Think I've messed up using a backup.

[So]

I am slowly transferring from a W7 to W10 PC.

Perhaps naively, I thought that if I put the backup drive into the W10 machine it would allow me to upload the files from my old PC to the new.

Indeed it appeared to offer me that option.

However, what has actually happened is that I seem to have the backup (125GB) copied on the new machine, but only a handful of random files have saved as usable files.

Have I just used up a load of disc space with a backup I don't need? Or is there a way forward here?

I just want the files from the old PC on my new one.

TIA

[mattley]

You need to use the restore (windows 7) option in settings => Update and security => Backup

[Mr Pointy]

Is the Win 7 PC still working? If it is open a Dropbox account, move the files you want into the Dropbox folder, open Dropbox on the Win 10 PC & it will sync the files across.

It even does it over the local network rather than go via the internet/WAN.

[So]

Mr Pointy said:

Is the Win 7 PC still working? If it is open a Dropbox account, move the files you want into the Dropbox folder, open Dropbox on the Win 10 PC & it will sync the files across.

It even does it over the local network rather than go via the internet/WAN.

Thanks for this.

The backup that I now have on my new PC is 124GB. Should I factory reset the machine and start again? I obviously don't want that much space taken up unnecessarily.

[So]

Guys

I've got the backup folder on my new machine and I want it gone because it is taking up a lot of disc space.

I COULD do a factory reset, but is there another way of removing it entirely such that it doesn't compromise my machine through having a big and useless folder on it?

Many thanks.

[Baldchap]

If you know where it is, simply delete it. Select it, hold shift and press the delete key and it'll bypass the recycle bin, though at that size I think it would anyway.

[So]

Baldchap said:

If you know where it is, simply delete it. Select it, hold shift and press the delete key and it'll bypass the recycle bin, though at that size I think it would anyway.

I thought, perhaps incorrectly, that doing that doesn't get rid of it. It just ceases to be indexed.

[maccas99]

You could follow the procedure in this link if you really "need to" : https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/windows/how-s...

[hutchst]

If the backup is a disk image, you could mount it as a VHD (Virtual Hard Drive) and copy over the files/folders you want to your new hard drive, then delete the disk image from your new hard drive.

[So]

hutchst said:

If the backup is a disk image, you could mount it as a VHD (Virtual Hard Drive) and copy over the files/folders you want to your new hard drive, then delete the disk image from your new hard drive.

I don't think it is. I think it is whatever W7 uses to backup documents.

[Baldchap]

So said:

Baldchap said:

If you know where it is, simply delete it. Select it, hold shift and press the delete key and it'll bypass the recycle bin, though at that size I think it would anyway.

I thought, perhaps incorrectly, that doing that doesn't get rid of it. It just ceases to be indexed.

Without a zero fill, the data will actually physically be there, but we don't care whether it is or isn't, as the space will be available to you again and the data overwritten over time as those sectors of the HDD are used for new data.

[So]

Baldchap said:

So said:

Baldchap said:

If you know where it is, simply delete it. Select it, hold shift and press the delete key and it'll bypass the recycle bin, though at that size I think it would anyway.

I thought, perhaps incorrectly, that doing that doesn't get rid of it. It just ceases to be indexed.

Without a zero fill, the data will actually physically be there, but we don't care whether it is or isn't, as the space will be available to you again and the data overwritten over time as those sectors of the HDD are used for new data.

Oh okay, I didn't realise that. Thanks, so just deleting it will suffice.