The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Reinstalled vista, need to delete old version, help.

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by joshbros, Nov 28, 2007.

  1. joshbros

    joshbros Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    dear notebookreview forum readers,

    I'm haveing some difficulties with my new vostro 1500 notebook. I had to reinstall windows for XYZ reason and I now currently have two copies of vista on my hardrive, taking up valuble space. The folder currently called Windows.old which obviouly has the original version of windows installed on it is 10,000 (roughly) files larger than the windows folder from which this computer currently boots. For that reason I don't no if i should just delete the Windows.old version or leave it or whatever, as its taking up roughly 10 gigs if needed hardrive space.

    Any ideas would be greatly apreicated. This is not an urgent problem, its just soemthing that I am going to require in the near future.

    Many Thanks

    Josh
     
    joshbros, Nov 28, 2007
    #1
  2. adinu

    adinu I pwn teh n00bs.

    Reputations:
    489
    Messages:
    2,842
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Wait so you installed a new OS on top of another one w/o deleting the original first? Big mistake.

    When you install an OS, you have to format the partition first, deleting everything you have before. Then you install the new OS.

    I suggest you do this in order for the install to be as effective as possible.
     
    adinu, Nov 28, 2007
    #2
  3. planet_vikram

    planet_vikram Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    139
    Messages:
    381
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Delete Windows.old folder !!

    But I would agree with the above opinion to format and then install to make it more effective !!
     
    planet_vikram, Nov 28, 2007
    #3
  4. orev

    orev Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    809
    Messages:
    2,829
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    56
    There's nothing in Windows.old that is in use, and highly doubtful there is anything important in there unless you put it there earlier. Any programs in there will probably not run correctly.

    Clean install with format really is the best option, and the reason for that is because all of your programs and things need to make changes to the registry, and that old registry is part of the old windows install. There's really no way to migrate those settings into the new windows. Are you having any problems running your programs, or did you reinstall those as well?
     
    orev, Nov 28, 2007
    #4
  5. joshbros

    joshbros Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Many thanks for all your help and I will delete it immediatly.

    And I had no programmes installed, due to a graphics issue that forced windows to not boot unless in safe mode of which I didnt quite no the reason behind so I re-installed windows thinking it may sort it out. This came to no solouton, and I ended up just getting dell to put a new graphics card in, which has now fixed it.
     
    joshbros, Nov 28, 2007
    #5