Windows XP Backup and CD Key?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Doofusbrain
  • Start date Start date
D

Doofusbrain

If I use the backup utility, to back up applications and everything,
will that also save the CD key? I want to use a new Key for a retail
version of Windows I just bought off ebay.
This is for my parents' PC and i want them to have full MS support in
case I'm gone, dead or I'm on the can for an extend period. I've had
to give tech support to family members while driving, on a date, but
taking a dump is where I draw the line.
 
Doofusbrain said:
If I use the backup utility, to back up applications and everything,
will that also save the CD key? I want to use a new Key for a retail
version of Windows I just bought off ebay.
This is for my parents' PC and i want them to have full MS support in
case I'm gone, dead or I'm on the can for an extend period. I've had
to give tech support to family members while driving, on a date, but
taking a dump is where I draw the line.
Click to expand...

ntbackup.exe saves a snapshot of your current installation
(if you select the appropriate options). On restoration you
will have exactly the same as you have right now. If your
software is registered now then it will be registered after
the restoration.
 
Pegasus (MVP) said:
ntbackup.exe saves a snapshot of your current installation
(if you select the appropriate options).
Click to expand...

Do you mean like Ghost and Acronis does? If so, what are the "appropriate
options"?

Thanks,

Alias
On restoration you
 
Alias said:
Do you mean like Ghost and Acronis does? If so, what are the "appropriate
options"?

Thanks,

Alias
On restoration you
Click to expand...

You have to back up the "System State".

If you have Ghost and/or Acronis, why bother with ntbackup?
 
Pegasus (MVP) said:
You have to back up the "System State".

If you have Ghost and/or Acronis, why bother with ntbackup?
Click to expand...

I don't have Ghost or Acronis :-) Is the ntback up reliable and is it like
Ghost or Acronis or should I buy one of them?

Alias
 
Alias said:
I don't have Ghost or Acronis :-) Is the ntback up reliable and is it like
Ghost or Acronis or should I buy one of them?

Alias
Click to expand...

ntbackup.exe is reliable, contrary to what some people
claim, but sometimes difficult to use.

System recovery under ntbackup.exe is painful because
you first have to install a temporary version of Windows
before restoring the backed up version. With Acronis you
can create an image file on an external USB disk, then
restore that image after rebooting the machine with the
Acronis Rescue CD.

A general note: Many people get a safe and secure feeling
after they have created a backup copy of their system
drive. Some get a rude awakening when they try to restore
the backed up system and find that it does not work. A
backed up system is worthless unless it is tested immediately.
 
Pegasus (MVP) said:
ntbackup.exe is reliable, contrary to what some people
claim, but sometimes difficult to use.

System recovery under ntbackup.exe is painful because
you first have to install a temporary version of Windows
before restoring the backed up version. With Acronis you
can create an image file on an external USB disk, then
restore that image after rebooting the machine with the
Acronis Rescue CD.

A general note: Many people get a safe and secure feeling
after they have created a backup copy of their system
drive. Some get a rude awakening when they try to restore
the backed up system and find that it does not work. A
backed up system is worthless unless it is tested immediately.
Click to expand...

I think I will just have to break down and buy Acronis. By testing it you
mean, say, if I put an image on an externa, USB hard drive, switching the
hard drives to see if the imaged one works? Or restoring?

Alias
 
Just completing any type of backup isn't enough. On direct data burns,
I'll eject the disk - reinsert it and browse it. For Images, I do a verify
pass. Once I burn that to CD/DVD-R disk, I'll actually do a copy from
the media to a Temp folder on my drive - to check it's usable. Finally,
I use the Imaging program's explorer to navigate round the image set.

I don't always perform a restoration and maybe should, but I still use
Drive Image 2002 (Version 6) from a DOS Boot and have a lot of
faith in it's ability to restore.

Second only to telling someone their personal data is lost forever, is
when they have a backup or image that when called on doesn't work.

Always keep at least two iterations of a backup - older data is better
than None.
 
Alias said:
I think I will just have to break down and buy Acronis. By testing it you
mean, say, if I put an image on an externa, USB hard drive, switching the
hard drives to see if the imaged one works? Or restoring?

Alias
Click to expand...

I do it like this:
1. Put an image file (not an image!) on an external USB har disk.
2. Install a spare internal disk (8 GBytes will do)
3. Restore the image file to this spare disk.

Every system I look after has a split disk: C: for the system,
D: for data. This keeps the system partition nice and small,
and makes this sort of exercise a breeze.
 
Pegasus (MVP) said:
I do it like this:
1. Put an image file (not an image!) on an external USB har disk.
2. Install a spare internal disk (8 GBytes will do)
3. Restore the image file to this spare disk.
Thanks.

Every system I look after has a split disk: C: for the system,
D: for data.
Click to expand...

So do I.
This keeps the system partition nice and small,
and makes this sort of exercise a breeze.
Click to expand...

Right now all I have are back ups for my D drive so if I have to reinstall,
I will have to reinstall Windows, the programs and everything else.

I will buy Acronis.

Alias
 
(The issue here is using a disk imaging program, e.g., Symantec's Norton
Ghost or Acronis True Image, to (presumably) clone the contents of one HD to
another drive)

(Snip)


Alias said:
I think I will just have to break down and buy Acronis. By testing it you
mean, say, if I put an image on an externa, USB hard drive, switching the
hard drives to see if the imaged one works? Or restoring?
Alias
Click to expand...


