Windows.old folder. How do I get everything back to where it was?

[5erenity]

I've been having problems with my pc and when it was being fixed it was given a system restore. Now everything is in a windows.old folder. how do I return it all to where it was before the restore?

 

[USAFRet]

Windows.old.
This results from upgrading an OS, or doing a reinstall.

That folder may contain some/most/all of your old docs, etc.
You can't use that to "get everything back to where it was"

What are you actually looking to do?

 

[5erenity]

Like you said the windows.old folder contains my old documents and programs like Norton 360 and steam. I'm wanting to know how to put them into the other windows folder so I can use them again. At the moment my pc cant find norton or steam unless I go to the wondowws.old folder manually.

 

[Rafael Mestdag]

All I can get back from Windows.old is the Users folder, I simply cut it and paste it over my current User folder and then I at least have all my Icons and my quick access folders where they were before. Some(not all) programs even work simply by doing this.

 

[rgd1101]

you can copied documents. but you will have to reinstall programs.

 

[USAFRet]

Like you said the windows.old folder contains my old documents and programs like Norton 360 and steam. I'm wanting to know how to put them into the other windows folder so I can use them again. At the moment my pc cant find norton or steam unless I go to the wondowws.old folder manually.

Applications like Steam and Norton (don't use that) will simply need to be reinstalled. You can't use them from that Windows.old, not can you just copy them out to elsewhere.

Reinstall your applications.

 

[5erenity]

So can I simply for example copy the folder program files x86 from the windows.old folder and paste it over the program files x86 in the OS(C?

Also will windows automatically delete this or is that only windows 8?

 

[rgd1101]

So can I simply for example copy the folder program files x86 from the windows.old folder and paste it over the program files x86 in the OS(C?

Also will windows automatically delete this or is that only windows 8?

no. the new reinstall os. wasn't setup to use the programs, so it would not work correctly.

 

[USAFRet]

So can I simply for example copy the folder program files x86 from the windows.old folder and paste it over the program files x86 in the OS(C?

No, that will not work.
Those applications need an actual reinstall.

 

[5erenity]

So how do I know what can be carried over and what can't? Does every program have to be reinstalled?

P.S. I'm really not good with computers if you couldn't tell that already.

 

[USAFRet]

So how do I know what can be carried over and what can't? Does every program have to be reinstalled?

P.S. I'm really not good with computers if you couldn't tell that already.

Applications, reinstall.
Stuff to be carried over? Doc, mp3, video...stuff like that.

 

[USAFRet]

How did we arrive at the point where you have a Windows.old folder?

 

[5erenity]

Just so I understand. Basically everything in program files and program files x86 will have to be reinstalled such as microsoft office, itunes etc, but any documents etc can simply be carried over to the new windows folder. Correct?

Does the same apply to the users folder?

Also I ended up with a windows.old folder as I was having problems with my PC (http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2853050/rebooting-screen-turning-blank.html).

One last thing. Will windows delete the windows.old folder?

 

[USAFRet]

Mostly, yes.
Whatever is in that Windows.old....Files (doc/music/video) can be copied to elsewhere. Applications cannot.

"Will windows delete the windows.old folder? "
Maybe. If you wish to do it manually, go through Disk Cleanup.