Moving ALL Data From C: To Another Drive: Utility?

[(PeteCresswell)]

I've got the part about MyDocuments.Properties.

And I've stumbled though the RegEdit settings for Favorites.

But it seems to me like the registry changes are pyramiding and
user RCI on my part looks inevitable.

So, bottom line: is there a utility out there that will automate
the process of moving all that stuff to another drive where it
won't get hammered if/when the system is re-imaged?

I'm thinking about all the "Local Settings" and "Application
Data" pointers for starters.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I've got the part about MyDocuments.Properties.

And I've stumbled though the RegEdit settings for Favorites.

But it seems to me like the registry changes are pyramiding and
user RCI on my part looks inevitable.

So, bottom line: is there a utility out there that will automate
the process of moving all that stuff to another drive where it
won't get hammered if/when the system is re-imaged?

I'm thinking about all the "Local Settings" and "Application
Data" pointers for starters.

Backups.

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Shenan Stanley:

Backups.

Rightly or wrongly, I don't think of the system drive as a proper
place for anything that needs incremental backups.

If something needs incremental backups, I call that "Data" - and
I would like to keep all data on a separate drive.

C: gets backed up - but as an image.

If C: goes south, I restore a known good image.

Aside from the principal of the thing, it seems like incremental
backups against the system drive could get complicated at restore
time. What should be in synch with the old system? What
doesn't matter?

I'm just too clueless to know all the ins-and-outs.... and was
hoping that greater minds might have identified what can be
safely backed up/restored/kept separately in the context of
reimaging.

With teenagers banging on a box couple hours a day, re-imaging
has become something I'm totally comfortable with and I'll do it
the moment the sys even *seems* flaky. Takes all of 30 minutes
and any problems go away.... and if there weren't actually any
problems, that's OK too....

But I'd like to get it down to where virtually nothing is lost in
the process - cookies, for example.... GoogleEarth's cache for
another..... but there have tb dozens more.

 

[Daave]

Per Shenan Stanley:

Rightly or wrongly, I don't think of the system drive as a proper
place for anything that needs incremental backups.

If something needs incremental backups, I call that "Data" - and
I would like to keep all data on a separate drive.

C: gets backed up - but as an image.

If C: goes south, I restore a known good image.

Aside from the principal of the thing, it seems like incremental
backups against the system drive could get complicated at restore
time. What should be in synch with the old system? What
doesn't matter?

I'm just too clueless to know all the ins-and-outs.... and was
hoping that greater minds might have identified what can be
safely backed up/restored/kept separately in the context of
reimaging.

With teenagers banging on a box couple hours a day, re-imaging
has become something I'm totally comfortable with and I'll do it
the moment the sys even *seems* flaky. Takes all of 30 minutes
and any problems go away.... and if there weren't actually any
problems, that's OK too....

But I'd like to get it down to where virtually nothing is lost in
the process - cookies, for example.... GoogleEarth's cache for
another..... but there have tb dozens more.

The easiest way to make sure everything is routinely and safely backed
up (including your OS) is to have one partition with everything. Use a
program like Acronis True Image to image the drive. Then automate
incremental imaging. You can also use Acronis to back up data -- daily,
if you wish (and incrementally). C:\Documents and Settings should do the
trick (that's where just about all data reside, including cookies and
Favorites). If you have an e-mail program, check the documentation for
where everything resides. Also see this page if you have OE:

http://www.insideoe.com/backup/

IE Favorites are here:

C:\Documents and Settings\[user profile]\Favorites

Acronis allows you to select whatever you want to back up. Incremental
backups include the same locations.

If you want to create a data partition (to allow for a smaller OS
partition), just make sure everything is accounted for (including My
Documents -- but you seem to already know this). But it's not really
necessary. Seriously, if you want to be absolutely sure EVERYTHING
is backed up, just use one partition and image it. Automatic
incremental images can be done in the background and you won't even know
it!

 

[Don Phillipson]

With teenagers banging on a box couple hours a day, re-imaging
has become something I'm totally comfortable with and I'll do it
the moment the sys even *seems* flaky. Takes all of 30 minutes
and any problems go away.... and if there weren't actually any
problems, that's OK too....

Rather than backing up only "the moment the sys even *seems* flaky,"
it may be wiser to back up all (or clone) when the system seems rock-
solid stable and thereafter at appropriate intervals, e.g. once a week.

 

[SC Tom]

Rather than backing up only "the moment the sys even *seems* flaky,"
it may be wiser to back up all (or clone) when the system seems rock-
solid stable and thereafter at appropriate intervals, e.g. once a week.

I think he's saying that as soon as the system *seems* flaky, he restores it
from a previous image before it totally goes down the crapper. Or that's
what I got from "re-imaging."

 

[SC Tom]

Rather than backing up only "the moment the sys even *seems* flaky,"
it may be wiser to back up all (or clone) when the system seems rock-
solid stable and thereafter at appropriate intervals, e.g. once a week.

I think he's saying that as soon as the system *seems* flaky, he restores it
from a previous image before it totally goes down the crapper. Or that's
what I got from "re-imaging."

 

[SC Tom]

Rather than backing up only "the moment the sys even *seems* flaky,"
it may be wiser to back up all (or clone) when the system seems rock-
solid stable and thereafter at appropriate intervals, e.g. once a week.

I think he's saying that as soon as the system *seems* flaky, he restores it
from a previous image before it totally goes down the crapper. Or that's
what I got from "re-imaging."

 

[Daave]

Rather than backing up only "the moment the sys even *seems* flaky,"
it may be wiser to back up all (or clone) when the system seems rock-
solid stable and thereafter at appropriate intervals, e.g. once a
week.

True.

Hopefully, OP meant he would *restore* the image the moment the system
seems the slightest bit off. Images need to be current!

 

[SC Tom]

I think he's saying that as soon as the system *seems* flaky, he restores
it from a previous image before it totally goes down the crapper. Or
that's what I got from "re-imaging."

God, I love Charter!!

 

[Daave]

I think he's saying that as soon as the system *seems* flaky, he
restores it from a previous image before it totally goes down the
crapper. Or that's what I got from "re-imaging."

If you ask me, Tom, something might be flaky on your end. ;-)

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Daave:

The easiest way to make sure everything is routinely and safely backed
up (including your OS) is to have one partition with everything. Use a
program like Acronis True Image to image the drive. Then automate
incremental imaging. You can also use Acronis to back up data -- daily,
if you wish (and incrementally). C:\Documents and Settings should do the
trick (that's where just about all data reside, including cookies and
Favorites). If you have an e-mail program, check the documentation for
where everything resides. Also see this page if you have OE:

But once the system becomes corrupted/infected, the
corruption/infection is backed up - right?

The assumption being that corruption/infection is not always
immediately apparent.

If that's true, then how does one know what date to restore from
without restoring the problem?

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Don Phillipson:

Rather than backing up only "the moment the sys even *seems* flaky,"
it may be wiser to back up all (or clone) when the system seems rock-
solid stable and thereafter at appropriate intervals, e.g. once a week.

I *restore* the moment the sys even seems flaky.

I back up rarely - typically several times during the build of
the system and then after each restore.

Between restores, I keep a notepad with system changes noted on
it.

After a restore I then apply whatever changes I've noted; let it
sit long enough for any Windows updates to kick in; and then
image the system in that state - giving me a series of "good"
images... hopefully *all* good images.

 

[SC Tom]

If you ask me, Tom, something might be flaky on your end. ;-)

Yeah, it's an unfixable virus called Charter Communications