File and settings transfer

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jud McCranie
  • Start date Start date
J

Jud McCranie

A few days ago my hard drive died. I have a complete, up-to-date
backup on an external hard drive. I would like to use the files and
settings wizard to transfer this stuff either back to the old computer
with a new hard drive or to a new computer, and I haven't been able to
figure out how to get it to work. I can put the external drive on
another computer on my home network, if that will allow it to be done.
Can this be done, and is there a list of steps to get it to work?

Thank you!
 
Jud said:
A few days ago my hard drive died. I have a complete, up-to-date
backup on an external hard drive. I would like to use the files and
settings wizard to transfer this stuff either back to the old computer
with a new hard drive or to a new computer, and I haven't been able to
figure out how to get it to work. I can put the external drive on
another computer on my home network, if that will allow it to be done.
Can this be done, and is there a list of steps to get it to work?

Thank you!
Click to expand...

F.A.S.T. needs to be run on the source first. You would have to restore the
backup and boot to Windows in order to use F.A.S.T.
 
F.A.S.T. needs to be run on the source first. You would have to restore the
backup and boot to Windows in order to use F.A.S.T.
Click to expand...

I'm not quite sure how to restore the backup. It is not compressed,
it is just like the regular folders and files. I tried copying the
whole thing back to the new hard drive, and that didn't work.
 
I'm not quite sure how to restore the backup. It is not compressed,
it is just like the regular folders and files. I tried copying the
whole thing back to the new hard drive, and that didn't work.
Click to expand...

For instance, it wouldn't copy over some of the Windows files. I
copied all of my folders, but then none of the things I had installed
show up under All Programs.

I appreciate any help.
 
: On Mon, 07 Aug 2006 01:42:11 -0400, Jud McCranie
:
: >I'm not quite sure how to restore the backup. It is not compressed,
: >it is just like the regular folders and files. I tried copying the
: >whole thing back to the new hard drive, and that didn't work.
:
: For instance, it wouldn't copy over some of the Windows files. I
: copied all of my folders, but then none of the things I had installed
: show up under All Programs.
:
: I appreciate any help.

Explain what steps you took to create the backup.

You are not going to be able to restore the backup to another machine and
have XP and your installed programs work.
 
Jud McCranie said:
For instance, it wouldn't copy over some of the Windows files. I
copied all of my folders, but then none of the things I had installed
show up under All Programs.

I appreciate any help.
Click to expand...

it generally will not copy your installed programs , you will need to
reinstall those.

it does transfer mail , desktop and personal sttings AND any other folder
specified.

during the process it will tell you what you will need to install on the new
computer (that cannot be transferred)
 
It sounds like you just copied the files for your backup. If this is the
case you will have to reinstall all your programs then copy the data from
your backup. FAST doesn't copy programs in any case. It only copies data and
program settings. For future reference you may want to look at a disk
imaging program for creating backups. These programs create an image of your
hard drive that can be restored in it's entirety.

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/

http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/products/overview.jsp?pcid=br&pvid=ghost10

I have used both of the above programs and can recommend them. Another
program that many people recommend is here:

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html

I have not personally tried this program so I can't personally recommend it.
 
Explain what steps you took to create the backup.
Click to expand...

I have an external hard drive, and I had Retrospect do a complete
backup and update it once a day. All of the folders are there are
regular folders, not a proprietary format.
You are not going to be able to restore the backup to another machine and
have XP and your installed programs work.
Click to expand...

Can I restore it to the original machine?

Here's what I've done. Thursday night the computer locked up. The
start menu would come up, but nothing would work - not even shutdown.
The next day I let the computer support guy at my wife's work look at
it, and he said the HD was bad. I but in a new HD, used their
software to format it, and used the Windows XP (sp 1) reinstallation
disk. That much worked. I tried copying everything from the external
HD to the new HD, but it balked on some Windows files. That didn't
look like it was going to work, so I reformatted the disk and
reinstalled Windows XP. I copied folders except for Windows and
System over, but none of the programs I installed show up under "All
programs". Naturally, all of my settings are gone too.

So how can I get the machine reasonably close to being back to the way
it was?

(Right now I can't get networking to work in it either, but that
probably can be fixed. I've gone through the network wizard and it
says that it finished, but it doesn't see the network, although the
router sees the NIC.)
 
It sounds like you just copied the files for your backup. If this is the
case you will have to reinstall all your programs then copy the data from
your backup. FAST doesn't copy programs in any case. It only copies data and
program settings. For future reference you may want to look at a disk
imaging program for creating backups. These programs create an image of your
hard drive that can be restored in it's entirety.
Click to expand...

That's what I need (for the future). I thought I would be OK with a
complete backup, but right now it doesn't look that way. Ideally, I
would have a second drive, and if the C drive goes out, just switch
the cable over.
 
it generally will not copy your installed programs , you will need to
reinstall those.
Click to expand...

That's going to be a real pain, because I had about 100 programs
installed, maybe more. I have a lot of CDs, but many have been
updated over the internet. A lot of them were only downloads.

If I can get them restored to the original machine that will help a
lot, otherwise I can't even come close to remembering everything that
was on there.
 
You are not going to be able to restore the backup to another machine and
have XP and your installed programs work.
Click to expand...

Can I get them back to the new HD on the same machine from the
complete backup on the external hard drive? Are there files that I
could copy that (most importantly) put the installed programs back
under "all programs", with their settings, and (important, but not as
important) restore my desktop icons, etc?
 
