[SOLVED] I reinstalled Windows today, and everything is messed up.

[yvngaura]

Before I get ripped into for this, I had to install my new M.2 SSD today and had to clone my old SSD to this one. When I got to changing the boot drive it said I had no windows installed on ANY drive. I then proceeded to troubleshoot to the point where I just reinstalled Windows on my new drive, and now I need some help resetting everything up. Everything I have installed (games, programs, literally everything) isn't showing in my Apps & Features setting, so I cannot uninstall it, and it is almost making me lose my <Mod Edit>. If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

 

[kerberos_20]

that doesnt sounds like fresh install
hmm well...press start button, type in: reset this device and then click on Get started
then proceed according to what it says

 

[USAFRet]

Before I get ripped into for this, I had to install my new M.2 SSD today and had to clone my old SSD to this one. When I got to changing the boot drive it said I had no windows installed on ANY drive. I then proceeded to troubleshoot to the point where I just reinstalled Windows on my new drive, and now I need some help resetting everything up. Everything I have installed (games, programs, literally everything) isn't showing in my Apps & Features setting, so I cannot uninstall it, and it is almost making me lose my <Mod Edit>. If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

After a reinstall, you won't have ANY of your applications. Or drivers, games, whatever.
All you have is a bare OS install.

 

[Gamerboy]

Am I understanding correctly that everything should still exist on the old drive? You attempted a fresh install of windows on a new drive and want that to be the boot drive, but everything you had before should still be on the old drive, except that it isn't showing up?

 

[yvngaura]

it wasnt so much a fresh install, it is more just installing windows onto a new drive because my old one failed (not too sure why) and then trying to get it working off that. Definitely not the smartest thing I've done but it worked in the moment and now I have to deal with the repercussions.

 

[yvngaura]

Am I understanding correctly that everything should still exist on the old drive? You attempted a fresh install of windows on a new drive and want that to be the boot drive, but everything you had before should still be on the old drive, except that it isn't showing up?

i have about 4 drives on my pc, and just added a 5th. nothing of the 4 drives shows in my add or remove programs list

 

[sizzling]

i have about 4 drives on my pc, and just added a 5th. nothing of the 4 drives shows in my add or remove programs list

They won’t. Although located on the drives they were installed on a different instance of Windows. Each program needs installing through the new Windows install.

 

[helper800]

As sizzling said, when you install something on windows it adds itself to that specific drives registry and program directory. So if you were to find the application on the other drive via file explorer you could still run it by double-clicking the executable file for that program.

 

[yvngaura]

As sizzling said, when you install something on windows it adds itself to that specific drives registry and program directory. So if you were to find the application on the other drive via file explorer you could still run it by double-clicking the executable file for that program.

would you know how I can put the programs back into my program directory?

 

[DSzymborski]

would you know how I can put the programs back into my program directory?

You don't just "put them back." You reinstall them. Wipe your old hard drives of directories that aren't things like saved files (pictures, music, etc). If you have a Steam directory, you can reinstall Steam to your OS drive and then point to existing files.

But most applications, you have to reinstall them.

 

[helper800]

You don't just "put them back." You reinstall them. Wipe your old hard drives of directories that aren't things like saved files (pictures, music, etc). If you have a Steam directory, you can reinstall Steam to your OS drive and then point to existing files.

But most applications, you have to reinstall them.

You can also manually add them but it takes forever and is almost never worth it. Another thing you can do is make shortcuts of all the executables and place them in the search functions list of applications, but even then if you ever wanted to uninstall them you would have to find the place the install directory of that application is on file explorer to then highlight and delete them.

 

[USAFRet]

When an application is installed, it can make dozens, sometimes thousands of entries in the Registry and elsewhere.

Now...some few applications will work just by finding the .exe.
Most of any complexity, won't.

You could spend 3 weeks tracking down all the registry entries for a particular program. And still not get it right.
Or, you could spend the 3 minutes in reinstalling it.

 

[helper800]

When an application is installed, it can make dozens, sometimes thousands of entries in the Registry and elsewhere.

Now...some few applications will work just by finding the .exe.
Most of any complexity, won't.

Really? Thousands? The most I have seen was like 300 entries... Learn something new everyday I guess.

I have not had any problems ever just going to the file directory and double-clicking an executable. This may be asking a lot but can you give an example or explain why this would not work for more complicated programs. Is it because of the way the program is structured in the files themselves?

 

[USAFRet]

Really? Thousands? The most I have seen was like 300 entries... Learn something new everyday I guess.

I have not had any problems ever just going to the file directory and double-clicking an executable. This may be asking a lot but can you give an example or explain why this would not work for more complicated programs. Is it because of the way the program is structured in the files themselves?

Shared dlls and other libraries.
Some things make entries that are not readily identifiable, and known only to the application.

Something complex like the standalone Adobe Creative suite. Or a CAD package.
Many many entries. And not just in the Registry, but elsewhere as well.

Some few things work.
Some things work, but only under protest or partially.
Some things, not at all. "Can't find library FooBar."

Some wise prep before, and 2-3 minutes to reinstall. Or, hours, mucking around trying to force it to work.