back all files to an external drive

[Guest]

Hi Folks,

I am having major problems with my windows instalation and have come to the
decision to back up all files on my computer (apart from windows xp) and
start afresh. Not knowing much about these thins I tried to back up to disks,
but it was asking for like 100 disk or more. Is there another way to do this,
perhaps by getting an external drive or something. I have some many files and
programs that I want to keep that I don't want to reinstal windows or wipe my
harddrive.

I apolgise for my lack of knowledge on the subject, but all advise very
welcome and a big big thank you in advance

 

[BillW50]

Hi Folks,

I am having major problems with my windows instalation and have come
to the decision to back up all files on my computer (apart from
windows xp) and start afresh. Not knowing much about these thins I
tried to back up to disks, but it was asking for like 100 disk or
more. Is there another way to do this, perhaps by getting an external
drive or something. I have some many files and programs that I want
to keep that I don't want to reinstal windows or wipe my harddrive.

I apolgise for my lack of knowledge on the subject, but all advise
very welcome and a big big thank you in advance

Yes you should do this anyway whether you want to reinstall or not.
External hard drives are a very good way to go. DVD isn't too bad if you
don't have to change discs too often.

And you don't have to reformat and wipe out the current Windows install
anyway. As what works most of the time is a Windows XP Repair.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

[Alan]

Hello JC,

The only files that you will need to back up are those that contain your
OWN data such as documents, music, pictures, etc.

Unless you do an image of your hard drive -- which sounds like it would
defeat your purpose of 'starting over' -- you will have to reinstall all
your applications from original media. Just copying program files to backup,
and then restoring the files, will not work.

Alan

 

[BillW50]

Hello JC,

The only files that you will need to back up are those that contain
your OWN data such as documents, music, pictures, etc.

Unless you do an image of your hard drive -- which sounds like it
would defeat your purpose of 'starting over' -- you will have to
reinstall all your applications from original media. Just copying
program files to backup, and then restoring the files, will not work.

Alan

Not true if you do a Windows XP Repair.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

[Rock]

Hi Folks,

I am having major problems with my windows instalation and have come to
the
decision to back up all files on my computer (apart from windows xp) and
start afresh. Not knowing much about these thins I tried to back up to
disks,
but it was asking for like 100 disk or more. Is there another way to do
this,
perhaps by getting an external drive or something. I have some many files
and
programs that I want to keep that I don't want to reinstal windows or wipe
my
harddrive.

I apolgise for my lack of knowledge on the subject, but all advise very
welcome and a big big thank you in advance

JC, I see by your later post you have an OEM installation of XP with only a
recovery CD, not an XP installation CD so the repair install suggested by
others will not work. The recovery method provided by your OEM is a
destructive recovery. 3rd party apps will have to be reinstalled from
original media. Restore data from the backup.

Yes an external hard drive is a good place to store backups. You an buy one
preassembled or put one together for much less cost, and it's not hard to
do. Buy a bare hard drive (white box - which doesn't come with a utility CD
and is much cheaper) and an external drive enclosure. Get these from any
computer hardware supplier, such as Newegg.com. Enclosures are in the $20
range. A 320 GB external drive setup put together this way will cost you
less than $100.

I recommend you use a drive imaging program such as Acronis True Image Home
version 10. This can create a compressed image of the drive. Images can be
full, incremental or differential so subsequent images take much less time
and space. Imaging can be on a drive or partition basis. Restores can be
done on a file, partition or drive basis. It also does file backup and
drive cloning.

 

[Alan]

Yes, you're right, unless something goes awry with the repair installation.

However, the OP stated that he wanted to "start afresh." I took that to mean
that he wants to wipe out everything on the hard drive and do a clean
install of XP.

Alan

 

[BillW50]

[snip]

JC, I see by your later post you have an OEM installation of XP with
only a recovery CD, not an XP installation CD so the repair install
suggested by others will not work. The recovery method provided by
your OEM is a destructive recovery. 3rd party apps will have to be
reinstalled from original media. Restore data from the backup.

[snip]

I missed that one Rock, thanks! Although purchasing a retail Windows XP
install disk can be quite helpful in these cases. I do so all of the
time. Just to solve these kinds of problems.

[snip]

I recommend you use a drive imaging program such as Acronis True
Image Home version 10. This can create a compressed image of the
drive. Images can be full, incremental or differential so subsequent
images take much less time and space. Imaging can be on a drive or
partition basis. Restores can be done on a file, partition or drive
basis. It also does file backup and drive cloning.

