 10, 2009
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  10. beige

    beige Notebook Deity

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    only few thing will work , about 20% if u r tooo lucky will work after format
     
    beige, Aug 10, 2009
    #10