Installation problem / question, from 14.04 to 12.04

[Ursus Maritimus]

HI,

Have some problems with Installation. The original problem is with Wine and some other one's, which I cannot recognize. I was suggested to Install the system again. During installing it, I had an comment :

Write previous changes to disk and continue?
Before you can select a new partition size, any previous changes has to be written to disk.
You cannot undo this operation.

I've got an older 12.04 on DVD R, which I was trying to Install to 14.04. I don't want to loose any older things, documents-movies-pictures etc. Wasn't going to do any new partition, just rewrite back to older and later update back to 14.04. Any idea's about the comment or any recommendations, what should I do?

1.8 GiB
Intel® Celeron(R) CPU 1007U @ 1.50GHz × 2
Intel® Ivybridge Mobile x86/MMX/SSE2
32-bit

[dino99]

when the installer will propose its choices, select 'something else' option for doing a manual installation: you first need to know about your actual partitions indeed (/, swap and /home. If you have not a /home partition but only a home folder, then save it before continuing

[Ursus Maritimus]

Thanks, but I've got only one partition and I've got my data and system on it. So I can't repartition, because it might delete all my data . That's what I'm wondering.. What should I do, that I don't loose anything? There was the message, what I got, but I didn't understand it for sure.. That's why I'm trying to find a confirmation, that I was doing it correctly or if I wasn't, what should I do..

[philinux]

First make backups of all your important stuff before doing anything.

Hard drives can and do fail.

[coffeecat]

If you have your data and system all in one partition, and if you want to re-install, then you must make sure you have backup copies of your personal on a separate backup medium first. But surely you keep backup copies of all your personal files? I keep at least three backups on separate media.

I'm surprised that you are thinking of replacing 14.04 with 12.04. Was there a reason beyond having a 12.04 DVD available?

[Ursus Maritimus]

Thanks again. The backup part is absolutely true, but I'm limited on that part and the reason for 12.04 is the same. I had that one on old DVD and was going to use it, but I guess I have to try to find a new DVD for 14.04 and have to figure out an option for backups as well..
Main thing is, that I was hoping to sort the installation, without backups and with the 12.04, but according your info's it's not the best option..