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Transfer all data except operating system to a separate hard drive...

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...then update operating system from Vista to Windows 7 and put data back on computer. What specific steps do I need to take in order to make this happen?

(I need step 1 through step xxx in order to make this happen. Thanks for your help)

Trayton Davis

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Check out the many user guides and tutorials in the left margin of this forum, particularly Getting Started and Grover's True Image Guides which are illustrated with step-by-step screenshots.

This can be done with a files/folders backup, selecting what user data folders you want to backup.
However, I would recommend that you perform a full disk mode backup first, just in case anything goes wrong with your upgrade. That way, you could always restore your current system.

And, if you haven't done so, take the time now to create the bootable Rescue Media, which is what you'd use if you needed to restore the system.

To add to Tuttles comments, if by data you mean programs rather than data you won't be able to restore them if they have (as most do) entries in registry. Actual data and program installers can be stored via a files and folders backup and restored to a W7 OS.

Thank you both for your help. Colin, I (more or less) understand what you are saying, but:

Does the Acronis full backup capture the programs themselves, and also does it capture the registry? If the answers to both parts of the question is yes, then would it be possible to transfer the appropriate listings in the Vista registry to the new registry somehow? Perhaps a program exists somewhere that does this? Obviously I don't need the whole registry, just the appropriate parts of it.

Trayton G. Davis

A complete disk or partition image will contain the registry along with all your programs. I'm not sure whether the hidden files are included in the type of backup you've done. I suggest 'Exploring ' the backup from within TIH change your system to view hidden files and folders and system files (if disabled at present) and see if you can see the registry files in C:\Windows\System32\config.

I'm not sure but I believe there are differences in where some items place their registry entries between Vista and W7 especially things like disk access utilities (True Image being one of them). There is a program that will copy entries from Vista to W7 and W8, however, it is part of a competitors product. The standalone product is from Laplink (not free), but I'm not sure if they sell it unbundled.

There maybe other utilities that can do what you need, I'm just not aware of them.