Accidently installed Windows 7 help...

I was upgrading windows 7 from 32 bit to 64 bit, but accidently installed the 64 version ontop of 32 version in stead of upgrading.

Now i need a computer wizard to tell me that i don't have two versions of windows installed or if they are on top, next to or merged with each other, the only clue i have is, that it made a folder called "Windows old", where all my old 32 bit program files are stored.

Do i need to reinstall the 64 version after a format disk and is there any way of getting in to my 32 version to grab some of the personal files that i did't want to erase, need info.

Anyone??

You don't have two versions of Windows installed. The windows.old file should have some or all of your files from the previous version of Windows. There is an option in Windows to restore from that windows.old backup file. You can Google the steps to do that.

Otherwise, any personal files you need are gone unless you use an undelete program to try and recover deleted files. Or take your hard drive to a professional to have the files recovered if they can be.

reply to post by _BoneZ_
Thanks, that was pretty much everything i needed to know, A profesionel recovery is expensive so i think i'll just stick to what i got now.

Thanks again

Have a look in the windows.old folder and if you're lucky your stuff should be there, you may have to take ownership of the folders but look in the "windows.old\users" folder and see if theres anything there as a start point

reply to post by Mianeye

A profesionel recovery is expensive so i think i'll just stick to what i got now.

Ehh it depends. When you accidentally installed (not sure how you accidentally install instead of upgrade lol) if you only picked "quick format" when prompted, only the file allocation tables were cleared, the files are still there, and you can potentially recover them using various free, and easy to use, recovery tools.

Hiren's boot CD has a load of different tools various recovery tools just like that.

do what the others posted, but if you have something you really don't want to lose, you can at least try recovery by yourself, it costs nothing more than a blank cd or usb key.

You absolutely can NOT 'upgrade' from 32 bit windows to 64 bit windows. There is no cross architecture upgrade path.

You have to do a clean install or go with what you just did.

If you want to move from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version of Windows 7 or vice versa, you'll need to back up your files and choose the Custom option during Windows 7 installation. Then, you'll need to restore your files and reinstall your programs. For more information about performing a custom installation, see Installing and reinstalling Windows 7‍.

Source

Come on guys how did you miss that one?

Thanks to everyone for the tips, i will look in to it, but when i think about it i only lost some music tracks i had saved separatly on desktop, i can live with that

reply to post by Mianeye


In no way is this meant as a snarky comment, but your experience is exactly why one should always do a clone backup -- or at least backup whatever files are important -- before attempting an upgrade or new installation, etc. of one's computer. A pound of prevention is worth a ton of cure.

reply to post by MrInquisitive
Thats ok, when i do something stupid, people are welcome to call me stupid

I had actually made a backup of my important files on a USB, but i then used the same USB as a boot for the 64 bit installation.

I had guest and was makeing dinner at the same time as doing the upgrade, aparently that shut of my logical part of my brain

Anyway i am happy to finnaly have 64 bit, i allways thought i had to buy a new copy of windows, but the activation code works for both 32 and 64, niiice

reply to post by Mianeye


Even the best of us have left a usb backup plugged in and wiped it and installed windows onto it when in a hurry and not checking the disk/partitions to install windows onto, normally its just a muttering of waste of an hour as you redo the backup to the USB drive and then unplug it..stick it in a draw in another room and nail the draw shut so theres no chance of it happening again

Seriously, people?

Installing 64-bit windows over the top of 32-bit is impossible. Won't happen.
the creation of Windows.OLD is because, when Windows installed the 64-bit version, it moved your 32-bit installation into a folder for safekeeping, and created a new installation in C:\Windows.

NO DATA IS LOST in this process. It is ALL either moved to the Windows.OLD folder... or not moved at all.

The only way you'd be losing data is if you reformatted during installation, in which case you wouldn't have a Windows.OLD folder anyway.

So... if you want the music back from your desktop, just cruise into Windows.OLD and you'll find everything in there. they'll all be under Windows.OLD/Users/Username/Desktop.
You'll find your old "My Documents", Program Files, Windows etc. all in there too. Again, NOTHING HAS BEEN LOST in this process. It's all still there.

Aside from what Phoenix and others has said about upgrading 32 to 64. If your computer has a x64bit processor and your reinstalling everything anyways then I highly suggest using 64bit. A x64 cpu is backwards compatible with x86 and will handle all the 32bit apps with no problems.