How do I------- XP Home

[Guest]

Hello,
I purchased a Freecom USB external hard drive to be used simply as a back up.
All I wish to do is make copies of all the programes that are on my PC hard
drive.
I thought it was a simple case of clicking start, programes,right clicking a
programe and sending to new hard drive but all that does is make a short cut
to the programe
no good at all.
I have backed up and transfered to the new hard drive all my files made by
those programes but can I copy the programes over to new hard drive---not
shortcuts.

 

[ras]

You're going about it wrong. You need to do this through Windows Explorer.
Open two windows, drag from one over to the other but there's an even easier
way. Go here to download Karen's Replicator -
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp . It works very well.
You set it for the files / folders / backups you want to do and it either
does it automatically or manually. Check it out.

 

[Guest]

The best way to back up programs that you have running on your machine is to
keep the install file and back that up. Although that doesn't save your
settings (if you have any). You would need to actually open the program and
see if there is anyway to save your 'settings' or 'preferences' and back that
up. If your program doesn't have that kind of utility you can be adventurous
and try finding what the settings file is for yourself.

If you want to 'run' these programs from your usb drive, thats a whole
'nother can of worms that depends on the programs and whether they're
'self-contained'.

Another thing you can do is save an image of you computer on the drive. Here
is some imaging software:

$70.00
http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/products/backup_recovery/ghost10/index.html
$49.99
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/
FREE
http://www.runtime.org/dixml.htm

 

[Gordon]

Hello,
I purchased a Freecom USB external hard drive to be used simply as a
back up. All I wish to do is make copies of all the programes that
are on my PC hard drive.
I thought it was a simple case of clicking start, programes,right
clicking a programe and sending to new hard drive but all that does
is make a short cut to the programe
no good at all.
I have backed up and transfered to the new hard drive all my files
made by those programes but can I copy the programes over to new hard
drive---not shortcuts.

No point. When you install a program it makes lots of entries in the
Registry. Unless you are able to copy those as well, there is no point in
just copying the program files. What you CAN do is to buy a disk imaging
application that will make a snapshot of your entire system at a given
moment, and save that on your external HDD.

 

[Guest]

Hello Ras,
Thankyou for your reply, it helped.
Many thanks

 

[Guest]

Hello J,
Thankyou for your reply and for the sites.

I downloaded Runtime, I've yet to play.

Might I ask some more questions?

My making a mirror image of my PC hard drive, in the event it goes kaput is
it just a question of replacing it, reinstalling XP then connecting my back
up external hard drive and transfering everything on it to the new PC HD?

Clearly I'm much behind on this subject.

By making a mirror image of the existing HD will that make an image of the
existing OS?

I think what I am trying to ask is will I need to reinstall XP on to the new
PC HD and will I need all my other programe disks or is a mirror image what
it is, a mirror image?
Many thanks

 

[Guest]

Hello Gordon,

Many thanks for your reply, I think I understand.
I have posted a couple of more questions in reply to an answer I received on
this subject.
Clearly I'm still a little confused.