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As Windows 7 RTM is / will be out soon for everyone, many people will be thinking of doing a clean OS installation. I'm sure I'm not the only one that's afraid somehow someday I will realise I have forgotten certain data or certain settings, licence keys etc.

What do you always do before you do a clean install and what tips do you have that have proven invaluable in your experience?

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related superuser.com/questions/12027/… – Joakim Elofsson Aug 11 '09 at 19:31
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closed as not constructive by slhck, Oliver Salzburg, Simon Sheehan, Nifle, ChrisF Mar 8 at 22:36

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10 Answers

up vote 8 down vote accepted

I use the VMWare vCenter Converter to convert my physical machine to a virtual machine. That way, on my clean install, if I need to refer to something I may have missed in my backup (settings, etc.), I can open up my previous install in VMWare Workstation.

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The most original comment in my opinion and covers any risks that I can think off. – svandragt Aug 17 '09 at 10:23
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+1 We do this here at work all the time. After ripping the P2V, we'll strip it down using something like Invirtus VM Optimizer, (however, the latest vCenter converter does a pretty good job out of the box.) The end-user simply needs VMWare Player, and they can easily get back into their old computer. – Yoopergeek Aug 21 '09 at 16:02
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up vote 4 down vote

First of all, check out The Complete Guide to Windows Easy Transfer c",)

  • Make sure you have the required drivers. For me this consisted of drivers for raid (for finding my harddrives during the install) and wireless (for my d-link usb thingy). Didn't have to install anything else. But I did install the latest graphics driver from ATI and for my keyboard and mouse (since these come with some extra tools).
  • Also make sure you can install the programs you want. The windows easy transfer tool will take care of the settings, but you still need to install the application. My recommendation is to not do this until you actually need the application. And when you do, if applicable, check the web for the latest version. This way you won't spend lots of time installing applications that you didn't really use anyways. I've had a lot of those...
  • Making a backup might of course also be nice to do if you are uncertain about things or do not have your stuff on a separate harddrive/partition.
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HowToGeek has a nice article about Windows Easy Transfer – Ivo Flipse♦ Aug 11 '09 at 13:11
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up vote 3 down vote
  • I always make a list of all the software I want installed (I use this like a checklist once the OS is done installing. This is also a document I keep around just in case you ever have to unexpectedly restore, so you don't waste time recreating it.)
  • Backup important documents (I do run [Mozy Home Backup][1], but still like to personally backup the latest versions of important documents such as financial software backups.) Note: If you have a 2nd hard drive it makes the backup process a dream since you don't have to scurry around looking for portable drives or CDs/DVDs to burn your stuff onto until your system is back up & running.
  • Double check yourself :) there's always something that gets missed the first run through your personal list of 'items you want backed up'
  • Make sure you have all your software available for reinstalling, or you know where to find them online.
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up vote 3 down vote

Seriously. The BEST way to prepare for a clean OS install is to have a 2nd computer connected to the internet! That way you have a spare if you goof up, and you have a machine you can download drivers with.

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up vote 1 down vote

Make sure you have the required drivers ready (though Windows 7 is better at making things work out of the box)

And have all the installers ready for the programs you want to install

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WRT to drivers, I have two words: "network drivers"! – KTC Aug 11 '09 at 11:57
Lol that's why you have to download them beforehand... – Ivo Flipse♦ Aug 11 '09 at 13:11
Are there a lot of Windows 7-ready drivers available now? My guess is most of them are still compatible up to Vista, but I might be wrong :) – Isxek Aug 11 '09 at 13:19
Most will be just the Vista drivers – Ivo Flipse♦ Aug 11 '09 at 13:51
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up vote 1 down vote

Backup your files.

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up vote 1 down vote

If you have "activated" applications that you'll be re-installing, check if there's a "deactivation" procedure and do it so that you won't run into hassles re-installing on the fresh OS. In particular, "de-authorize" iTunes from the music store.

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up vote 1 down vote

I've updated before by replacing the existing HDD with a new one. Then, once the new OS is installed, put the old HDD into the machine where you can then access all your old data, programs, settings, etc.

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up vote 0 down vote

I take an immage with Drive Immage XML so I can restore files as I find I need them instead of hoping I backed up everything I will need. I don't know if it will work on windows 7 though.

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up vote 0 down vote

I backed up my files using the windows file transfer wizard. Create a new partition using a partition program. Installed windows 7 to the new partition. The old partition is visible to Win7, so you can move stuff over and get rid of the old partition when you are comfortable.

Windows found drivers for my HP sound and video - it was surprisingly easy.

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