David,

When you delete the windows folder (and all it's contents) you will get a
message from the Recycle Bin telling you that there is TOOOO much stuff to
fit in the trashcan and you will NOT be able to restore any of it.  Now this
isn't a MAJOR problem because deleting the entire old windows folder
structure will not hurt you new windows installation.  The new version of
windows will work just fine, but there may be some applications that put
needed files in the old folder.  If so, you would have to reinstall some of
your applications.

So before you start deleting......
Open ALL your major applications and make sure all the functions work. But
this is not 100% perfect --- especially if you have seen the "moving
flashlight" icon recently.

Personally, I take a very cautious approach to major system changes like
this.  I would want to keep important/key files until I was absolutely
positive they are not needed. I would try eliminate everything but the core
of the old windows directory -- hoping that I could get it small enough to
fit into the recycle bin.  I would delete all the SUBfolders except SYSTEM
and SYSTEM32.  Next I would delete everything in the main windows (the old
one) folder EXCEPT for DLL and INI and DAT files.

Finally, I would empty the Recycle Bin, and THEN delete the old windows
folder -- but ONLY if there are no warnings that it won't fit into the
trashcan.  I would then leave everything in the trash for a week or two just
to make sure nothing is needed.

If it still won't fit in the trashcan, then I would open a DOS window and
rename all three folders-- the old windows folder AND it's two remaining
SUBfolders, SYSTEM and SYSTEM32.  With this method, the point is that by
using DOS to rename the folders, Windows won't know about the new name and
**IF** windows (or an application) needs a file from the old system, you
will see the "moving flashlight" icon as it searches for the needed file.
Then you will know what file(s) need to be moved from the old system to the
new system.

But then again, you could just "dump" the whole thing and cross your
fingers.

Jim Meagher
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----- Original Message -----
From: David Jonathan Justman <>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, July 23, 1999 10:23 AM
Subject: [PCSOFT] Finishing Win95 reinstall.


> Someone reinstalled Win95 for me by renaming the old Windows folder
> and then reinstalling.  I now have an old Windows folder named winold
> which has a lot of files and subfolders in it still marked as system
> files and folders.  Will I have any problems if I just send them to
> the recycle bin and then delete them?  If I get warning messages,
> should I just say OK and ignore them?

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