Does installing windows vista delete all my files? I am being told to back up - but is that a CAUTION?
ie. if it's a caution I only have important stuff to back up...if not I have hours of unpleasant total backing up to do.
Would be appreciative of an answer.. Thanks.

It doesn't, no, so it is a caution only. It doesn't even delete your old Windows, but instead renames the directory (and any other directory name it needs to use).
"irish-grouse"

irish-grouse wrote:

Not if the install goes properly, no.

Anyone who tells you to ignore that caution hasn't been reading this forum very long. ALWAYS back up anything/everything on your hard disk *before* installing a new operating system! You will be the only person to suffer if you neglect this basic principle. No one here will be able to restore your lost files!

It is a caution that you would never want to ignore it.
Seriously, backup everything. The unpleasant work will pay back (as your insurance) when something unexpected happens.
"irish-grouse"

Better still install it on another hard drive.... so anything untoward's you can alway's swap back to a usable os.
davy

irish-grouse wrote:

That depends entirely upon the specific OS already installed on the computer, the specific edition of Vista you're installing, and whether or not *you* choose to perform an upgrade (assuming the option is available) or a clean installation, which, by definition entails formatting the hard drive.
Vista is designed to install and upgrade (when the combination of OS editions allow) the existing operating system while simultaneously preserving your applications and data, and translating as many personalized settings as possible. The process is designed to be, and normally is, quite painless.

When contemplating any major system change, such as an upgrade, back up your data. Things can go wrong, in a small number of cases. If your data is at all important to you, back it up before proceeding.

Bruce Chambers
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Totally agree.
For myself, I always buy a brand new HDD as part of cost of the new OS.
"davy"