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[Guest]

Okay .
First of all, I am a "newbie" to computers and to Windows XP .. so don't laugh so loud when you read my problem
I have a CD burner on my computer, and I am trying to be smart and back up programs to be burned onto the CD-ROM
When I go to the "program tree" and go through each areas where different programs are (those that I have downloaded from the internet), SOME of the programs show ALL of the info attached with the program ... launch, .exe , instructions, etc
I know that these would be complete and I highlight on that program and can copy it to burn to the CD
OTHER programs in other areas of the directory tree, don't show installation, .exe , etc., and just show what appears to be shortcuts and wouldn't be able to launch that program .. usually most of what it shows are listings of about 1KB in size
I have experimented with burning these programs (using just small, insignificant programs) , uninstall them and then try to download from the burned CD, try to install them, and nothing is able to be done with them .. no hopes of launching a program
So, I need some help with this if anyone can take the time to teach me
Again, I'm trying to learn
Thanks

 

[billh]

Okay ..
First of all, I am a "newbie" to computers and to Windows XP .. so don't

laugh so loud when you read my problem.

I have a CD burner on my computer, and I am trying to be smart and back up

programs to be burned onto the CD-ROM.

When I go to the "program tree" and go through each areas where different

programs are (those that I have downloaded from the internet), SOME of the
programs show ALL of the info attached with the program ... launch, .exe ,
instructions, etc.

I know that these would be complete and I highlight on that program and can copy it to burn to the CD.
OTHER programs in other areas of the directory tree, don't show

installation, .exe , etc., and just show what appears to be shortcuts and
wouldn't be able to launch that program .. usually most of what it shows are
listings of about 1KB in size.

I have experimented with burning these programs (using just small,

insignificant programs) , uninstall them and then try to download from the
burned CD, try to install them, and nothing is able to be done with them ..
no hopes of launching a program.

So, I need some help with this if anyone can take the time to teach me.
Again, I'm trying to learn.
Thanks

Windows programs usually require an install procedure which takes the
original files from vendor's CD and copies them to the appropriate places on
the drive and then makes complex entries in the Windows registry.
Really the only way to make a copy of a program you can install and use
later on a system is a copy of the original CD or a copy of the complete
file which includes the installation routine if you downloaded it off the
internet.

You can use the XP backup program or other backup program to backup your C
drive in case you have a crash. There are also programs that make images of
your drive as well such as Drive Image, Ghost etc.

If you have the original CD for say MS-Office then you already can reinstall
it if there is a disaster. If you downloaded some program off the net then
copy the file you downloaded to CD and you will have it to install again if
you need to. That is simple to say but if you have to rebuild your whole
system from scratch can be time consuming. Remember these files are
available, you can get out your CDs or go back on the net; the files you
really have to make sure you are backing up are the documents, photos,
spreadsheets, etc that you create yourself. If you lose these you just can't
get them anywhere else.

Billh

 

[Sharon F]

Okay .. First of all, I am a "newbie" to computers and to Windows XP ..
so don't laugh so loud when you read my problem. I have a CD burner on
my computer, and I am trying to be smart and back up programs to be
burned onto the CD-ROM. When I go to the "program tree" and go through
each areas where different programs are (those that I have downloaded
from the internet), SOME of the programs show ALL of the info attached
with the program ... launch, .exe , instructions, etc.

Don't copy the installed program's folders. Instead copy the downloaded
setup file. The process of setting up usually creates more than what you
see in the program folder: files in Windows, Program Files\Common Files\..,
registry entries, and so on.

I know that these would be complete and I highlight on that program and
can copy it to burn to the CD. OTHER programs in other areas of the
directory tree, don't show installation, .exe , etc., and just show what
appears to be shortcuts and wouldn't be able to launch that program ..
usually most of what it shows are listings of about 1KB in size.

These are probably copies of the program's start menu folders. Start Menu
folders are collections of shortcuts and should only be about 1kb in size.