How to reduce the size of a HDD image?
" explain what you mean by installing Windows 7 "1%" "
"""""""
Whether from dvd, usb etc; you just start the Windows install.
As soon as this action starts and files install..kill it.
"""'
Obviously copy all your data to a backup drive.
I also might run Driver Magician Lite to back up any extra system drivers
if Windows is still alive..
http://www.drivermagician.com/Lite.htm
If I am satisfied that there are no bad virus issues I just move the complete Windows install and all other folders to a folder I call
1 Win old....etc.
except for
System Volume Information
$RECYCLE.BIN or whatever name it comes up with.
pagefile.sys
hiberfile.sys
which I delete.
In saying this, it is amazing to find docs and pics in the Recycle Bin
that people really didn't want to delete.
Also in the root of the drive, because people are thick and nothing surprises me anymore.
Because you can bet if you delete someone will suddenly want it.
Why I don my Mandrake the Magician hat in case.
::::::
Always best to scan any saved data. Trust to nothing.
When I need a driver I burgle it by going into the old win setup folder
1 Win oldWindows\Windows\inf
and let the newer setup search for the driver I require.
I may then have to find the the files in the
1 Win old\Windows\System32 folder
and finish it by finding the last files again in the
1 Win oldWindows\Windows folder.
This has saved me time and grief over countless re-installs because
hardly anyone keeps the installation drivers and so many companies
never keep them on their sites because they are glad to sell you a new pc again. Who would guess that?
Packard Bell is a s..t company like that.
Again you can often use older Vista drivers in Windows 7 when there are no updates.
I have used sound drivers in Windows 10 from Windows 7...bloody Dell.
But you have to pick them and I usually use my above method.
Sometimes I try and unzip the driver pack into a new folder
and use the unzipped inf
from that folder to install the driver because Windows won't let the
driver installer run.
If there is plenty of hard drive space I always start with 2 partitions
so if ugliness happens later and there is no spare drive I can move files
quickly and start a new install again.
Personally I never reformat a drive unless I suspect the absolute
worst has occurred and I prefer DBan etc.
::::
Anyway just to give a quick visual.
I generally do a non destructive install.
Windows 7 Formatting and Clean Installation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG0k7Z-HDuc
View the video from say the time 7.37 until 17.59.
Then stop it....don't be nice if it won't.
Hold the Power Button down.
Reboot in Puppy and remove all the Win files.
Copy the backed up clean first install with Puppy, reboot....job done.
Here is my backed up clean install under a folder I call
c:\1 Win7 2015 Backup
Program Files
ProgramData
Users
Windows
autoexec.bat
config.sys
Documents and Settings
IO.SYS
Done this for years with Win95, 98, WinMe, XP, Win7, Win 8 and I am sure that Win 10 would give no issues.
The only problems to consider is the newer GPT partition issue.
Chris.
"""""""
Whether from dvd, usb etc; you just start the Windows install.
As soon as this action starts and files install..kill it.
"""'
Obviously copy all your data to a backup drive.
I also might run Driver Magician Lite to back up any extra system drivers
if Windows is still alive..
http://www.drivermagician.com/Lite.htm
If I am satisfied that there are no bad virus issues I just move the complete Windows install and all other folders to a folder I call
1 Win old....etc.
except for
System Volume Information
$RECYCLE.BIN or whatever name it comes up with.
pagefile.sys
hiberfile.sys
which I delete.
In saying this, it is amazing to find docs and pics in the Recycle Bin
that people really didn't want to delete.
Also in the root of the drive, because people are thick and nothing surprises me anymore.
Because you can bet if you delete someone will suddenly want it.
Why I don my Mandrake the Magician hat in case.
::::::
Always best to scan any saved data. Trust to nothing.
When I need a driver I burgle it by going into the old win setup folder
1 Win oldWindows\Windows\inf
and let the newer setup search for the driver I require.
I may then have to find the the files in the
1 Win old\Windows\System32 folder
and finish it by finding the last files again in the
1 Win oldWindows\Windows folder.
This has saved me time and grief over countless re-installs because
hardly anyone keeps the installation drivers and so many companies
never keep them on their sites because they are glad to sell you a new pc again. Who would guess that?
Packard Bell is a s..t company like that.
Again you can often use older Vista drivers in Windows 7 when there are no updates.
I have used sound drivers in Windows 10 from Windows 7...bloody Dell.
But you have to pick them and I usually use my above method.
Sometimes I try and unzip the driver pack into a new folder
and use the unzipped inf
from that folder to install the driver because Windows won't let the
driver installer run.
If there is plenty of hard drive space I always start with 2 partitions
so if ugliness happens later and there is no spare drive I can move files
quickly and start a new install again.
Personally I never reformat a drive unless I suspect the absolute
worst has occurred and I prefer DBan etc.
::::
Anyway just to give a quick visual.
I generally do a non destructive install.
Windows 7 Formatting and Clean Installation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG0k7Z-HDuc
View the video from say the time 7.37 until 17.59.
Then stop it....don't be nice if it won't.
Hold the Power Button down.
Reboot in Puppy and remove all the Win files.
Copy the backed up clean first install with Puppy, reboot....job done.
Here is my backed up clean install under a folder I call
c:\1 Win7 2015 Backup
Program Files
ProgramData
Users
Windows
autoexec.bat
config.sys
Documents and Settings
IO.SYS
Done this for years with Win95, 98, WinMe, XP, Win7, Win 8 and I am sure that Win 10 would give no issues.
The only problems to consider is the newer GPT partition issue.
Chris.