[Jamesislearning]

You will need to re-install your old programs again, but you wont lose any data from the hard drive.

So if I copy my steamapps folder, etc with all steam games across, and reinstall steam, will I have to download the games again, or will steam find them?:D

[purplefag]

Formatting the partition before will not leave a Windows.old folder behind, which would take up useless space on the HDD, so might as well format it. Also, this operation takes what, 5 minutes, not even ?

I was under the impression that the OP wanted to keep his/her original files, hence overlaying a new install without formatting.

PF

[Aura]

So if I copy my steamapps folder, etc with all steam games across, and reinstall steam, will I have to download the games again, or will steam find them?:D

I suggest you to reinstall them (they'll still be on your Steam account), why ? Because most (99%) of the programs writes themself in the registry. If you transfer the program files without installing it, it won't write itself in the registry, preventing it from working.

I was under the impression that the OP wanted to keep his/her original files, hence overlaying a new install without formatting.

PF

Yeah he wants to keep his personal files, but like stated, he should just back up them on his 1TB external HDD.

[purplefag]

So if I copy my steamapps folder, etc with all steam games across, and reinstall steam, will I have to download the games again, or will steam find them?:D

If you DL steam, then copy the steam folder across, overwriting everything, all your games should be there.

[Jamesislearning]

Yeah he wants to keep his personal files, but like stated, he should just back up them on his 1TB external HDD.

That HDD isn't external, it's internal
but I have access to an external if necessary

---

If you DL steam, then copy the steam folder across, overwriting everything, all your games should be there.

& i've just realised that all my steam games are already installed in the HDD away from my OS

[Aura]

That HDD isn't external, it's internal
but I have access to an external if necessary

Oh yeah, then you can definitively back up all your files on it. Just connect the HDD in slave mode (second HDD) if it's not done already and move all your files on it.

[Jamesislearning]

Oh yeah, then you can definitively back up all your files on it. Just connect the HDD in slave mode (second HDD) if it's not done already and move all your files on it.

Just to doubly make sure that I know what I am doing tomorrow.
I'm literally backing up all my files on an external HDD (or internal)
putting the disk into my machine
I'll be given an option to format my SSD by the disk to remove the OS
After this i'll be able to install the OS as normal?

[Aura]

Just to doubly make sure that I know what I am doing tomorrow.
I'm literally backing up all my files on an external HDD (or internal)
putting the disk into my machine
I'll be given an option to format my SSD by the disk to remove the OS
After this i'll be able to install the OS as normal?

Yes. If you don't know which partition to format on your SSD (even there, the one you need to format will be pretty easy to see), you can always send me a picture of the screen and I'll tell you which one to format, but like I said, i t will be pretty obvious.

[Jamesislearning]

how do I see the partitions?
as I will get the up now and get a picture

[Aura]

how do I see the partitions?
as I will get the up now and get a picture

They'll be listed in that window :



Except that the partitions will be named like :

Disk 0 Partition 1
Disk 0 Partition 2
Etc.

Usually, the Disk 0 Partition 1 is where your Windows is installed. You can confirm it by checking the occupied/total size of that partition.

[Jamesislearning]

You can confirm it by checking the occupied/total size of that partition.

Oh so i'll just be able to see that the disk is 150gb and choose to format that one?

[Aura]

Oh so i'll just be able to see that the disk is 150gb and choose to format that one?

Yeah.
Like, let's say that right now, your C: partition size is 150GBs and you have 100GBs left on it. In your window installation, if you see let's say Disk 0 Partition 1 that is a 150GBs partition with 100GBs left on it, well you know that it's your "C:" partition where your Windows is actually installed.

[Jamesislearning]

Yeah.
Like, let's say that right now, your C: partition size is 150GBs and you have 100GBs left on it. In your window installation, if you see let's say Disk 0 Partition 1 that is a 150GBs partition with 100GBs left on it, well you know that it's your "C:" partition where your Windows is actually installed.

Thanks so much for your help, like really man cheers

[Aura]

Thanks so much for your help, like really man cheers

No problem mate. Feel free to post in my tutorial or in this thread if you have any issues during the installation !