If you recently have installed/reinstalled Windows 7 on the equipment provided (yours or others: P) and then you realized that it is either lazy to install all the programs you used before and manually transfer your personal files back into C: (If you keep them there) or miss the system you used before, you will probably be happy to find out that you can go back to the old operating system (previously installed) using the Windows.ols folder (Programs, settings and documents to be restored in system folders, where they were doing AGE before reinstallation).
Careful! Before you implement the ones written in this tutorial, make sure there is a folder called Windows.old on the system partition and that there is enough free space on it. It is also advisable to make a back-up of the Windows.old folder before you make any change.
What do you need to reintegrate windows.old in a recent installed system:
- Windows 7 installation DVD
- 10 minutes free
- Courage: D.
What steps do you need to follow:
1. After you have reinstalled the operating system and have come to the conclusion that you prefer the previously installed version, enter again The installation DVD in the DVD unit and gives a restart to the computer. When the option appears on the monitor, press any key to boota from DVD
2. In the installation menu click on Repair Your Computer, select the version of Windows OS you want to repair/restore (System Recovery Options), yes click on Next, then open Command Prompt.
3. Type the following commands in Command Prompt (one, one by one) and yes Enter After each (these commands will rename the system folders to restore the Windows.old folders):
c:
ren Windows Windows.New
ren “Program Files” “Program Files.New”
ren “Users” “Users.New”
ren “Documents and Settings” “Documents and Settings.New”* If after one or more commands of these will be displayed the message "The System Cannot the File Specified.", Simply switch to the next command (REN "users" is valid for Windows Vista and Windows 7, REN "Documents and Settings" is valid for Windows 2000 and Windows XP)
4. To move the folder's content Windows.old In the system folders, you must type in the prompt command the next set of commands (also in order and all in a row):
move /y c:\windows.old\windows c:\
move /y "c:\windows.old\program files" c:\move /y "c:\windows.old\documents and settings" c:\ (aceasta comanda este valabila in cazul in care Windowsul pe care doresti sa-l restaurezi este ori XP ori 2000)move /y c:\windows.old\users c:\ (valabila in cazul in care Windowsul pe care doresti sa-l restaurezi este tot Windows 7 sau Windows Vista)5. After you move the content Windows.old In system folders, you must restore and the boot sector of the previously installed Windows version.
a). If the previously installed Windows version is Windows XP or Windows 2000, Tab the following command in Command Prompt
D:bootbootsect /nt52 c: (where D: It is the DVD unit, if your DVD unit has another letter, replace D with that letter)
Then restore the files and files boot.ini Using the following commands (also in CMD):
c:
attrib boot.ini.saved -s -h –r
ren"boot.ini.saved""boot.ini"
attrib boot.ini +s +h +rb). If the previously installed Windows version is Windows 7 or Windows Vista, Tab the next command (For these OSs it is not necessary to restore boot.ini files)
D:bootbootsect /nt60 c: (where D: is the DVD drive)
6). Then close Command promptly and give a restart to the computer. Windows that will boot will be the previously installed version Windows 7.
Note: This method is not completely devoid of risks. We do not guarantee that there will be no errors in the restored Windows version. If there are errors after restoration, try a repair startup (using DVD/CD of installing the Restored Windows version). We also do not guarantee that it will work. If the errors persist, try to reinstall those programs to which errors appear.
