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.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

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.)

0 comments

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.

0 comments

61 additional answers

Anonymous

2015-01-21T02:32:57+00:00

Switching to Ubuntu. Not as pretty as windows but personal data kinda counts. Bye Microsoft. For the sake of others though who are sticking with windows, why doesn't Microsoft check for user data in windows.old, at least warn before deleting, or more informatively name the folder windows.old.temp. The latter would be a great reminder to users to get their data out.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2015-01-27T22:24:39+00:00

Hi,

Have had the same issue, although had not checked the refresh process prior to implementing.

Machine not working correctly ( 2nd time in a few months, so not over pleased with 8.1 at this time )

refreshed the machine, then found win*.old

Tried to copy win*.old to another device and stopped copying halfway through one of the folders.

Next only have user data and windows available ... so progdata etc is no more ....

This was approx 4 hrs after refresh :(

Cannot find many details apart from a folder named pending|Renames in sxs but may just be a herring....

Checked task manager and currently no tasks have run ..... ??? ominous ...

I think some notice on where data will be kept and an option to keep would be helpful especially if you cannot copy all data for %windir% etc if files in use ...
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2015-02-01T16:22:18+00:00

Went from Win 7 64 to Win 8.1 64.

Next morning 10 gig was gone win old two directories (now its 50 gig plus everything is gone) from my upgrade to win 7 and upgrade to 8.1. WTF is going on Microsoft you dont even ask me, just delete my files, even the directory that has nothing to do with Win 8.1. Who the heck wrote his script were they completely deficient in their brain!!!!

How do we turn this **** off!!!

Even my Win 7 upgrade you delete two different directories now I have to buy a software to fix your stupid kids program error. No other Win has done this to me.

Does Microsoft have a free recovery program for us?

They need to roll one out ASAP!!!

What program does anyone suggest to find and auto recover data, not a program that you have to manually look at every file and tell it where to recover to, I have millions of files, this is utter and total garbage MS.

This all occurred within a couple days, I have only had 8.1 for a week now.

8.1 did not move any of my programs at all 8.1 kept all of my programs in Win old, now they are all gone and not just my program folders everything to do with my old win installs they are all gone.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments