A couple of questions - MVP help...

  • Thread starter Thread starter buRford
  • Start date Start date
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buRford

I had a major XP crash the other day, and unfortunately, it obliterated any good restore
points.
So, I'll have to do a fresh install, because when I got back into windows, I had lost all
of my programs settings, etc.

A couple of questions, so I don't have to go through this again.

Is there a way for me, to set a larger partition for the repair partion, so I'd have more
than 2 restore points?? When I got back into windows after the crash, all I had was a
restore point, which was made after the crash... and the old corrupted one.
I'd like to be able to have a few, more than a day old, so in the event of an XP crash, I
can do a restore.

Is there a way to do a custom install, with an XP OEM disk?
Switches?
In previous versions of windows, I'd be able to do a custom install, thus, not installing
a lot of junk I don't need.

Lastly, where is the registry stored in XP? Is it all in the system volume info folder?
Or is it somewhere in the windows directory?
I'd like to be able to back up the registry... or is that redundant, if I have extra
restore points?
I was always able to copy the system & user datfiles, for back up.
And if need be, copy a backup in dosmode.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!
 
/buRford/ said:
I had a major XP crash the other day, and unfortunately, it obliterated any good restore
points.
So, I'll have to do a fresh install, because when I got back into windows, I had lost all
of my programs settings, etc.

A couple of questions, so I don't have to go through this again.

Is there a way for me, to set a larger partition for the repair partion, so I'd have more
than 2 restore points?? When I got back into windows after the crash, all I had was a
restore point, which was made after the crash... and the old corrupted one.
I'd like to be able to have a few, more than a day old, so in the event of an XP crash, I
can do a restore.
Click to expand...

Open Control Panel|SYSTEM|SYSTEM RESTORE and click on SETTINGS.
Is there a way to do a custom install, with an XP OEM disk?
Switches?
In previous versions of windows, I'd be able to do a custom install, thus, not installing
a lot of junk I don't need.

Lastly, where is the registry stored in XP? Is it all in the system volume info folder?
Or is it somewhere in the windows directory?
I'd like to be able to back up the registry... or is that redundant, if I have extra
restore points?
I was always able to copy the system & user datfiles, for back up.
And if need be, copy a backup in dosmode.
Click to expand...

A site that may prove helpful...
http://home.t-online.de/home/lars.hederer/erunt/
 
I know the answer, but I am not an "MVP", I guess I am disqualified to
answer your question.

JAX
 
buRford said:
I had a major XP crash the other day, and unfortunately, it obliterated any good restore
points.
So, I'll have to do a fresh install, because when I got back into windows, I had lost all
of my programs settings, etc.

A couple of questions, so I don't have to go through this again.

Is there a way for me, to set a larger partition for the repair partion, so I'd have more
than 2 restore points?? When I got back into windows after the crash, all I had was a
restore point, which was made after the crash... and the old corrupted one.
I'd like to be able to have a few, more than a day old, so in the event of an XP crash, I
can do a restore.
Click to expand...

System Restore data is saved for each partition in a hidden folder.
By default it allocates 12% of the space in that partition for the
system restore information, which is usually vastly excessive on all
but the smallest partitions.

Check in Control Panel - System - System Restore and see how much disk
space is allocated on your drive. For the vast majority of users
anything more than 800 mb is excessive. An exception would be if you
were regularly and routinely installing and installing multiple large
application programs (e.g. several times a day). That would require
more system restore space.
Is there a way to do a custom install, with an XP OEM disk?
Switches?
Click to expand...

What exactly do you want to do? And what is the brand label on your
OEM disk? Many OEM disks are pretty well "locked down" and give few if
any choices.
In previous versions of windows, I'd be able to do a custom install, thus, not installing
a lot of junk I don't need.

Lastly, where is the registry stored in XP? Is it all in the system volume info folder?
Or is it somewhere in the windows directory?
Click to expand...

Registry files are stored under the \Windows folder. The Windows XP
registry is much more complex than the Windows 98 registry. It is
larger and involves more files.
I'd like to be able to back up the registry... or is that redundant, if I have extra
restore points?
Click to expand...

Restore points do include registry backups
I was always able to copy the system & user datfiles, for back up.
And if need be, copy a backup in dosmode.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

If you use the Backup utility in Windows XP and have it save the
"System State" information then the registry will be included.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
Thanks for the info, Ron!!!!


System Restore data is saved for each partition in a hidden folder.
By default it allocates 12% of the space in that partition for the
system restore information, which is usually vastly excessive on all
but the smallest partitions.

Check in Control Panel - System - System Restore and see how much disk
space is allocated on your drive. For the vast majority of users
anything more than 800 mb is excessive. An exception would be if you
were regularly and routinely installing and installing multiple large
application programs (e.g. several times a day). That would require
more system restore space.


What exactly do you want to do? And what is the brand label on your
OEM disk? Many OEM disks are pretty well "locked down" and give few if
any choices.


Registry files are stored under the \Windows folder. The Windows XP
registry is much more complex than the Windows 98 registry. It is
larger and involves more files.


Restore points do include registry backups


If you use the Backup utility in Windows XP and have it save the
"System State" information then the registry will be included.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
Click to expand...
 
By the way... I have 4GB for system restore. Is there a way to set it, for more than 2
restore points??
 
buRford said:
By the way... I have 4GB for system restore. Is there a way to set it, for more than 2
restore points??
Click to expand...

4 gb for system restore should hold something like 400 restore points.
If you can only manage to have two points then something is seriously
amiss.

Drastic action may be called for. Try disabling system restore
completely, reboot the system, then enable system restore and reboot
again.

This will remove all existing system restore points and data, and then
start fresh with a single new restore point.

Test it with the following procedure.

1. Create a new desktop shortcut for something (anything).
2. Create a manual system restore point. Name it "Test Restore".
3. Delete the shortcut you just created.
4. Reboot the computer.
5. Use System Restore to go back to the restore point you created in
step 2.

The shortcut should come back.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
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