# Can I restore Vista files to Windows 7?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-restore-vista-files-to-windows-7/506453>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 14, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-restore-vista-files-to-windows-7/506453 "2009-08-14T21:49:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-restore-vista-files-to-windows-7/506453/1 "2009-08-14T21:49:37Z")

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The title says it all.  
I’m getting ready to set my computer back to 1s and 0s, and do a fresh install of Windows 7. I can either search and save key files and directories to my external hard drive or (I’m hoping) I can take advantage of Vista’s backup feature, and then hopefully restore the various files to Windows 7.

Either my google-fu isn’t strong today, or no one has tried it.

Any help?

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**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-restore-vista-files-to-windows-7/506453/2 "2009-08-14T22:32:41Z")

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Is there more to this question than just copying the files you like to keep to an external drive, install Winodws 7 and copying it back to the drive?

For instance, what do you mean by

> [@](#):
>
> I can either search and save key files and directories to my external hard drive

- what do you mean “key files”?