Backing up Windows XP

[Guest]

I would like to do a full system backup of my Windows XP installation to a
firewire external hard-disk. My question is which option in Windows Backup
should I be choosing? what I have found is that if I select "the all
information on this computer" option in the "what to backup" dialog, I will
back up the contents of the disk I am using to story my system backups.
However, my concern is that if I choose the "Let me choose what to backup"
option and select the internal hard-drives for my system, I won't be getting
the registry + com+ database information needed to fully restore the system.
Is there a way I can exclude my external hard drive from the list of volumes
backed up by the "All information on this computer" selection? Or at least
tell backup not to backup .bkf files?

Second question - my computer doesn't have a floppy disk drive - so how can
I get a CD version of the floppy that backup tries to create after using the
"All information on this computer" option? I could go out an purchase a USB
floppy drive, but I am hoping there's a way to get this info on CD.

Thanks,
-John

 

[Guest]

Okay - first of all thanks to all those who refrained from chastising me in
oh so many ways... once the backup I was running completed I poked around
some and found the answers to most of my questions:

* Switching to the advanced GUI allows you to set exclusions so you can
choose not to backup bkf files in specific directories which protects you
from backing up your earlier backup.

* Selecting "System State" in the list of things to backup will allow you
backup registry and related info without having to use the "All Information
on this computer" option.

This leaves me with a single question - which is "How do I create ASR
diskettes if I don't have a diskette drive on my computer?" I think the
answer on this might be to purchase a USB floppy drive, but if there's a way
I can burn the ASD diskette onto a CD somehow, that would be a better
solution for me...

Sorry for posting prior to doing my own research,

-jdc

 

[Rock]

Okay - first of all thanks to all those who refrained from chastising me in
oh so many ways... once the backup I was running completed I poked around
some and found the answers to most of my questions:

* Switching to the advanced GUI allows you to set exclusions so you can
choose not to backup bkf files in specific directories which protects you
from backing up your earlier backup.

* Selecting "System State" in the list of things to backup will allow you
backup registry and related info without having to use the "All Information
on this computer" option.

This leaves me with a single question - which is "How do I create ASR
diskettes if I don't have a diskette drive on my computer?" I think the
answer on this might be to purchase a USB floppy drive, but if there's a way
I can burn the ASD diskette onto a CD somehow, that would be a better
solution for me...

Sorry for posting prior to doing my own research,

-jdc

You can't without a floppy drive. ASR only looks to the floppy. Save
yourself time and grief, especially on restores and get a different
backup program. Try a disk imaging program such as Norton Ghost,
Acronis True Image or BootITNG.