Backing up windows updates

[Guest]

WIn XP Home, IE7, OE6, SP2,

A few Questions.

I've decided to reinstall XP to resolve a stack load of issues, almost
everything on my PC is backed up to a seperate ext' HD.

Because my version of XP is a retail upgrade from 98SE, I find it a choir
having to keep installing both disks when asked, I have both disks but is
there a way of re-installing XP simply from the XP upgrade disk or must I
have both disks to hand?

Once I have XP home installed, is there a way of making a recovery disk, (
not floppy), and if so, should I first update IE6 to IE7 and install SP2 then
make the recovery disk?

My thinking is simply that in the event of something going amiss, instead of
me having to re-install XP, I can just recover to a fresh desk top.

I religiously keep up with my Windows updates on top of anything SP2 had to
offer.

If I go to control panel, add/remove, I can see all the window updates, hot
fixes and so on, can I back these up and if so can I do so as a whole group
and then re-install after I have re-installed XP?

IE7 favorites, I try to keep this in order and fail, I have lots of folders
with different links in, but if I scroll down, I have 40-50 single favorites
not in folders.

How can I back up and reinstall my favorites and these 40-50 diffrent links?

Last time I had a crack at this, ( I've forgotten how ), I managed to export
and import but found after reinstalling the back up every single folder and
the links they contained had to be transfered indevidualy, a daunting task if
ever.

Outlook Express, same question as above really, I have thirty odd folders
each one has a many messages/details in, I need to back these folders up and
re-install simply.

Can I do all the above within XP or is there freeware I can down load?

 

[Poprivet]

WIn XP Home, IE7, OE6, SP2,

A few Questions.

I've decided to reinstall XP to resolve a stack load of issues, almost
everything on my PC is backed up to a seperate ext' HD.

Because my version of XP is a retail upgrade from 98SE, I find it a
choir having to keep installing both disks when asked, I have both
disks but is there a way of re-installing XP simply from the XP
upgrade disk or must I have both disks to hand?

If it's an upgrade, it's going to need the 98 CD every time it's reinstalled
and for a lot of reinstalls depending on what they are.

Once I have XP home installed, is there a way of making a recovery
disk, ( not floppy), and if so, should I first update IE6 to IE7 and
install SP2 then make the recovery disk?

Back up as soon as the disk starts working; it's a starting point in case
things go south before you get everything loaded.
After everything is installed and working without problems, do a full
backup of everything.

Backup: To backup, it's easiest to do so to an external hard drive if you
can get or have one.
For backing up ntbackup.exe included with XP (but not installed by
default in Home) will work, but it won't compress to save space. Norton's
Ghost or maybe TrueImage are good disk editing programs that will let you
reinstall everything from scratch, even after a disk replacement. They
create bootable CDs and you must have the backed up info stored on DVDs or
CDs of course. It's a one step recovery though for a catastropic failure.
They'll also let you restore only a single file or set of files, etc..

HTH
Pop`

 

[Guest]

Hello and thank you for your reply.

Oh! well two disks it is then.

What is the difference between installing and using ntbackup and the backup
facility in accessories/system restore?

As I wrote, I have an Ext' HD so if I create a folder on this HD, then using
ntbackup back up to this folder, I can use ntbackup to back up favorites and
email folders and so on, is this correct?

 

[db]

"driveimage xml" is something
worthwhile to look into....
WIn XP Home, IE7, OE6, SP2,

A few Questions.

I've decided to reinstall XP to resolve a stack load of issues, almost
everything on my PC is backed up to a seperate ext' HD.

Because my version of XP is a retail upgrade from 98SE, I find it a choir
having to keep installing both disks when asked, I have both disks but is
there a way of re-installing XP simply from the XP upgrade disk or must I
have both disks to hand?

Once I have XP home installed, is there a way of making a recovery disk, (
not floppy), and if so, should I first update IE6 to IE7 and install SP2 then
make the recovery disk?

My thinking is simply that in the event of something going amiss, instead of
me having to re-install XP, I can just recover to a fresh desk top.

I religiously keep up with my Windows updates on top of anything SP2 had to
offer.

If I go to control panel, add/remove, I can see all the window updates, hot
fixes and so on, can I back these up and if so can I do so as a whole group
and then re-install after I have re-installed XP?

IE7 favorites, I try to keep this in order and fail, I have lots of folders
with different links in, but if I scroll down, I have 40-50 single favorites
not in folders.

How can I back up and reinstall my favorites and these 40-50 diffrent links?

Last time I had a crack at this, ( I've forgotten how ), I managed to export
and import but found after reinstalling the back up every single folder and
the links they contained had to be transfered indevidualy, a daunting task if
ever.

Outlook Express, same question as above really, I have thirty odd folders
each one has a many messages/details in, I need to back these folders up and
re-install simply.

Can I do all the above within XP or is there freeware I can down load?

 

[Guest]

Hello DP

Thank you for your reply, I'll take a look.

 

[db]

you're welcome.

in addition, you might
want to look into and
add bartspe and the
driveimage xml plug-in for it
to the method mentioned above...

- db
Hello DP

Thank you for your reply, I'll take a look.

 

[Guest]

Thanks DP
--
Sandal

you're welcome.

in addition, you might
want to look into and
add bartspe and the
driveimage xml plug-in for it
to the method mentioned above...

- db
Hello DP

Thank you for your reply, I'll take a look.

 

[Jerry]

A suggestion is use an imaging program such as Ghost 2003 or Acronis. After
the Operating System is installed and updated, make an image Making an
image is easier if the hard drive<s> are partitioned. I am not sure either
Ghost or Acronis will see a usb hard drive, but I am fixing to find out
soon.

I personally prefer Ghost 2003 but many do NOT so this becomes a personal
preference.

After you installed programs you want, make another image. With these
images, you should be able to restore either image without going through the
hassle of reinstalling Windows.

Good luck

 

[Guest]

Thank you Jerry for your reply.
--
Sandal

A suggestion is use an imaging program such as Ghost 2003 or Acronis. After
the Operating System is installed and updated, make an image Making an
image is easier if the hard drive<s> are partitioned. I am not sure either
Ghost or Acronis will see a usb hard drive, but I am fixing to find out
soon.

I personally prefer Ghost 2003 but many do NOT so this becomes a personal
preference.

After you installed programs you want, make another image. With these
images, you should be able to restore either image without going through the
hassle of reinstalling Windows.

Good luck