Hard Drive Format Without Uninstalling Applications

[mmosier1]

If a hard drive is formatted without first uninstalling the applications on it, does this create problems in the Windows 7 registry? Do the applications continue to show under the Control Panel list of installed apps?

Thanks

Mike

 

[Herc08]

How are you formatting the hard drive without removing the files? Do you mean re-installing Windows on top of what you already have?

If you are trying to install Windows and want to keep your Apps, then choose "Upgrade" when installing it. If you are trying to re-isntall Windows 10, there is a Refresh PC option that will grab everything back.

But the main question that needs to be asking: why are you formatting your hard drive?

 

[mmosier1]

How are you formatting the hard drive without removing the files? Do you mean re-installing Windows on top of what you already have?

If you are trying to install Windows and want to keep your Apps, then choose "Upgrade" when installing it. If you are trying to re-isntall Windows 10, there is a Refresh PC option that will grab everything back.

But the main question that needs to be asking: why are you formatting your hard drive?

What I'm trying to do is repurpose the drive for a different set of applications. It is not the system drive, and I planned to just use the Windows reformat facility rather than uninstalling the old apps. However, I'm concerned that this will leave a lot of bad entries in the registry.

 

[Herc08]

If you mean Windows Refresh, it will just reinstall Windows without touching your files. If you don't have Windows 10, Windows 7 can be installed over your current installation. But format means that ALL data will be removed and that's it.