Transfer Files Help!!!

[Caleb Ledbetter]

I have 2 Hard Drives, one with OS, one with games. Can I wipe the OS drive while installing my new copy of 7, then plug the drive with my games in and it will work?

Note: I am putting the 2 drives in a new system with vastly different hardware

 

[ex_bubblehead]

If you wipe the OS you will have to reinstall ALL programs, regardless their location.

 

[Caleb Ledbetter]

Can I keep the games and just reinstall origin or steam, or is it I have to reinstall everything?

 

[ex_bubblehead]

ALL programs means just that. When you wipe the OS you also wipe the registry, which contains all of the information required to run the installed programs. The only way to get those entries back is to reinstall.

 

[Caleb Ledbetter]

So I might aswell wipe both drives? As in is there any benefit for keeping the other drive unwiped?

 

[ex_bubblehead]

Just reinstall to the same locations. Why do things the hard way?

 

[jdevers]

If it is steam, you can backup your SteamApps folder. Steam has a built in feature for this, but I have a different method. Back up your steamapps folder on your games HDD. After re installing Windows, you can then install Steam on the OS HDD. In settings create a new steam library under D:\Program Files(x86)\. Copy the contents of the backup over to the newly created steam library. Start Steam and it will detect the games. Some will work right off the bat, others you may need to right click and check integrity. Steam will scan the programs and fix anything that may be missing, usually registry entries.

 

[Caleb Ledbetter]

is there a way to do this for Origin?

 

[Caleb Ledbetter]

Just reinstall to the same locations. Why do things the hard way?

So I can just reinstall Origin and Steam and they will recognize the games are there?

 

[jdevers]

is there a way to do this for Origin?

No. Because Origin is a big steaming pile of donkey crap.

 

[Caleb Ledbetter]

is there a way to do this for Origin?

No. Because Origin is a big steaming pile of donkey crap.

I dont have much of a choice to play Battlefield 3

 

[jdevers]

is there a way to do this for Origin?

No. Because Origin is a big steaming pile of donkey crap.

I dont have much of a choice to play Battlefield 3

I hear you man. I spent 7 hours yesterday downloading BF3. Just under 20 GBs. It doesn't help that Origin servers are so slow. 1MB/s compared to about 4.5 I get on Steam.

 

[Caleb Ledbetter]

is there a way to do this for Origin?

No. Because Origin is a big steaming pile of donkey crap.

I dont have much of a choice to play Battlefield 3

I hear you man. I spent 7 hours yesterday downloading BF3. Just under 20 GBs. It doesn't help that Origin servers are so slow. 1MB/s compared to about 4.5 I get on Steam.

So can I just reinstall Origin in the same location on the new PC and it will find my games?

 

[jdevers]

is there a way to do this for Origin?

No. Because Origin is a big steaming pile of donkey crap.

I dont have much of a choice to play Battlefield 3

I hear you man. I spent 7 hours yesterday downloading BF3. Just under 20 GBs. It doesn't help that Origin servers are so slow. 1MB/s compared to about 4.5 I get on Steam.

So can I just reinstall Origin in the same location on the new PC and it will find my games?

I would give it a shot. I didn't try it myself. But I would assume it works fundamentally the same as Steam. If worse comes to worse you'll just have to format the drive and re download everything. But that is the nice thing about having Steam or Origin, you don't need physical media.