Alias:
Yes, the first few times you use a program such as Acronis True Image to
clone the contents of one drive to another, you probably will want to do
that in order to ensure that the clone "took" and you thus have a bootable,
functional drive. This, of course, assumes that you have a HD in a USB
external enclosure that you can remove, install it as an internal drive, and
subsequently return it to its enclosure. As you probably know many, if not
most, of the commercial units (where the drive is contained in a
more-or-less sealed enclosure) will not permit this.

But, frankly, after the first few times you do this you'll probably be
comfortable with the effectiveness of the cloning process and simply not
bother with the above. You'll assume that the clone *is* a clone without
further ado. But there's certainly no harm in "testing" the clone as long as
you don't mind the time expended in doing so. And you're also probably aware
that you cannot (at least for the moment) boot to a USBEHD containing the XP
OS.

So if & when the time comes when you need to restore your working (source)
HD, you'll simply re:clone the contents of the USBEHD back to the internal
drive. Or, should you be able to remove the external drive from its USB
enclosure, you can install it as an internal drive replacing the former
source disk should the latter disk be defective.
Anna
 
There is a caveat to that.
You have to have a working XP before you can run ntbackup to restore the
system to the previous state. You will need the cd key to install XP.

--
Larry Samuels Associate Expert
MS-MVP (2001-2005)
Unofficial FAQ for Windows Server 2003 at
http://pelos.us/SERVER.htm
Expert Zone-
 
Pegasus said:
ntbackup.exe saves a snapshot of your current installation
(if you select the appropriate options). On restoration you
will have exactly the same as you have right now. If your
software is registered now then it will be registered after
the restoration.
Click to expand...

Okhere's the problem. Its not a legal copy of Windows. I just bought
a copy of Windows over ebay and it is indeed legal... How would I go
about keeping all the settings?
 
Doofusbrain said:
If I use the backup utility, to back up applications and everything,
will that also save the CD key? I want to use a new Key for a retail
version of Windows I just bought off ebay.
Click to expand...

Various crack sites will be able to provide you one or even a generator if
you're lucky. Try not to download a trojan of these sites but, you can end
up with a valid key..
This is for my parents' PC and i want them to have full MS support in
case I'm gone, dead or I'm on the can for an extend period.
Click to expand...

The dead do give better support than MS anyway.
I've had to give tech support to family members while driving, on a date,
but
taking a dump is where I draw the line.
Click to expand...

Never had that luxury with a previous employer, lucky you. I thank mobile
phones for that one...

- Winux P
 
Winux said:
Various crack sites will be able to provide you one or even a generator if
you're lucky. Try not to download a trojan of these sites but, you can end
up with a valid key..
Click to expand...

I would like to stay legal. I'm too old for that shit.


The dead do give better support than MS anyway.
Click to expand...

thanks for the editorial.
Never had that luxury with a previous employer, lucky you. I thank mobile
phones for that one...

- Winux P
Click to expand...


You never had the luxury to take a dump? no wonder you're so grumpy.
 
Justin said:
Okhere's the problem. Its not a legal copy of Windows. I just bought
a copy of Windows over ebay and it is indeed legal... How would I go
about keeping all the settings?
Click to expand...

I recommend this:
- Be open about this issue and start a new thread with your
real question, e.g. "How to legalise an pirated copy of WinXP",
instead of beating about the bush with irrelevant backup questions.
- Use the same name each time when posting so that we know
who's talking.
 
Justin said:
Okhere's the problem. Its not a legal copy of Windows. I just bought
a copy of Windows over ebay and it is indeed legal... How would I go
about keeping all the settings?
Click to expand...

Repair install. I don't have the url for instructions but if you search this
newsgroup for "repair install", I am sure you will find it.

Alias
 
Anna said:
(The issue here is using a disk imaging program, e.g., Symantec's Norton
Ghost or Acronis True Image, to (presumably) clone the contents of one HD to
another drive)

(Snip)






Alias:
Yes, the first few times you use a program such as Acronis True Image to
clone the contents of one drive to another, you probably will want to do
that in order to ensure that the clone "took" and you thus have a bootable,
functional drive. This, of course, assumes that you have a HD in a USB
external enclosure that you can remove, install it as an internal drive, and
subsequently return it to its enclosure. As you probably know many, if not
most, of the commercial units (where the drive is contained in a
more-or-less sealed enclosure) will not permit this.

But, frankly, after the first few times you do this you'll probably be
comfortable with the effectiveness of the cloning process and simply not
bother with the above. You'll assume that the clone *is* a clone without
further ado. But there's certainly no harm in "testing" the clone as long as
you don't mind the time expended in doing so. And you're also probably aware
that you cannot (at least for the moment) boot to a USBEHD containing the XP
OS.

So if & when the time comes when you need to restore your working (source)
HD, you'll simply re:clone the contents of the USBEHD back to the internal
drive. Or, should you be able to remove the external drive from its USB
enclosure, you can install it as an internal drive replacing the former
source disk should the latter disk be defective.
Anna
Click to expand...

Unless of course you go to the wilder security forums (support for
Acronis)
and read what other users have to say about corrupt images etc with the
new version 9 that just came out. I bought the latest version 8 (build
937)
and it would not clone a drive on my machine. The backups seemed OK,
but the clone operation sets everything up, reboots to load itself and
promptly loses the second drive it was going to clone to. Even the disk
manager can't find it again until you do a complete reset !! Others
also reported the same problem. There are quite a few people
complaining over there. The best way to check your clone/disk image
is to get a spare drive and pretend you had a primary drive failure.
Disconnect the primary boot drive, put the spare in and do a "restore"
operation. You should be able to get the system back up cleanly.
Check out the support forum for Acronis at
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=65

mikey
 
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