No Back-up Utility on Home Edition of Sony Vaio

[Bob H]

According to Sony, Microsoft doesn't package Windows XP
Home Edition with serveral things inlcluding the back-up
utility. Firstly, would this be true and why? Lastly,
what is the best way to back-up - including personal
files, and Outlook files as well?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

BackUp MyPC is a powerful yet easy to use data protection
and disaster recovery solution for a single computer or
peer-to-peer network. Conveniently backup important files
or your entire computer while you're not even around using
our advanced scheduling system.
http://www.stompinc.com/bump/bump-retail.phtml

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


| According to Sony, Microsoft doesn't package Windows XP
| Home Edition with serveral things inlcluding the back-up
| utility. Firstly, would this be true and why? Lastly,
| what is the best way to back-up - including personal
| files, and Outlook files as well?

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

You can install the NTBackup utility from the XP Home CD, I think. It isn't
installed by default.

 

[Bob]

Thanks for that quick information. I don't want to sound
ungrateful, but why should I have to pay $69 when the
Home Edition (non-OEM) comes with a back-up utility? I
guess I'm just not in-tune with Microsoft's policy of not
including all features of XP with Sony, espcially one
that is of such importance.

 

[Ferris]

true....and get a good backup software...like Drive Image...

 

[DL]

I made the mistake of buying a Sony laptop - the company stinks, with their
policies
http://www.handybackup.com/ is a reasonably cheap backup solution, that
works - for me anyway

 

[OldBill]

Following answer previously supplied - HTH


Backup is installed automatically on XP Professional, but not on
XP Home. If you have the complete XP Home CD, find backup on the
CD, in \ValueAdd\MSFT\NTBACKUP and install it yourself by
doubleclicking the file ntbackup.msi.

If you don't have an XP CD, you can download ntbackup.msi at
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/software/ntbackup.msi

Also see http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=302894

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

The information is not correct. The OEM, in this case Sony, has the option
of using the complete XP package or they can, at their option, use a
customized OEM version. While the backup utility for XP Home Edition does
not install by default, it can be installed from the retail CD after XP
setup.

The information from Sony is self-serving as they know they have the option
of providing the full CD. Most OEMs either want a recovery CD that restores
the PC to its factory fresh condition or one that also includes all the
bundled software they have provided with the PC. That can make space on the
CD an issue so they elect NOT to include some items.

Hence, to answer your other question in this thread, it is not Microsoft's
policy, it is Sony's policy. I agree with your reasoning but in the case of
OEM packages, there's not much choice. For me, if I'm buying a new PC, a
full CD version of the operating system is a must and a deal breaker if not
included or, at least, an option at time of purchase.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

According to Sony, Microsoft doesn't package Windows XP
Home Edition with serveral things inlcluding the back-up
utility.

It's true that there are several things that come with XP
Professional, but not XP Home (that's why Professional costs
more), but false that the Backup utility is one of those things.

Backup is installed automatically on XP Professional, but not on
XP Home. If you have the complete XP Home CD, find backup on the
CD, in \ValueAdd\MSFT\NTBACKUP and install it yourself by
doubleclicking the file ntbackup.msi.

If you don't have an XP CD, you can download ntbackup.msi at
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/software/ntbackup.msi

Also see http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=302894

Firstly, would this be true and why?

As above, no, it's not true.

Lastly,
what is the best way to back-up - including personal
files, and Outlook files as well?

How best to back up is a subject that gathers a lot of different
opinions. Here's mine: the Windows backup utility is among the
poorest choices for doing this. My personal backup scheme uses
two identical removable hard drives, which fit into a sleeve
installed in the computer. I alternate between the two, and use
Drive Image to make a complete copy of the primary drive.

 

[Alex Nichol]

According to Sony, Microsoft doesn't package Windows XP
Home Edition with serveral things inlcluding the back-up
utility. Firstly, would this be true and why?

MSoft put Backup (and other things of no real importance) on a regular
Home CD in a 'valueadd' folder. But it is up to OEM builders like Sony
to include this at their discretion - and most do not. I think the
reason is that really it is an obsolescent program that is included in
Pro for the benefit of those upgrading from NT, and wanting to bring old
backups forward: they cannot upgrade to Home, so it is left out. As
it does not recognise CDs as being removable media (even if you install
a packet writing package so they may be used as output media at all) it
is not really useful these days. and you should look for something else

 

[David Candy]

It's because the OEM has to tick a box and they are too lazy or don't read the dialogs. That is one click.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

I certainly hope NTBackup isn't obsolescent - I use it on most of my
client's W2k servers!

 

[Mark]

I use a Sony PCV RZ34G system with Windows XP Home Edition and it also does
not have Backup in it. Its also not available on the 'Start Up Recovery
Disc - Recovery Media Kit' CD and not on the 'Recovery Media Kit - Recovery
Disc 1 of 1' DVD. I had to create both of these discs using the Sony VAIO
Recovery Wizard when I bought the computer back in July 2003. Sony does not
include recovery DVD/CD's with their computers, but provides the user to
create these discs.

I use Symantec's Norton Ghost 2003 to backup my system regularly and its far
better than Backup, which does not allow you to backup data to CD-R/RW
discs. Although I use an external firewire hard drive to backup my system
using Norton Ghost 2003, its just a better method for me.

The strange and ironic issue here is that Sony recommends 'Windows XP
Professional' on their computers. However, they preinstall Windows XP Home
Edition on their computers and you cannot get Windows XP Professional
preinstalled on a system. Although you can spend $199 to purchase the
Windows XP Professional Upgrade - Retail version either at Sony or through a
local retail store. If Sony (along with the rest of the OEMs like Dell)
recommends to use Windows XP Professional, I wonder why they are not
preinstalling Windows XP Professional. I guess this is another dominance
ploy of Microsoft through the OEMs to get more money on software licensing.
We either have to deal with the lacking Windows XP Home Edition or bow to
the dominante jaws of Microsoft to spend more money on another Windows XP
software license. At least with Dell when ordering a computer, they provide
the option to select Windows XP Professional over Windows XP Home Edition
with some cost.

 

[Guest]

that's my big grip right now - I've got a Sony laptop -
they don't give you the Windows CDs. Sony tells me that
their OEM agreement with MS doesn't include many
utilities, including back-up - so I have no CDs from
which to download

 

[Guest]

thanks very much for the info - yeah - i didn't think
about the cds this time - but i will in the future. it
just amazes me with all the issues about virus and
security that these pcs and the companies don't do more
rather than less about this issue. i have a message into
sony demanding a response. we'll see what happens.

 

[David Candy]

AFAIK they lie. They have to tick a box when making their XP.

 

[Guest]

wow - thanks very much for this - i don't have the cds
and sony refused to budge on their position. appreciate
it!

 

[Steve C. Ray]

" The strange and ironic issue here is that Sony recommends 'Windows XP

Professional' on their computers. However, they preinstall Windows XP Home
Edition on their computers and you cannot get Windows XP Professional
preinstalled on a system."

You state that you can't get Pro preinstalled on a Sony system, but if you
look at their website you will find that you can get Pro preinstalled on the
laptop series V505, GRT, Z1, and TR; and on the desktop series RS and V.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In (e-mail address removed)

wow - thanks very much for this - i don't have the cds
and sony refused to budge on their position. appreciate
it!

You're welcome. Glad to help.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[Rob Schneider]

I'm not party to the contract between Sony and Microsoft, but my hunch
is that it was Sony's decision ... call them.

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms