Would This Work?

[TheNinjaNextDor]

yes

IT WORKED THANK YOU SO MUCH YAY

[TheGamingBarrel]

In the same place? No. Games you'll have to reinstall.

Everything will be in a folder on your main drive somewhere like C:/Windows.old

If you find it a bit risky, you can put Ubuntu on a USB drive, boot onto it, and put all your important files on a back-up.

Edit : Judging by your picture, a re-installation is unnecessary. Just put your Windows disk in and do start up recovery.

I managed to find my Windows.old folder minutes after downloading 30+ GB on steam, and then I was very annoyed, but I still haven't restored anything that I could have, and is the entire folder compressed? Because I had to restore to Windows 8 from 8.1 and Suddenly gained 20 GB (May have deleted windows.old) But I had over 100GB on there?(I think?)

[Langdon]

I managed to find my Windows.old folder minutes after downloading 30+ GB on steam, and then I was very annoyed, but I still haven't restored anything that I could have, and is the entire folder compressed? Because I had to restore to Windows 8 from 8.1 and Suddenly gained 20 GB (May have deleted windows.old) But I had over 100GB on there?(I think?)

It's not compressed.The extra space is from less old temporary files, programs, etc. At least, that's what I think it is. I'd be happy if anyone would  correct me on this.

[TheGamingBarrel]

It's not compressed.The extra space is from less old temporary files, programs, etc. At least, that's what I think it is. I'd be happy if anyone would correct me on this.

Or I was being stupid with my partitions, or both, and would it save the OS it self or all the files inside?

[Langdon]

Or I was being stupid with my partitions, or both, and would it save the OS it self or all the files inside?

Absolutely everything from your old Windows install is saved. Even old Windows system files.

[TheGamingBarrel]

Absolutely everything from your old Windows install is saved. Even old Windows system files.

So. I could possibly move everything from there onto a different partition and dual boot from it after setting it up in my boot menu? If so I need to say well done to Microsoft for thinking that up.

[Langdon]

So. I could possibly move everything from there onto a different partition and dual boot from it after setting it up in my boot menu? If so I need to say well done to Microsoft for thinking that up.

I'm not sure about that. They're system files but they're only system files, I don't think it's a useable OS. You could try it?

[TheGamingBarrel]

I'm not sure about that. They're system files but they're only system files, I don't think it's a useable OS. You could try it?

Well, Lenovo backup software hasn't failed me I the past, but if I reinstall does it make a windows.old folder in itself?

[Langdon]

Well, Lenovo backup software hasn't failed me I the past, but if I reinstall does it make a windows.old folder in itself?

If you install it onto a clean partition then no. It will only make a Windows.old folder if there was already a Windows installation.

[TheGamingBarrel]

If you install it onto a clean partition then no. It will only make a Windows.old folder if there was already a Windows installation.

So it will make the windows.old where you install the OS to? And if that partition is empty it will do a clean install

[Langdon]

So it will make the windows.old where you install the OS to? And if that partition is empty it will do a clean install

Yes. It can't make a Windows.old if there's isn't an old Windows.