Why don't you recommend Windows Backup? And what is wrong with just
copying the OS files the old way? See:

Subject: Making backups by just copying files
Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 20:16:48 -0500

 

[Rock]

JC, I see by your later post you have an OEM installation of XP with
only a recovery CD, not an XP installation CD so the repair install
suggested by others will not work. The recovery method provided by
your OEM is a destructive recovery. 3rd party apps will have to be
reinstalled from original media. Restore data from the backup.

[snip]

I missed that one Rock, thanks! Although purchasing a retail Windows XP
install disk can be quite helpful in these cases. I do so all of the time.
Just to solve these kinds of problems.

Bill, you mean you have run a repair install using an generic OEM or retail
XP installation CD on an installation of a branded OEM XP? What about the
product key that you have to enter to do the repair install?

[snip]

I recommend you use a drive imaging program such as Acronis True
Image Home version 10. This can create a compressed image of the
drive. Images can be full, incremental or differential so subsequent
images take much less time and space. Imaging can be on a drive or
partition basis. Restores can be done on a file, partition or drive
basis. It also does file backup and drive cloning.

Why don't you recommend Windows Backup? And what is wrong with just
copying the OS files the old way? See:

I'm not particularly found of your "the old way". I see that as a piece
meal approach. Besides I don't see how that technique allows you to restore
to a bare hard drive to get a working system in the same condition.

At one time I used ntbackup but gave up on it long ago. I tested the ASR
recovery and found it to be, lengthy and cumbersome, and beyond that it did
not restore the system to it's working state. Some apps in my test
environment did not work properly on restore and had to be
uninstalled/reinstalled. Of course one doesn't have to use ASR, ntbackup
can be used for file backup, but I was looking for a better all around
solution. Ntbackup cannot backup to CDs unless 3rd party packet writing
software is installed and even then it cannot span CDs. It cannot backup to
DVD. Lastly I have seen enough posts were suddenly ntbackup was no longer
working, but fixes for that are almost non existent, that I could find,
requiring a reinstall of the OS. I know others have had on going success
with it.

Based on all this I moved to a drive imaging solution. Originally I used
Drive Image from Powerquest, and still have it installed on one XP
installation. Unfortunately they were bought out by Symantec, the
technology from it going into the Ghost platform starting with Ghost 9. DI
is not compatible with Vista, so when I started running that, I moved to
Acronis True Image Home, version 10. It runs in both Vista and XP. It can
be setup to run as a scheduled task, so user interaction is minimal. I just
have to remember to have the right external drive connected and powered up.

I tested it, including restores under normal operating conditions and found
it is an excellent choice, fast, flexible, and reliable. That's why I
recommend it as a backup/recovery solution.

 

[BillW50]

JC, I see by your later post you have an OEM installation of XP with
only a recovery CD, not an XP installation CD so the repair install
suggested by others will not work. The recovery method provided by
your OEM is a destructive recovery. 3rd party apps will have to be
reinstalled from original media. Restore data from the backup.

[snip]

I missed that one Rock, thanks! Although purchasing a retail Windows
XP install disk can be quite helpful in these cases. I do so all of
the time. Just to solve these kinds of problems.

Bill, you mean you have run a repair install using an generic OEM or
retail XP installation CD on an installation of a branded OEM XP? What
about the product key that you have to enter to do the repair
install?

Yes and that is the other reason for buying the retail Windows XP
version. As you also get a key with the purchase.

[snip]

I recommend you use a drive imaging program such as Acronis True
Image Home version 10. This can create a compressed image of the
drive. Images can be full, incremental or differential so
subsequent images take much less time and space. Imaging can be on
a drive or partition basis. Restores can be done on a file,
partition or drive basis. It also does file backup and drive
cloning.

Why don't you recommend Windows Backup? And what is wrong with just
copying the OS files the old way? See:

I'm not particularly found of your "the old way". I see that as a
piece meal approach. Besides I don't see how that technique allows
you to restore to a bare hard drive to get a working system in the
same condition.

I don't either. As it seems to me that you have to do a repair or a full
install anyway. Then and only then you can use ntbackup I think.

