Perl said:
I have windows XP Home, I want to install some programs for testing
purpose but I am afraid that after that installation/un-installation or
testing,
I won't get the same optimal performance of XP. It is a pain to do a clean
xp install and then driver installation etc. Is there any utility/tool
available in XP or any other tools that can do a specific point bit to
bit level restore.
All you do is manually set a System Restore point and install your
software.
Then uninstall your software after testing, then go back and select the
Restore
Point created before you installed the software.
Use System Restore to Undo Changes if Problems Occur
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/systemrestore.mspx
How to restore the operating system to a previous state in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q306084
Carey, thanks for your reply. System restore is great tool but I believe
system restore will not work in these specific circumstances.
a) In case of any virus/spyware threat
b) In case of loss of data/hardware malfunction etc
and my intention is to keep the current environment as a backup. So
which tool you will suggest?
Shenan said:
Thanks for adding criteria..
Symantec Ghost or Acronis TrueImage come to mind.
However, do you plan on installing viruses/malware? And as for (b) -
unless you backup regularly with Ghost/TrueImage - you're still out of
luck.
Combine a regular (albeit more spread out) cloning backup with regular
system backups and system restore point cleanouts... Then you got a good
system.
How To Use Backup to Back Up Files and Folders on Your Computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308422
Nobody plans for viruses/malware but they come all the time. Don't they?
Well, I know I did not get any of these nasty things since last 8 months
but
most of people I know still got it during that time.
Thanks for adding it up
I beg to differ.. I have, in fact, installed viruses, trojans, adware and
spyware in my job in order to test the effectiveness of various removal
tools or scripts which I wrote in order to assist in their removal in a
large group of machines. People do in fact plan and install them, and if
more people just planned for their own possible infection, less people would
be infected "by surprise."
If most of the people you know got some form of malware/viruses in the last
8 months and you did not - you may want to help them out.. Because
prevention (in the computer world) is so simple as to be laughable and once
put into place, rarely actually has to be touched - beyond normal
maintenance tasks. (Also, you may not have gotten them because you implied
yourself you reinstall often.)
You also have an option to build and maintain an unattended installation -
allowing you to keep that one central location updated with your favorite
applications and such - latest versions - and then when you need to rebuild
from scratch - you do so from this location.. You could even make a CD if a
network location is not possible..
Network:
http://unattended.sourceforge.net/
CD/DVD:
http://unattended.msfn.org/
A little scripting or looking up how to install automagically from those
sites and possibly:
http://www.appdeploy.com/
Can go a long way.. Although if you want to just backup once and then when
you restore the backup you made 6 months before and go through all of the
updates and changes you have made in 6 months - use Ghost or TrueImage. Or,
you could clone your PC either periodically or just before you install
something you are "testing" so you could restore back to that point - *if*
you are fairly certain you will not be creating anything else during the
trial period (files, emails, etc) or you don't mind losing anything you do
create.
Basically - you need more than one method of backing up if you put all your
eggs in one basket (your system).. Like you need to save to a different
partition (better yet, drive) all of your work. You need to periodically
backup your email and contacts to another partition/drive, you need to
backup other critical files/folders (to you) to some external media - or you
take a chance on losing it - either through some virus/malware invasion, or
by your own forgetfulness when you restore over your system and then later
realize you had the email you need to get that new job or whatever on the
system BEFORE the restore.
Whatever you choose to do, think it through and be careful/meticulous about
it - at least in the setup/planning stages.
