Summary: A clean install of any operating system assumes that the hard disk is empty. That implies some preparation is required to preserve and transfer data.
If I install Windows 7 on my old XP as a clean installation, is there a way to transfer my data without messing up the new installation?
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Yes, there is. In fact, it's the only officially supported way to install Windows 7 on a machine that's running Windows XP.
It simply requires some preparation.
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A "clean" install of Windows treats the system hard disk as if it were empty, which of course it can be.
If it's not empty, then a clean install either:
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makes it empty by reformatting the disk as part of the installation process (which I actually recommend, since the next point is so confusing)
or
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ignores everything on the disk and loses track of all installed programs and data files. The files may all still be there, somewhere, but the applications you might have used to access them are not installed as far as the new OS is concerned.
The bottom line is that your data's either gone, or difficult to find.
And in either case, a clean install requires that you now reinstall all the applications you had been using on your machine, from scratch.
By far the best approach is to prepare for your clean install with a full backup of everything. That way, no matter what you may lose as part of the installation process, you'll always have it available from that backup.
As I described in How do I upgrade from XP or Vista to Windows 7?, the steps work out like this:
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Backup so as not to lose any of your data, and as a place to revert to should your installation below fail. Make sure this works.
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Install Windows - a clean install, ideally reformatting the hard disk so as not to leave clutter around after the install
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Install Applications - from their original installation media or downloads
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Restore your Data - from your backup
The net result of this process is a clean machine, running the new operating system, with all your applications and data transferred safely.
It's a bit of work, and as I said, perhaps the most important step is the preparation.
Related:
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How do I upgrade from XP or Vista to Windows 7? How do I upgrade from XP or Vista to Windows 7?
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What's the difference between an upgrade and an upgrade? With all the different versions of Windows it's easy to get confused, particularly when the term "upgrade" can actually mean two different things.
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How do I reformat and reinstall Windows? Sometimes the best approach to resolving an issue, be it a virus or simply software rot, is reformat and reinstall. We'll review the steps.
Article C3905 - October 24, 2009
Forget Windows 7 altogether and dual boot Ubuntu and live happily ever after.
Posted by: Bob at October 27, 2009 12:07 PMThinkVantage System Migration Assistant v6 supports both XP and Windows 7 and does a quick & easy move of data between levels of Windows (as well as serving as a sort of "poor man's backup" for documents).
Posted by: Nicholas Gimbrone at October 27, 2009 2:47 PMSwitch to a Mac...you'll never go through this garbage again..and you'll never look back.
Posted by: Billie at October 27, 2009 8:37 AM
Posted by: steven richards at October 27, 2009 4:46 PM-------------------------------------------------
Macs change OS's, too. A lot of your data will be unreadable by the mac, too.
Why can't I just keep using XP? It works fine
28-Oct-2009
Posted by: Kenneth Black at October 27, 2009 5:27 PM
The simpler method is having a partition with the OS and programs, and all data in a different partition or even a second hard drive. You can re-install OS, install a new OS and nothing is goping to happen to your data.
Posted by: Renato Morbach at October 27, 2009 7:24 PMMy friend, Paul, has 11,000 pictures organized carefully in 250 folders in Picasa. When he upgrades to Windows 7 from XP, his backed up pictures will be restored from his external drive or from Carbonite which he just started. My fear for him is that the folder organization within Picasa will lost. Picasa will merely organize the pictures the best it can and his months of careful organization will be lost. Any ideas how to avoid this?
Posted by: Hal Ross at October 29, 2009 6:42 AM"Switch to a Mac...you'll never go through this garbage again"
Wait a minute!
Hasn't Mac scrapped their OS 3 times and processor once.
At least with Windows, programs that ran on previous computers will still run an a new computer.
Posted by: Ken Crook at October 31, 2009 10:13 PMFor Bob Seeley-
Use Belarc advisor to create a list of installed hardware, software, and product keys/serials, prior to your upgrade.
Posted by: Geekomatic at November 5, 2009 4:53 AMIt's free...
Geekomatic
I agree with Kenneth Black. Why fix what isn't broken? I'll ride XP Pro until the wheels fall off.
13-Nov-2009
Posted by: Charles Tilley at November 10, 2009 8:01 PM
I'm not a religious person, nor do I favor any religion (or non-religion) over any other -- BUT, it seems to me that pushing or recommending that a "Windows" person switch over to a "Mac" is a lot like pushing/recommending a Religion-A person to change his/her religion over to Religion-B, or vice versa. My rationale: they're both *religions* and in practical terms they both seem to do what's expected of them equally well (after all, look at the numerous happy believers on both sides). They both have advantages and disadvantages, strong points and weak points. And I've always seen sense in the maxim, "You can't reason a person out of something he/she hasn't been reasoned into." To a large extent the Windows/Mac divide is just a matter of "religious" upbringing. So please, let's not put down the other's "religion?" Thanks!
Posted by: Frank D at November 24, 2009 5:40 PM