Moving ALL Data From C: To Another Drive: Utility?
in [Windows XP]
|
Prev: hyperlinks and codes showing
Next: XP Upgrade
From: (PeteCresswell) on 19 Jul 2010 17:30 I've got the part about MyDocuments.Properties. And I've stumbled though the RegEdit settings for Favorites. But it seems to me like the registry changes are pyramiding and user RCI on my part looks inevitable. So, bottom line: is there a utility out there that will automate the process of moving all that stuff to another drive where it won't get hammered if/when the system is re-imaged? I'm thinking about all the "Local Settings" and "Application Data" pointers for starters. -- PeteCresswell
From: Shenan Stanley on 19 Jul 2010 17:40 (PeteCresswell) wrote: > I've got the part about MyDocuments.Properties. > > And I've stumbled though the RegEdit settings for Favorites. > > But it seems to me like the registry changes are pyramiding and > user RCI on my part looks inevitable. > > So, bottom line: is there a utility out there that will automate > the process of moving all that stuff to another drive where it > won't get hammered if/when the system is re-imaged? > > I'm thinking about all the "Local Settings" and "Application > Data" pointers for starters. Backups. -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
From: (PeteCresswell) on 19 Jul 2010 20:48 Per Shenan Stanley: >> I'm thinking about all the "Local Settings" and "Application >> Data" pointers for starters. > >Backups. Rightly or wrongly, I don't think of the system drive as a proper place for anything that needs incremental backups. If something needs incremental backups, I call that "Data" - and I would like to keep all data on a separate drive. C: gets backed up - but as an image. If C: goes south, I restore a known good image. Aside from the principal of the thing, it seems like incremental backups against the system drive could get complicated at restore time. What should be in synch with the old system? What doesn't matter? I'm just too clueless to know all the ins-and-outs.... and was hoping that greater minds might have identified what can be safely backed up/restored/kept separately in the context of reimaging. With teenagers banging on a box couple hours a day, re-imaging has become something I'm totally comfortable with and I'll do it the moment the sys even *seems* flaky. Takes all of 30 minutes and any problems go away.... and if there weren't actually any problems, that's OK too.... But I'd like to get it down to where virtually nothing is lost in the process - cookies, for example.... GoogleEarth's cache for another..... but there have tb dozens more. -- PeteCresswell
From: Daave on 19 Jul 2010 22:14 (PeteCresswell) wrote: > Per Shenan Stanley: >>> I'm thinking about all the "Local Settings" and "Application >>> Data" pointers for starters. >> >> Backups. > > Rightly or wrongly, I don't think of the system drive as a proper > place for anything that needs incremental backups. > > If something needs incremental backups, I call that "Data" - and > I would like to keep all data on a separate drive. > > C: gets backed up - but as an image. > > If C: goes south, I restore a known good image. > > Aside from the principal of the thing, it seems like incremental > backups against the system drive could get complicated at restore > time. What should be in synch with the old system? What > doesn't matter? > > I'm just too clueless to know all the ins-and-outs.... and was > hoping that greater minds might have identified what can be > safely backed up/restored/kept separately in the context of > reimaging. > > With teenagers banging on a box couple hours a day, re-imaging > has become something I'm totally comfortable with and I'll do it > the moment the sys even *seems* flaky. Takes all of 30 minutes > and any problems go away.... and if there weren't actually any > problems, that's OK too.... > > But I'd like to get it down to where virtually nothing is lost in > the process - cookies, for example.... GoogleEarth's cache for > another..... but there have tb dozens more. The easiest way to make sure everything is routinely and safely backed up (including your OS) is to have one partition with everything. Use a program like Acronis True Image to image the drive. Then automate incremental imaging. You can also use Acronis to back up data -- daily, if you wish (and incrementally). C:\Documents and Settings should do the trick (that's where just about all data reside, including cookies and Favorites). If you have an e-mail program, check the documentation for where everything resides. Also see this page if you have OE: http://www.insideoe.com/backup/ IE Favorites are here: C:\Documents and Settings\[user profile]\Favorites Acronis allows you to select whatever you want to back up. Incremental backups include the same locations. If you want to create a data partition (to allow for a smaller OS partition), just make sure everything is accounted for (including My Documents -- but you seem to already know this). But it's not really necessary. :-) Seriously, if you want to be absolutely sure EVERYTHING is backed up, just use one partition and image it. :-) Automatic incremental images can be done in the background and you won't even know it!
From: Don Phillipson on 20 Jul 2010 14:15
"(PeteCresswell)" <x(a)y.Invalid> wrote in message news:1sr946pvqcd8ihav5t3si53mnn92kf7imb(a)4ax.com... > With teenagers banging on a box couple hours a day, re-imaging > has become something I'm totally comfortable with and I'll do it > the moment the sys even *seems* flaky. Takes all of 30 minutes > and any problems go away.... and if there weren't actually any > problems, that's OK too.... Rather than backing up only "the moment the sys even *seems* flaky," it may be wiser to back up all (or clone) when the system seems rock- solid stable and thereafter at appropriate intervals, e.g. once a week. -- Don Phillipson Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada) |