Installing Vista in a parallel folder

[John Gray]

Following a disastrous Windows Update of a Vista Home Premium laptop, it seems that some of its critical Windows files have been damaged. I've tried doing System Repairs and restores from Restore Points, but to no avail. I need to keep the user data, if at all possible.

Consequently I want to perform a parallel installation of Vista into a different folder, say C:\WinVista instead of the current C:\Windows, but booting from my Vista-with-SP2 ISO DVD comes up with the scary "Install now" message. Googling doesn't really give me what I expect, talking about installing to second partitions, and the like. There's no problem with installing to a different folder in Windows 7 - so is there with Vista? If someone is a better Googler than me, and can point to a tutorial with appropriate instructions, they will receive my thanks! (Did I mention that I hate both laptops and Vista?!)

[stuck]

Why not just slave the problem disk to another PC, remove the data, then wipe it clean and reinstall Windows properly?

Ken

[John Gray]

Why not indeed? But it would be simpler if I could just install a fresh copy of Vista in the current C: drive!

[stuck]

but I bet my suggestion would be quicker

[John Gray]

No, it wouldn't. I don't have a spare 2½" USB caddy...

[Leif]

Could you copy the existing ..\Windows folder to another folder, e.g...\Windows_Old, and then just go with a 'standard' reinstall?

[John Gray]

That would be a good idea - provided the partition is not formatted by the install! I will see what happens...

[viking33]

Why not indeed? But it would be simpler if I could just install a fresh copy of Vista in the current C: drive!

Why not purchase an "Imaging" software like True Image or Shadow Protect?
Inexpensive enough and easy to use.

[John Gray]

The problem is that Vista is, at present, very flaky, occasionally just stopping. It seems to work, mostly, in Safe Mode, so I can do Robocopies - albeit agonising slowly.

Any reinstallation from either the Dell DVD or any other appears to require that it clears out <all the files and programs, etc, which I wish to keep> from the partition.

I can't see what Imaging software would do! There's no advantage in keeping the current Vista installation; I need a clean installation on the same partition, without deleting all the other directories.

[viking33]

I can see your intent John, but if you create an image of your system partition, while it's in good working order, restoring it will give you back a perfect copy including all other programs, settings and all.

[John Gray]

I eventually had to bite the bullet, and found that a fresh installation of Vista very usefully managed to put
in C:\Windows.old

• \Windows
• \Users
• \Program Files
• \Program Data

which gave me about the third copy of \Users!