[SOLVED] Will my programs outside C stop working if I format C?

[Ziad_M7md]

So I'm planning to Upgrade from my Windows 7 ( Enterprise 64-bit SP1) to Windows 10 64 pro. My C partition where windows 7 is installed on is practically empty. Only some programs are installed on it and are easily re downloadable like Chrome, Nvidia drivers etc. But these aren't the ones i'm worried about. The reason C is practically empty is because I install every program on my second hard drive. These include Visual Studio, VM, Video games etc. which are very important. I fear that some of these programs save their settings and registry info on C and if I format C they'll stop working and show things like "This program has stopped working" or " error 0xc0000..7" which I'm really not in the mood to fix. So is there a reason to worry? I'd appreciate every suggestion. Thanks.

 

[Wolfshadw]

Every installed program is tied to your OS install. Format and reinstall of an OS means ALL programs will need to be reinstalled.

-Wolf sends

 

[Ziad_M7md]

Every installed program is tied to your OS install. Format and reinstall of an OS means ALL programs will need to be reinstalled.

-Wolf sends

Are you sure?

 

[USAFRet]

Are you sure?

Yes.
100% sure.

This is one of the reasons it doesn't really make sense to install applications on a different drive.
Reinstall of the OS means reinstalling them anyway.

 

[Ziad_M7md]

Yes.
100% sure.

This is one of the reasons it doesn't really make sense to install applications on a different drive.
Reinstall of the OS means reinstalling them anyway.

What about programs that are not installed but instead extracted from a zip like cemu and everything, will the also stop working?

 

[USAFRet]

What about programs that are not installed but instead extracted from a zip like cemu and everything, will the also stop working?

It depends.
Some few will work. Most will need to be reinstalled.

 

[Ziad_M7md]

It depends.
Some few will work. Most will need to be reinstalled.

Darn. Thanks for the help.

 

[Persister]

Can he "image" or clone the drive that has the programs to another disk , then put that on the W10 disk after install? Meaning new install for each program, but an easier way.
Thanks to OP for asking, a lot of bad info out there.

 

[USAFRet]

Can he "image" or clone the drive that has the programs to another disk , then put that on the W10 disk after install? Meaning new install for each program, but an easier way.
Thanks to OP for asking, a lot of bad info out there.

No.
A new OS install has a whole new Registry.

This Reg knows nothing about any applications that may have been installed before.

 

[Persister]

"This Reg knows nothing about any applications that may have been installed before."

I get that, why I said [meant] each program must be installed anew. Question is, installed from what? I said clone or copy bc in typical case everything is on the C. Here OP already has it on separate drive. Put all that on the updated C. Then do installs.

If this can't work, must be that the program files are not installable? Another "original" source must be used? You are not saying new REG will not accept any new programs?

Again I persist bc this or = faced by many users.

PS, Problem if installed prog is 7 and 10 is different. At least in his case.

 

[USAFRet]

When an application is installed from its original install routine, there are dozens, sometimes thousands of entries made in the Registry and elsewhere.
Pointers to files and locations, dlls, fonts, all manner of things.

The new OS knows nothing about these.

Copy or clone makes no difference. If you were to find all of the contents of Program A, and copy that to its relevant locations with the new OS, the Registry still does not have the proper entries. Trying to run that application will fail.

Installed from what? It's original source install thing.

 

[USAFRet]

PS, Problem if installed prog is 7 and 10 is different. At least in his case.

7 vs 10 makes no difference.
A new install of 7 would incur the same issues.