Creating Backup of XP

[Guest]

I've just purchased a new laptop which has windows XP installed on it. No
CDs came with it. How do I create a back up CD in the event I need to
reinstall XP?

Thanks.

 

[Guest]

You probably have a hidden recovery partition which is used in the event that
you need to restore XP etc.
Check the instructions that came with the laptop or go to the manufacturer's
site for instructions of how to burn the contents of the hidden recovery
partition to CD.

 

[Harry Ohrn]

You might seriously consider purchasing an imaging program. That way you can
get the system setup the way you want it and then create a full backup to
CD/DVD. If need be you can restore the system to the exact state it was in
at the time you created the image. My personal favourite is Acronis
TrueImage from www.acronis.com but there are others. One of the benefits of
TrueImage is it's ability to restore individual files from the image. So if
a crucial system file becomes corrupt you can simply restore it rather than
do a full restore. You can also create a hidden partition on the hard drive
and create incremental backups to it. Pressing F11 at system boot will get
you into the hidden partition and allow a quick restore of your most recent
increment.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I've just purchased a new laptop which has windows XP installed on
it. No CDs came with it. How do I create a back up CD in the
event I need to reinstall XP?

NEW laptop?
Came with Windows XP?

They are required (if selling you an OEM copy of Windows XP - which it seems
they are) to provide you with a 'method' of restoring the system back to
purchased state.

It may be the method sucks and it is a HDD only restoration method.
Call the reseller and demand CDs with the media on them.

Otherwise - you will have to use a third party product (an imaging/cloning
application) to make an image of your system now and periodically throughout
its life to supplement your normal backup schedule.

 

[peter]

usually a new laptop would come with instructions on creating a recovery
CD...hell they usually prompt you to do so as soon as you start the thing.If
you have no CD then you have a recovery partition somewhere on the HD.
Please take the time to read the manual that came with the machine and it
will explain how to make that "recovery" CD.

Or if you really have no such mechanism preinstalled on the laptop might I
suggest Acronis True Image..
http://www.acronis.com/
it allows you to "image" your HD contents....helps you create an emergncy
start up CD.....Allows you to do backups...
By buying another HD and a USB HD enclosure you could image/clone your
present HD to the New HD...this way you would have a copy of the original
install.You could update the image/clone every so often in order to keep it
up to date.
If something crashes the Acronis Emergency start CD will load a running
version of True Image which has the capabilities to "restore" that saved
image.If the HD breaks after the install of a new HD you could do the same
thing.
peter

 

[Guest]

To make a Windows CD, look for an i386 folder on the HD, and burn that to a
CD.

In most cases this will work for a repair or adding files, etc.

This doesn't constitute a backup of the whole system of course, as it
excludes drvers, etc. For that you need an imaging program.

I wouldn't rely on 'recovery' media or partitions as they often fail to
work, and htere's no way of finding that out until the crunch comes.