Switching operating systems requires properly de-installing Windows

By Philipp Laage Aug 22, 2010, 13:37 GMT

Hamburg - When your computer's operating system starts showing its age, it's time for an upgrade to a newer version. But if the upgrade isn't done properly, you can create a whole new host of problems.

One thing to keep in mind is that computers cannot generally support more than one operating system at a time. That means, users need to delete their old system before installing the new one. Failing to do so can mean that a computer will no longer operate stably.

A clean new installation is always better than a basic update, says Mark Perseke of Netzwelt, an online German technology magazine.

A fresh operating system is faster and more reliable than one that has been copied over another. A new system also does not need to spend a lot of time integrating pre-existing files and programmes or creating new data paths.

'That's why it's recommended to completely format the computer and, afterward, install the new operating system.'

Technically, only software and programmes can be de-installed. When discussing the de-installation of Windows, one is actually talking about erasing the operating system, explains Klaus Eickemeier of Computer Bild, another German computer magazine.

There is no proper de-installation routine for Windows. The two most common methods are to boot up a computer with the operating system CD installed and then to format the drive or, alternatively, to boot up the computer with a formatting programme CD installed. If you want to be sure to erase all data, opt for the second method.

DBAN is a freeware programme guaranteed to delete Windows. Once downloaded, it can be burned onto a CD and then used to boot up a computer. If you want to get your formatting programme from the store, Acronis offers Director 11.

Once the drive has been wiped, the user can then simply start up the computer with the new operating system CD. Windows will ask whether a partition should be created on the hard drive and whether that should be formatted as well. After confirmation, Windows will be installed.

If the computer has multiple pre-existing partitions, all need to be deleted before a new operating system installation. 'A lot of people think that all other data disappears when you format a computer or delete Windows,' says Eickemeier. 'But that's not the case.'

A good example is a new installation of Windows XP. If a user just formats the partition where the old operating system was located and then puts XP in that zone, the system will continue to find old user accounts and files. Suddenly, users will be confronted with multiple Windows files on their computer.

Before any formatting or erasing, all files should be stored on an external hard drive. Another good tip is to download any useful drivers, advises Vanessa Weihbrecht of Microsoft. Browser favourites, email account settings and set-up data - with serial numbers - should also be secured.

'That's because it's a pain if the user can no longer use fee-based download programmes after the new Windows installation,' says Eickemeier.

Installation of Windows 7 can bring a further problem. The operating system is usually installed across two partitions. One of those is only 100 megabytes and is only supposed to be necessary to boot up the system.