Access will i be able to access my files after i upgrade

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leow

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my computer recently broke, and i am unable to acess windows, so im planning to upgrade my system, i recently brought a new hard drive, and have things on it that i wont to save. now its been a few years since ive upgraded so cant remember, but if i upgrade my system then will i have to format my hard drive first before my new system will run? so then i will lose certain files, or am i able to put all my new system together and then use my hard drive and then acess my files save then to disc, then format ?

let me know, many thanks leow
 
When you say upgrade, what exactly do you mean?

Hardware or software?

What operating system are you using?

What, exactly, 'broke'?

If you're going to re-install Windows, you'll lose everything.

If you're going to upgrade Windows from, say Win 2K to Win XP or Win XP to Win Vista, you'll lose everything.

If you're going to replace the main hard drive, you will be able to access your stuff if you install old hard drive as a secondary drive.

If you're upgrading motherboard and stuff, you'll need to reinstall Windows and you'll lose everything.

The trick is to backup files and folders now, either to CD, DVD or memory stick.
 
upgrading hardware, im planning to use my recently brought hard drive in my new system.


so there is no way of keeping my files with out having to format it and start a fresh.

did have an idea i still have my recently replaced old hard drive, could i have the 2 hard drives the old one as the primary and install windows on that, then once set up boot up with my new hard drive save what i need, take out the old one and install windows xp again on the new hard drive but with all the new system
 
ok, my new sata hard drive has files i wont on it, i have and old ide hard drive, am i able to use that as a primary drive for when i put all my new system together, so when i have to install windows, i can install it on the ide hard drive and not on the sata drive, so i dont lose my files ?
 
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Yes, you could do that, but just have the IDE drive connected during the install to make sure Windows (I'm assuming XP) sees it as Drive C.

Once Windows is installed hook up the SATA drive, copy all your wanted data across to your IDE drive then format the SATA drive.

You could then use the SATA drive as storage or, with the use of a program such as Acronis True Image, copy your new installation with all saved data from IDE drive to SATA drive and use that as the primary, which is a better option.

But yes, basically, what you want to do is feasible.
 
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