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

Anonymous

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

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

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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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

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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61 additional answers

Anonymous

2013-03-28T13:07:38+00:00

I really really wish you do sue Microsoft, after some kind system generated filesystem error my boot files were not working properly so I had to reset windows 8 when other options didn't work.

I was very happy at first that even program files etc were saved in windows.old. my Drive had excess of space 200 GBs even after reset so no worries about space. AND "NEXT" DAY AFTER RESET NOT AFTER 28 DAYS, it deleted everything expect users folder. WTF is this!!!!!!!!! I really miss a really really bad word to curse Microsoft for what Microsoft has done, because f*K words are just too good for MS. Now I promise I'll never ever buy original Microsoft Software again. I'll use whatever I get in torrents. Because this **** is not worth paying for.
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Anonymous

2013-03-25T09:43:11+00:00

I'm about to sue Microsoft for this. Removing my programs and files without any warning? I just lost a precious piece of software that was running with very specific settings for years without any warning or option! Ridiculous, I never agreed on doing so! Can someone from Microsoft tell my how I could have been warned for this?!
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Anonymous

2013-02-21T18:53:14+00:00

Hi,

I just experienced the same problem that andyttttt described above. I honestly cannot understand why any OS would just delete a backup without any warnings, specially when this backup is pretty much everything that was kept from the previous installation.

Has it not occurred to anyone at Microsoft that standalone software would not require moving to the new Windows folder, so that the user could choose to just leave it at Windows.old?

I see that this tread is more than two months old, meaning more than one month before my own upgrade. In the past 28 days I have received at least 3 updates, and obviously none of them included a simple warning. I strongly suggest that Microsoft at least adds a warning before the irreversible deletion of the backup (the sound of these last words put together still amazes me). Or better yet, just remove this automatic deletion.
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