In re-installing Windows after my C-drive crashed, I've been having trouble getting my personalized desktop settings the way that they were before - colors, fonts and sizes, etc. I'm not able to boot from the crashed drive in order to get the settings, but I can access files on it. Is there a particular file or folder that holds Windows 7's personalizing information, that I'd be able to copy and paste into the re-install? If so, where do I find it? Thanks for any help.
As far as I am aware, it's a set of numerous registry keys.
I think you'll be out of luck if you're looking for an easy way to copy settings. There are numerous files under specific folders in '<user>/appdata/' for various apps and things but there are also a lot of settings in the registry. It'd be quicker (and a lot safer!) to just redo it all tbh.
IF the computer that has the 'donor' profile was still running, Windows 7 has a helper wizard called "Windows Easy Transfer" that allows you to copy the entire user profile (desktop, colors, icons, and all the files in the /Users/YOUR NAME HERE folder) into a single file that you can move to a new Windows 7 system and import. Where it falls short: fonts, programs, and anything outside of the Users directory is unaffected. (Although it does compare installed Program Files on both systems and issue a report of apps that need installed on the new system to enable it to function like the prior one did.)
The only other choices:
- User State Migration Tool: a more difficult tool that requires knowledge of how Windows Operating Systems work. It's free, but it only works on Windows Professional and higher versions. It doesn't work on Windows Home or Home Basic/Premium versions.
- A Third Party Program. Microsoft sponsored a program for free during the Windows 10 Upgrade Offer (Laplink PC Mover Express), but that expired with the upgrade offer back in 2016. It costs $60. There's also EaseUS Todo PC Trans (trial version moves 2 apps and limited files, $50 for a full transfer).
But based on the prior posts that you've made here, it doesn't sound like that is an option. The donor "system" is gone.
Most folks just transfer the /users/YOUR NAME HERE folder and live with setting everything else by hand. Especially if you're considering buying a program you're really only going to use once and never touch again. (Windows 7 security updates stop in 2020. Short of unforeseen circumstances, this is probably the last Windows 7 reinstall you'll do before it's time to migrate for good.)