I am not familiar with Retrospect.
This tutorial shows booting to a Retrospect CD and restoring the backup.
http://kb.dantz.com/display/2/articleDirect/index.asp?aid=9524&r=0.251568
--
Ron Sommer

: On Mon, 7 Aug 2006 06:25:56 -0500, "Ron Sommer"
:
: >You are not going to be able to restore the backup to another machine and
: >have XP and your installed programs work.
:
: Can I get them back to the new HD on the same machine from the
: complete backup on the external hard drive? Are there files that I
: could copy that (most importantly) put the installed programs back
: under "all programs", with their settings, and (important, but not as
: important) restore my desktop icons, etc?
 
I am not familiar with Retrospect.
This tutorial shows booting to a Retrospect CD and restoring the backup.
Click to expand...

I'm still working on this (the third day!) What Retrospect made on my
external HD was a "duplicate" of the C drive (in its regular format),
not a backup. So on the support forum they say that Retrospect can't
back it up. However, they said that I can copy the files over
manually. When I tried this before, it didn't work. But then I had
booted normally.

If I boot in safe mode, should I be able to simply copy all of the
files from the external HD back to the new C drive, and have
everything back like it was? Will that work?
 
http://kb.dantz.com/display/2/articleDirect/index.asp?aid=1061&r=0.8396265
You will not be able to boot to Windows to copy the duplicate of C back to
C.
Ask the Retrospect support forum how to copy the files.

I can't help because I don't know about Retrospect.
--
Ron Sommer

: On Mon, 7 Aug 2006 21:17:43 -0500, "Ron Sommer"
:
: >I am not familiar with Retrospect.
: >This tutorial shows booting to a Retrospect CD and restoring the backup.
:
: I'm still working on this (the third day!) What Retrospect made on my
: external HD was a "duplicate" of the C drive (in its regular format),
: not a backup. So on the support forum they say that Retrospect can't
: back it up. However, they said that I can copy the files over
: manually. When I tried this before, it didn't work. But then I had
: booted normally.
:
: If I boot in safe mode, should I be able to simply copy all of the
: files from the external HD back to the new C drive, and have
: everything back like it was? Will that work?
:
 
http://kb.dantz.com/display/2/articleDirect/index.asp?aid=1061&r=0.8396265
Click to expand...

That link doesn't work.
You will not be able to boot to Windows to copy the duplicate of C back to
C.
Click to expand...

I'm able to boot Windows now. So if I copied everything except the
Windows and System folders, it still wouldn't work, right? That is,
the programs would not appear in All Programs and Add/remove Programs,
right?
Ask the Retrospect support forum how to copy the files.
Click to expand...

I did that yesterday, and they said that I couldn't use Retrospect to
put the files on because what I have is a "duplicate" of the drive
(same format as the original) not a "backup". They said that I could
copy the files manually, but I didn't get an answer about copying the
Windows files, and if it will be back to normal if I do copy them.
 
http://kb.dantz.com/display/2/_inde...331KGNkyd4x263e7QPl325RA1mX&cid=2&r=0.1878015

Difference between Backup and Duplicate.

Copying files will not transfer system files (Registry), so installed
programs will not work.

Bootit is a program that will copy whole partitions.
http://www.bootitng.com/support.html

: On Wed, 9 Aug 2006 06:50:39 -0500, "Ron Sommer"
:
:
http://kb.dantz.com/display/2/articleDirect/index.asp?aid=1061&r=0.8396265
Click to expand...
:
: That link doesn't work.
:
: >You will not be able to boot to Windows to copy the duplicate of C back
to
: >C.
:
: I'm able to boot Windows now. So if I copied everything except the
: Windows and System folders, it still wouldn't work, right? That is,
: the programs would not appear in All Programs and Add/remove Programs,
: right?
:
: >Ask the Retrospect support forum how to copy the files.
:
: I did that yesterday, and they said that I couldn't use Retrospect to
: put the files on because what I have is a "duplicate" of the drive
: (same format as the original) not a "backup". They said that I could
: copy the files manually, but I didn't get an answer about copying the
: Windows files, and if it will be back to normal if I do copy them.
: ---
: Replace you know what by j to email
 
Copying files will not transfer system files (Registry), so installed
programs will not work.
Click to expand...

Can I copy the registry file itself manually (say in Safe mode)? The
registry file is supposed to be on the duplicate copy on the external
HD.

I got Windows XP SP1 reinstalled from the CD, then I did the big SP2
update (because I couldn't get the network working at that time), and
I'm doing the newer updates now.
 
: On Wed, 9 Aug 2006 22:31:09 -0500, "Ron Sommer"
:
: >Copying files will not transfer system files (Registry), so installed
: >programs will not work.
:
: Can I copy the registry file itself manually (say in Safe mode)? The
: registry file is supposed to be on the duplicate copy on the external
: HD.
:
: I got Windows XP SP1 reinstalled from the CD, then I did the big SP2
: update (because I couldn't get the network working at that time), and
: I'm doing the newer updates now.
: ---
: Replace you know what by j to email

The Registry file cannot be replaced while Windows is running.
You need software that will boot without using Windows to replace the C
partition with the C partition on the external drive.
 
The Registry file cannot be replaced while Windows is running.
You need software that will boot without using Windows to replace the C
partition with the C partition on the external drive.
Click to expand...

What kind of software does that? I have the disk that came with the
new HD, and it will boot enough to format the disk. Will that do it?

Here is my quandary. Last year I got an external HD and had it make
the complete duplicate every night. I thought I would be safe with
that - having a complete, exact "duplicate" copy. (I guess it was a
false sense of security.) Before I got the external HD, I made full
backups to disk from time to time and smaller backups more frequently.
but I quit making those when I got the external HD. At this point I
would like to restore the copy from the external HD if possible. If
not, I can at least use the full backup on disk from last year.

Thank you for your help.
 
What kind of software does that? I have the disk that came with the
new HD, and it will boot enough to format the disk. Will that do it?
Click to expand...

That boots DR DOS. However, the HDs are formatted in NTFS, so will
that work?
 
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