Win 98 Backup on Vista?

[Bob L]

I have 4 PC's running Win XP and use Windows 98 Backup to transfer files and
keep things in sync. One of the computers is at a remote location during
the summer so I can't use a network to transfer files. All computers have
identical file structures and I've found that using Win 98 backup works
great since it allows data compression and I simply have to make a backup,
transfer the .qic file to a CD and then do a restore. The XP backup
software does not allow data compression unless you are backing up to a tape
drive.

To get Win 98 backup to work on XP I carefully transfer the appropriate
files that are used by Win 98 backup to the c:\windows\system32 directory
and, most importantly, I set program compatibility for Windows 98.

I am faced with replacing my old laptop with a new one and it seems that it
will be difficult to buy one with Win XP. So my question is: Is it
possible that Windows 98 backup will work on a Vista machine? Does Vista
have program compatibility mode that can be set like XP has?

 

[Charlie Russel - MVP]

Honestly, Bob, I don't know. I'm certain that it won't work on Vista 64,
primarily because I strongly suspect there are 16-bit elements in it. But
whether you could get it to work in 32-bit Vista is something I just don't
have any experience with. Howvever, that being said, there are excellent
alternatives that will work. One I've used with good success is Acronis.
And, frankly, just using a simple CD/DVD burning program should do what you
want. Just copy the file structure directly onto your cd/dvd and burn.

 

[Bob L]

Thanks for your response. I'm not planning on buying a laptop with Vista 64
so maybe it will work. I'm sure there are other alternatives but Win 98
backup works great and is free. I've tried copying the files to a 8 GB
memory stick but it seems unreliable as the files become easily corrupted.

Copying a file structure directly to a CD without compression presents some
problems too.

 

[Earle Horton]

Dell is still selling both high and low end laptops with XP. Go to their
web site, www.dell.com, click on laptops, Home and Home Office, click on the
XP icon.

Cheers,

Earle

 

[Bob L]

Thanks Earle. Yes, I'm strongly considering their lower end XP laptop but I
suspect I'll get a lot more for my money if I get one with Vista. There
seems to be a lot of low end Vista laptops available.

 

[Earle Horton]

I got a Dell Inspiron 1501 six months ago with Vista on it. After
downgrading to XP, using a Dell OEM Reinstallation disk from Amazon
Marketplace, I am getting a lot more for my money with XP. I can go back to
Vista any time I want, but I don't think it will be any time soon. The user
interface is a lot different and it would be a nightmare having four
computers with XP and one with Vista.

I suspect that the only real answer to your question is to try it. I am
sure that this application is not "officially supported" in Vista, or in XP
for that matter.

Earle