Windows 7 Reformatting question

[Shuk]

This may be a stupid question, but I'll ask it anyway. I'm installing Windows 7, and I want to start completely "fresh". I have a 20 gig Vista partition now, and 2 other partitions with 500+ gigs of files, including programs and games, etc.

If I wipe the Vista partition, install Windows 7, and then delete all the folders where the programs and games are, will everything be completely cleaned?

Edit for clarification: Sorry, I can see why there is confusion, let me clarify. I want to keep all my music, videos, documents, and large ISO files, etc. These files take up 500+ gigs, and I don't have an external HD that big to back EVERYTHING up. However, on the same partition I have programs installed that I want wiped clean after I install Windows 7. What I plan to do is wipe the Vista partition, so that the other partitions stay the same, and then after delete the the folder with programs on the large partition (D:\Programs) manually.

Obviously, if I go right now and delete a program's folder, there are 'bits' left over. Stuff in the registry, etc, etc. If I do this AFTER I install a fresh OS, will there still be those 'bits' left over?

 

[criccio]

I'm not entirely sure what you are asking.

If you wipe the Vista partition and install Windows 7 in its place, the other partitions will be untouched. You can then do with them as you please.

 

[nobody_here]

if you do what you are saying, like cricco said, the new Windows installation will not recognize those 2 other partitions as being part of the system, in other words, you will not show any programs installed on windows because well...there aren't any once you format and re-install Windows on the primary partition

my suggestion to you is while in the windows install where you choose the parttion you want to install to, go ahead and select those other partitions and tell it to delete them and format them, takes all of 10 seconds

then proceed to install windows fresh on the 20 gig partition

 

[bigdogchris]

If you want the entire hard drive wiped, just back up what you want to save, then when you select your hard drive during OS install, wipe the partitions there.

 

[Shuk]

Sorry, I can see why there is confusion, let me clarify. I want to keep all my music, videos, documents, and large ISO files, etc. These files take up 500+ gigs, and I don't have an external HD that big to back EVERYTHING up. However, on the same partition I have programs installed that I want wiped clean after I install Windows 7. What I plan to do is wipe the Vista partition, so that the other partitions stay the same, and then after delete the folder with programs on the large partition (D:\Programs) manually.

Obviously, if I go right now and delete a program's folder, there are 'bits' left over. Stuff in the registry, etc, etc. If I do this AFTER I install a fresh OS, will there still be those 'bits' left over?

 

[bigdogchris]

Short answer, no. When you install 7, point to the 20GB partition and delete it, then recreate the partition and press next to install. Once your back up in 7, just navigate to your second partition, which I'm guessing is D:. At that point, just delete all of the programs/folders you don't want. All registry entries and such will be wiped away when you destroy the Vista partition.

The way you're setting it up is basically the way I do mine except I have a 200GB partition for OS/Games/programs and a 400GB partition that I point my Documents/Downloads/Video's etc to. When I use my User folder, all those folders are actually on the second ( d: ) partition but they appear to be part of my documents as normal. If/when I reinstall my OS, I just blow the 200GB partition away, recreate it then install. Once back in windows I point my user folder back to the D: drive folders and it's like I never changed, everything is back to the way it was pre-format.