windows 8 has deleted my windows.old/programfiles ?!!!

Anonymous
2012-12-15T16:28:24+00:00

I was rather annoyed that windows 8, instead of integrating my existing programs and settings, shoved everything including settings in windows.old/ProgramFiles (what was the point of having a tick box that said "keep existing settings" if it didnt and even made my email inaccessible till I downloaded windows live mail again?)

However after hours of fiddling I managed to do a combination of re-install and running programs with tricky settings from the windows.old/program files directory via desktop shortcuts

Over the last few days the short cuts stopped working and I see windows 8 has deleted my windows.old/programfiles directory!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its not in my Recycle bin, its not in my AVG virus vault

Any one know where this is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I couldnt understand why windows 8 had to stuff all my programs out of the way so it would take me hours to make shortcuts...but deleting the whole directory and my settings? Come on, this is rediculous

HELLLLP!!!

Andy

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2013-02-06T18:35:00+00:00

As I understand the process, the Windows 8 upgrade will copy your existing files and settings into \Windows.old, including:

  • PerfLogs
  • Program Files
  • Program Files (x86)
  • Users
  • Windows

It will then create new folders for all of the above, and migrate the files into the new folders. The \Windows.oldfolder is really just there as a part of the upgrade process, but it does act as a temporary backup folder. If you don't need anything from there in the first month, then you're not likely to need anything from there ever (as most / all of it is already in the new folders, and the old folder is likely taking up gigabytes of space).

Now, if you've upgraded from Windows 7, then congrats, everything has been moved to the new folders, including installed programs and drivers.

If you've upgraded from Vista or earlier, then your documents and settings have been migrated, but you're expected to reinstall the programs yourself, and the upgrade makes this clear. If you're foolish enough to create shortcuts into*\Windows.old\Program Files* and hack the registry to point into that folder, then you've dug your own grave.

(I came here through a Reddit link, thought I'd copy my explanation over there to the original thread here.)

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Anonymous
2012-12-16T08:41:05+00:00

Hi ,

Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Community Forum.

From your issue description , I understand that the Windows .old folder is deleted from your Windows 8 computer.

In order to help you better,pease provide us with the following information.

1.When did you install Windows 8 in your computer?

I understand the inconvenience caused you, unfortunately the Widows .old folder will delete automatically after 28 days since Windows was installed.

It will also delete automatically when the Windows drive has less than 10% free space.

I am sorry to let you inform that its not possible to retrieve if the Windows.old folder is deleted from your computer .

Reply with the required information. If you have any further issues, please get back to us and we would be happy to help you.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-08-07T05:06:00+00:00

    copy of my comments at

    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_10-security/after-upgrading-to-windows-10-admin-account-is/e7ee05db-3460-4ac7-bcb7-eac8f9c8b14c:

    I also get this problem.  I chose Windows 10 on my other account where I keep all of my work and after the upgrade it only migrated the first account.  In /Users are three account folders, the third Public.  /Users is also in /Windows.old.

    I tried the 8.1 troubleshooter at

    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/restore-files-upgrade-windows-old but it didn't work.

    In the control panel I added another account and now there are four folders in /Users.  The description for going back to Windows 7 says it'll only be there for a month.  Shall it delete /Windows.old and all of the files in my other account?!

    If nobody has a better solution, this is what I did:

    Open a window for each account folder.

    Win-R \AppData in each account, or check Hidden items under View and open \AppData.

    For each subfolder in the old account set the owner and all child owners and child permissions to the new account.

    Drag the subfolders at proper levels to the new account folder.

    Drag any extra files to their proper subfolders to the new account folder.

    Skip some duplicate files; replace other duplicate files when default.

    Open \Windows.old and \Windows and their \ProgramData.

    Drag Public art, Wallpaper, and User Account Pictures to proper \Windows subfolders.

    It's pretty awful that Microsoft doesn't explain any of this or warn that all accounts and data aren't migrated.  See http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_8-files/windows-8-has-deleted-my-windowsoldprogramfiles/dbdf75c0-09d9-4992-b8eb-d9fac3efe9b8.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-07-17T06:08:45+00:00

    WHOAH..... whoa.

    Wait a second. I see that some of this person's post was removed (for a CoC violation) which means that someone who works at Microsoft is ACTUALLY READING THESE. But no, that can't be true.

    I had comforted myself that the reason this EXPLOSIVELY MALIGNANT ISSUE hadn't been addressed is that our little thread was lost somewhere deep in the forums where no one could see it.

    Please, Microsoft, please read this:

    Windows.OLD gets deleted almost immediately.

    People are losing PERSONAL files, not system files.

    It MUST be fixed.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-07-14T11:44:21+00:00

    I have to agree with the rest, this is absolutely ridiculous. I reinstalled Win 8 after a glitch, loaded back fine, was happy to see all the files in windows.old, check one folder to see what was in it (straight after reinstall) it was full, I was happy. Then I went out to check another and bang lots had gone, then bang the one I checked had gone, then it was pretty much empty.

    Not even 10 mins after reinstall, with no reset. you can give every excuse under the sun about it being temporary but the fact is, it makes no sense for windows to decide when to delete, my computer has plenty of space. Leave it alone, or warn me, but the last thing I want my pc to do is delete any file without my consent. Regardless is Windows thinks everyone should have backups. I do have backups but not every second of the day so when my PC went down I had no backup of the morning for the settings I had changed in a piece of specialist software I use. Now hopefully Recuva can find the settings file for me.

    I do not for the life of me understand why this would be set like this, only a total moron would configure it like that, and only a total moron would defend it by saying "It's only temporary, you should of backed it up yourself." With over half a TB left on the drive I don't see the emergency to delete it. Maybe a little prompt saying please take out files you need and delete files you don't, or and extra option on the Windows Disk cleaner which can say "You have files in Windows.old, do you want to delete?".

    FIX IT

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