USB Exterior HDD questions?

[Mikie]

Hi,

Just bought a Coolmax 310 USB Exterior HDD Enclosure. (Probably won't
be shipped unitl next week)

Thinking of installing one of two spare HDD's into the Enclosure.

a: Would the HDD require Windows if I use it exclusively for program
storage and file backups?

b: Without Windows , will I be able to exec a program or simply
transfer it from exterior to interior drive? And if so, won't that mess
up the registry? I'm so confuuuuuused!

c: If the HDD has ONLY Windows XP loaded, I'd like it to be an
emergency replacement HDD, (in case the interior drive goes south), in
the meanwhile using the remainder of the space for storage and
backups. That I believe (hope?) would be OK?

ThanX and truest wishes for a great Thanksgiving Holiday!

Mike
Picture Rocks, AZ

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Windows XP cannot be installed on an external drive.
All you need to do is format your external drive NTFS
in order to use it for file storage and backups. You
can format the external drive using Disk Management.

How to use Disk Management to configure basic disks in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;309000

BackUp MyPC is a powerful yet easy to use data protection
and disaster recovery solution for a single computer or
peer-to-peer network. Conveniently backup important files
or your entire computer while you're not even around using
our advanced scheduling system.
http://www.stompsoft.com/backupmypc.html

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Hi,
|
| Just bought a Coolmax 310 USB Exterior HDD Enclosure. (Probably won't
| be shipped unitl next week)
|
| Thinking of installing one of two spare HDD's into the Enclosure.
|
| a: Would the HDD require Windows if I use it exclusively for program
| storage and file backups?
|
| b: Without Windows , will I be able to exec a program or simply
| transfer it from exterior to interior drive? And if so, won't that mess
| up the registry? I'm so confuuuuuused!
|
| c: If the HDD has ONLY Windows XP loaded, I'd like it to be an
| emergency replacement HDD, (in case the interior drive goes south), in
| the meanwhile using the remainder of the space for storage and
| backups. That I believe (hope?) would be OK?
|
| ThanX and truest wishes for a great Thanksgiving Holiday!
|
| Mike
| Picture Rocks, AZ
|

 

[Guest]

Here's some info to your 310 HDD enclosure, it is single drivebay.
Thus you can use it after you install an external harddrive:
A. No, but you have XP on your "C" drive don't you? You can copy$paste
or drag&drop to it.
B. You will only be able to EXE programs/apps on it that are completely
stand-alone apps. Most WindowsXP apps require the use of either
shared files or other system files to run from your "C" drive.
C. I believe you can have a dual install of XP on another harddrive in the
same system to use in case your logical drive "C" fails. Better do some
research in Google on how to create a dual boot system.

 

[Anna]

Hi,

Just bought a Coolmax 310 USB Exterior HDD Enclosure. (Probably won't
be shipped unitl next week)

Thinking of installing one of two spare HDD's into the Enclosure.

a: Would the HDD require Windows if I use it exclusively for program
storage and file backups?

b: Without Windows , will I be able to exec a program or simply
transfer it from exterior to interior drive? And if so, won't that mess
up the registry? I'm so confuuuuuused!

c: If the HDD has ONLY Windows XP loaded, I'd like it to be an
emergency replacement HDD, (in case the interior drive goes south), in
the meanwhile using the remainder of the space for storage and
backups. That I believe (hope?) would be OK?

ThanX and truest wishes for a great Thanksgiving Holiday!

Mike
Picture Rocks, AZ

Mike:
You probably would be best served if you would use a disk imaging program
such as Symantec's Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image to routinely clone the
contents of your internal day-to-day working HD to your USB external HD.
This would give you, in effect, a bit-for-bit copy of your source drive and
be an ideal backup system. While the USBEHD would *not* be bootable, should
you need to restore your internal HD, you could re:clone the contents of the
USBEHD back to the internal drive (assuming, of course, the internal drive
is mechanically/electronically sound), or you could remove the cloned drive
from its USB enclosure and install it in your computer to replace your
original drive.

The disk-to-disk cloning process is relatively simple & straightforward. You
could, if desired, install multiple HDs in your USB enclosure and make
additional clones if that's what you wanted.
Anna

 

[Mikie]

Thanks so much for all the help!!

It's really exciting for me to get such great help and be able to
understand it! Thanks again...all of you folks!

And a very happy Thanksgiving with your families!

Mikie
"Trouble with this world is that it is filled with too much apathy!
Eh? Who cares?