At one time I used ntbackup but gave up on it long ago. I tested the
ASR recovery and found it to be, lengthy and cumbersome, and beyond
that it did not restore the system to it's working state. Some apps
in my test environment did not work properly on restore and had to be
uninstalled/reinstalled. Of course one doesn't have to use ASR,
ntbackup can be used for file backup, but I was looking for a better
all around solution. Ntbackup cannot backup to CDs unless 3rd party
packet writing software is installed and even then it cannot span
CDs. It cannot backup to DVD. Lastly I have seen enough posts were
suddenly ntbackup was no longer working, but fixes for that are
almost non existent, that I could find, requiring a reinstall of the
OS. I know others have had on going success with it.

Some versions of ntbackup like for Windows 2000 is said to skip over
open files and not report that it did. Well only in the event log if you
looked there after a backup. Windows XP OTOH is said to copy open files
okay.

Based on all this I moved to a drive imaging solution. Originally I
used Drive Image from Powerquest, and still have it installed on one
XP installation. Unfortunately they were bought out by Symantec, the
technology from it going into the Ghost platform starting with Ghost
9. DI is not compatible with Vista, so when I started running that,
I moved to Acronis True Image Home, version 10. It runs in both
Vista and XP. It can be setup to run as a scheduled task, so user
interaction is minimal. I just have to remember to have the right
external drive connected and powered up.

I used to use another OS, or a boot disk and just xcopy them. Later I
used Partition Magic (starting with v3) to clone OS partitions. I have
Paragon Drive Copy. But I never used it. Maybe I should one day. LOL

I tested it, including restores under normal operating conditions and
found it is an excellent choice, fast, flexible, and reliable. That's
why I recommend it as a backup/recovery solution.

Okay, you convinced me. But 50 bucks for a backup program?

 

[...winston]

Rock...just supplemental note and hope it doesn't interfere with the thread, but it does add some variation to the OEM repair yes/no option.

Micron's XP Home and Pro OEM sp2 cd's(sp1 and gold post updating to sp2 via slipstream-I never did obtain a common reason why on the latter) are capable of running an XP repair without destroying the contents of the drive. The product key on the machine is functional for repair or clean install. The Cd provided is not an image restoration or tool to access a hidden partition.

..winston

: Bill, you mean you have run a repair install using an generic OEM or retail
: XP installation CD on an installation of a branded OEM XP? What about the
: product key that you have to enter to do the repair install?

 

[Rock]

Bill wrote

Yes and that is the other reason for buying the retail Windows XP version.
As you also get a key with the purchase.

Ok so what you are actually doing is replacing one OS with another.
Otherwise it can't be done by the user who just wants to fix their OEM
installed copy of XP. Unless one wants to spring for a second copy of XP,
it's not useable.

<snip>

Rock wrote
Bill wrote

Okay, you convinced me. But 50 bucks for a backup program?

I never buy from the author's web site if it's available through the
discount retailers. I got mine at Newegg.com at $29.99, boxed copy.
Newegg.com also sometimes offers a special $10.00 off their stated price for
a day. I caught Acronis Disk Director that way. They had it listed at
31.99, I got it for 21.99.

How much is your time, effort and security of data worth? For me $30 is a
small price to pay for that.

 

[Rock]

Rock...just supplemental note and hope it doesn't interfere with the
thread, but it
does add some variation to the OEM repair yes/no option.

Micron's XP Home and Pro OEM sp2 cd's(sp1 and gold post updating to sp2
via slipstream-I never did obtain a common reason why on the latter) are
capable of running an XP repair without destroying the contents of the
drive.
The product key on the machine is functional for repair or clean install.
The Cd provided is not an image restoration or tool to access a hidden
partition.

Ok, that's an option as long as the product key on the sticker attached to
the computer case works on that CD. Usually it will work with a generic OEM
CD. I haven't tried any of the branded ones, but then if it's is an
installation CD, I can see that it might work. Take it back a few years
some OEMs included an installation CD, with their logo on it, that was BIOS
locked to the system so no product key was needed for an install on that
system, but it was a regular installation CD. I know Gateway did that with
their higher end systems about 5 years ago. I never tried that CD on
another system either as a clean install using a generic OEM product key, or
a repair install.

I didn't realize Micron was still in business.

 

[Alan]

Micron is still in business in a very big way, Rock. One of their
divisions -- www.crucial.com -- is one of the biggest vendors of Ram memory
on the Web.

Alan

 

[Rock]

Micron is still in business in a very big way, Rock. One of their
divisions -- www.crucial.com -- is one of the biggest vendors of Ram
memory on the Web.

Well so much for what I know. I didn't realize Crucial was part of Micron.