Protect your Win7/8 setup from the Win10 upgrade

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Protect your Win7/8 setup from the Win10 upgrade

By Fred Langa Like all operating-system upgrades, the migration to Win10 will overwrite and replace your current OS. Here’s what to do to preserve your current Win7/8 setup. Plus: Why you should not use a Win7 image to set up a new Win8 PC, understanding Windows Easy Transfer, and solving a problem with a Win7 “nondestructive reinstall.”

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The full text of this column is posted at windowssecrets.com/langalist-plus/protect-your-win78-setup-from-the-win10-upgrade/ (paid content, opens in a new window/tab).

Columnists typically cannot reply to comments here, but do incorporate the best tips into future columns.

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I have successfully used a product called Shadow Protect to transition an entire Windows 7 image over to a Windows 8 machine. The product allows you to side load drivers during the image loading process that will match the hardware specific to the new machine. All you have to do is download the proper Windows 8 drivers from the manufacturer’s site and point to that during the image setup process. I would highly recommend checking it out. It is really powerful.

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Hi Fred,
I went to make a system image today but ran into a problem. I’m using Windows 7 Ultimate and have installed a SSD for the main operating system. That is my “C” drive and is only 128 GB in size.

When I want to install non-critical or secondary software I install those to the same location name on my main storage drive, “E”. These are files or software that I use much less frequently and therefore I don’t want to clog up the space on the SSD (“C”) with all those program files. (IE: Sandboxie or Google SketchUp or Virtual Box HD’s) So these links point to the E / Program Files / Sandboxie OR E: Users / username / …location.

This gives me a quick booting system using the SSD and allows me to store / use non-critical things on the larger platter drive. But now when I want to make a system image using Window Backup software it is automatically selecting my “C” drive AND 581.67 GB on my “E” drive. Furthermore the box to deselect the “E” drive files is grayed out.

I was going to make a system image of just the “C” drive, which is using only 79 GB of space, to a external drive that is 298 GB. Now I can’t even get one. Is there a way (short of unplugging the “E” drive to make the image) to not back up my “E” drive files so that I have only the “C” (SSD) files? I realize I may need to re-install some of these less used programs if I ever have to start over with an image of the “C” drive but again they are not critical to getting back up and running in a timely manner. AND the “E” drive is already being backed up daily to another drive because it holds all of my saved working files.

Thanks for your help.

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I went to make a system image today but ran into a problem.

The Windows backup program is not very flexible. Try one of the free 3rd party ones and you will be able to do what you want.
http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread//148152-What-s-the-best-free-backup-program

cheers, Paul

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Hello, Fred:

Regarding your comments on the topmost topic (Win 7/8 Upgrade to Win 10), and specifically creating an image of my Windows 7 Pro installation, won’t I need to uninstall the WindowsUpdate KBxxxxxxx that initiated the auto-upgrade feature to Windows 10 BEFORE I image? I’m thinking that if I restore the Win 7 image of my present system status, it will immediately be vulnerable to the auto-upgrading process repeating. I am really hesitant to perform this upgrade until after the once-wise “wait 6 months before any OS upgrade becomes available” period is past.

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won’t I need to uninstall the WindowsUpdate KBxxxxxxx that initiated the auto-upgrade feature to Windows 10 BEFORE I image

There is no need to remove any patches. The backup is protection against the upgrade going wrong, allowing you to return to a working system after any problems.

cheers, Paul

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There is no need to remove any patches. The backup is protection against the upgrade going wrong, allowing you to return to a working system after any problems.

cheers, Paul

Thanks, Paul. Image backups are my best PC friend!;)

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Thunderbird flagged the paid Newsletter 488, 2015-07-09 as a possible scam. Anybody else have this happen?

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Thunderbird flagged the paid Newsletter 488, 2015-07-09 as a possible scam

Thunderbird is trying to protect you. Just change the options for mail from WS.

cheers, Paul

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