will windows 7 64 bit read vista 32 bit files

Discussion in 'Software' started by old dog, Dec 26, 2013.

  1. old dog

    old dog Private E-2

    Hello,
    i have a 6 year old computer that has died(M/B failure). It was running vista 32 bit with a lot of word files that I need. I am thinking of replacing it with a newer 1150 pin m/b and i5 cpu and appropriate ddd3 memory and load win 7 64 bit onto my old hdd. Will the newer operating system recognize the word 2002 program and the word files? will it even see the various partitions that exist on the hdd? The word files are very important.
    Hoping someone can help me. Regards old dog
     
  2. rjordan

    rjordan Private First Class

    There should be a way to open those word files without any major hassle depending on the actual file format used...

    Assuming that the HDD itself is not damage, you should easily be able to access the data many ways even if the OS itself i no longer functioning.

    For example the easiest way would be to build your PC and install Win7 onto a new HDD. Once you do that, attach the old HDD as a slave drive and bam, ya should see that drive and access it like normal.


    If it is just the M/B failed, you could still use the current OS to boot the vista even on that new MB (sometimes it works), and simply backup your data

    If you only have the one HDD and it will not boot windows, you could use Hirens or some other bootable disc to open a virtualized windows environment to access the information and transfer the data off of it onto a flash drive or something.
    Depending on your partition setup you could transfer the data onto a single partition and then install Win7 onto the other partition.

    **BEFORE** You install Win7 on that old drive, you need to retrieve the data first, otherwise the data will be all lost.
     
  3. rustysavage

    rustysavage Sergeant Major

    What program are you planning to use to open those old Word documents? Here's a link to another forum dealing with conversion of Word documents:

    http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/25189-45-file-converter

    Slaving your old HDD is certainly an option. You could also buy a case for the drive and connect it via USB. Lots of good free file recovery programs around such as Recuva:

    http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/recuva_portable.html

    Or TestDisk:

    http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/testdisk.html

    TestDisk is a powerful free data recovery program! It was primarily designed to help recover lost partitions and/or make non-booting disks bootable again when these symptoms are caused by faulty software, certain types of viruses or human error (such as accidentally deleting your Partition Table).

    TestDisk can find lost partitions for all of these file systems:

    BeFS ( BeOS )
    BSD disklabel ( FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD )
    CramFS, Compressed File System
    DOS/Windows FAT12, FAT16 and FAT32
    HFS and HFS+, Hierarchical File System
    JFS, IBM's Journaled File System
    Linux Ext2 and Ext3
    Linux Raid
    RAID 1: mirroring
    RAID 4: striped array with parity device
    RAID 5: striped array with distributed parity information
    RAID 6: striped array with distributed dual redundancy information
    Linux Swap (versions 1 and 2)
    LVM and LVM2, Linux Logical Volume Manager
    Mac partition map
    Novell Storage Services NSS
    NTFS ( Windows NT/2K/XP/2003/Vista )
    ReiserFS 3.5, 3.6 and 4
    Sun Solaris i386 disklabel
    Unix File System UFS and UFS2 (Sun/BSD/...)
    XFS, SGI's Journaled File System
     
  4. Just Playin

    Just Playin MajorGeek

    If the old hard drive you plan to install Win7 X64 is the same on upon which your Word files are stored, your plan will not work. The installation will format and overwrite any files on the old HDD. If I have misunderstood, I apologize.
     
  5. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hi

    Yes if you have Microsoft Office Word and it really does not matter what version, so long as its from the last 3-4 versions or can use a Viewer app HERE to view then Word docs and virtually any file will open ok in a 64bit Windows version of the Operating System.

    As you have Office 2002 (or Office XP) then may just need the compatibility add-on HERE would you be using same Office 2002 version of buying new or would a PC that you are thinking of getting come pre-installed with newer Office?

    32bit and 64bit apps open same files, just a different core programming of the app to take advantage of newer hardware to make the process quicker.

    Just need to plug in the old HDD using a docking station or directly into the new motherboard PC you get, may need to in some instances take ownership (an admin thing) of the files and folders on the old HDD, but depending on what Windows version you get or install dictates the instructions.

    I would not uses this HDD as the main Windows drive, in an new PC as you cannot just plug it in a new motherboard and expect it to work, too many driver and hardware issues. I would use this drive as a 2nd HDD for data and once you have your important files off it, then format and pop the files back and use it as a data storage drive, I tend to use HDDs for data and never store any personal files on my main C: drive.
     
  6. old dog

    old dog Private E-2

    Hi sorry for the delay in answering.
    DavidGp, just playin and rustysavage, yes fortunately the important files are on a second internal hd that doesn't have he operating system on it. From the advice I have thankfully received from this forum I guess my plan of attack would be to:
    Install new hardware, M/board, Cpu, Mem etc
    Install win7 and office 2007
    Access files on second HD and backup
    Format second HD and put files back onto the re-formatted HD
    Thank you all for your help and advice.
    old dog
     

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