time to rebuild

[Talal Itani]

Hello,

My WinXP PC has been acting up for quite some time, and I think it is time
to re-build it, on a fresh new drive. I know how to install XP. I know how
to install the applications. I know how to copy 'my documents'. But how do
I copy the other stuff, like application data, emails, email accounts,
cookies?

Thank you!
Talal Itani

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

My WinXP PC has been acting up for quite some time, and I think it is time
to re-build it, on a fresh new drive.

Need a larger drive? Simple enough (read on)

I know how to install XP. I know how
to install the applications. I know how to copy 'my documents'. But how do
I copy the other stuff, like application data, emails, email accounts,
cookies?

Have you tried doing a Repair Install yet?

Clone your present system drive to a larger drive. Set the jumpers on
that drive so that your system BIOS sees that larger drive as the "C"
drive.

Then boot to your XP CD and run a repair install.

 

[Talal Itani]

Need a larger drive? Simple enough (read on)


Have you tried doing a Repair Install yet?

Clone your present system drive to a larger drive. Set the jumpers on
that drive so that your system BIOS sees that larger drive as the "C"
drive.

Then boot to your XP CD and run a repair install.

I did not try a repair install yet. I should clone the drive in case
something goes wrong during the repair, right? Also, why do I need a larger
drive? Do I have to have both drives installed during the repair?

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

I did not try a repair install yet. I should clone the drive in case
something goes wrong during the repair, right? Also, why do I need a larger
drive? Do I have to have both drives installed during the repair?

Your original post referred to a "new" drive, as I recall. I merely
assumed that it would be a larger one that you wanted the new install
to be on.

Cloning your drive before making the changes is a good idea... either
that, or create an image of it before you start playing around.

As cheap as hard drives are these days, it's a good idea to keep
either an external one handy for imaging, or an extra internal one for
cloning.

 

[Rock]

Hello,

My WinXP PC has been acting up for quite some time, and I think it is time
to re-build it, on a fresh new drive. I know how to install XP. I know
how to install the applications. I know how to copy 'my documents'. But
how do I copy the other stuff, like application data, emails, email
accounts, cookies?

FAST (Files and Settings Transfer Wizard) is one way to transfer data and
settings from an old installation to a new one. Here is a link with info
about it.
http://aumha.org/win5/a/fast.htm

I would not rely on that as the only means of backup for that data. Do not
get rid of the original data source until you know the data has been
successfully brought into the new installation.

 

[Talal Itani]

Your original post referred to a "new" drive, as I recall. I merely
assumed that it would be a larger one that you wanted the new install
to be on.

Cloning your drive before making the changes is a good idea... either
that, or create an image of it before you start playing around.

As cheap as hard drives are these days, it's a good idea to keep
either an external one handy for imaging, or an extra internal one for
cloning.

When I am cloning the drive, can the drive I am writing to be an IDE drive
residing inside a USB enclosure?

 

[BillW50]

When I am cloning the drive, can the drive I am writing to be an IDE
drive residing inside a USB enclosure?

Yes!

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

When I am cloning the drive, can the drive I am writing to be an IDE drive
residing inside a USB enclosure?

I've never tried cloning to an external drive. My guess is that it's
best to make an image on that drive.

 

[Talal Itani]

Yes!

Thanks! I think I have one last question: Do you know if I need to do
anything special, when cloning to an IDE drive residing inside a USB
enclosure? I mean, do I need to tell the backup software, or XP, that this
is the case.

 

[BillW50]

Thanks! I think I have one last question: Do you know if I need to
do anything special, when cloning to an IDE drive residing inside a
USB enclosure? I mean, do I need to tell the backup software, or XP,
that this is the case.

It depends on the cloning software, if it supports USB drives. Almost
all of them do nowadays. Old versions might not. No nothing tricky
otherwise.

 

[Frank]

When I am cloning the drive, can the drive I am writing to be an IDE
drive residing inside a USB enclosure?

It is important that one knows the differences among imaging, cloning
and copying of a drive.

 

[Talal Itani]

It is important that one knows the differences among imaging, cloning
and copying of a drive.

Sure, first I was confused about these three schemes.