Backing Up All Information

15 years ago

I run Windows XP on 3 computers. I am planning to use Windows Backup Utility to backup all information.

First of all, is it a good utility?

Secondly, can I use this backup as a kind of ghost to reformat the other computers that were given to me, so that the information and settings on each are identical, realizing I will lose some prgrams on one computer, like Adobe Pro and Photoshop, or is there a better way?

Steve

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Comments (5)

zep516
15 years ago
Disk imaging software maybe the better way to go. Some users back up to much and then have no idea how to restore from back up.

The only thing I back up is the My Documents folder, files that I create. If my system crashes, I get the operating disk out and reinstall windows.

I would be interested in trying an image software though Like I'm recommending to you. Others here have first hand experience with it.

What recovery disks do you presently have now?

Here is a link that might be useful: disk-imaging-software
mariend
15 years ago
I too would like more information on this. Right now DH backed my computer on a external hard drive, but since I have XP and maybe installing Windows 7 I have to clean the computer first.
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I have been without a kitchen for 5 months already, and we have been lucky because it really has not been bad at all. I live in a very old house, and we had a small sitting room at the top of our stairs on the second floor, where we had built in bookcases. It is not really a separate room, per se. It is almost like a very wide hallway between all the bedrooms, and it has a fireplace and two bright windows, and built in floor to ceiling bookcases. So we moved the loveseat out from that small area, and it was just big enough for a kitchen table. We rearranged the books to clear up a couple of shelves for paper plates, cereal, etc. We also used the fireplace mantel for storage. We cleared an area at the top of the stairs for a small refrigerator, and a small cabinet that had been in the basement. We still have our full size fridge/freezer downstairs, but wanted a small fridge nearby for essentials. We put a microwave and a two burner unit on the top of the cabinet. The toaster is on the bookcase. The only thing we really miss a LOT is the sink. So we mostly use paper everything, and wash what we must in our bathroom sinks, which are too small. It is a pain. I highly recommend finding a place to set up your kitchen table somewhere in the house, even if it is in the basement. I think we would be going crazy if we had to eat on coffee tables, etc. And if you can set up far away from where the work is being done, as we did, that is even better. We stored our kitchen stuff mostly in brown boxes in our dining room and in another small parlour on the first floor. We shoved a lot of stuff into our china cabinet, too. We can access things if we need to. And we can still eat at our dining room table if we have a lot of people over. It has not been that big a deal at all. My house looks like hell, but we can cook almost anything we need to between the burners, microwave and toaster oven. We can still sit at the table in a civilized way. In fact, I'm going to miss having my kitchen on the same floor as my bedroom. It is so much easier getting ready for work in the morning, not running up and down the stairs all the time. Don't forget to keep plastic containers handy, and real knives, and a few large bowls. Aluminum foil and plastic bags also. I never dreamed it would be five months later with no kitchen, and I'm very glad we went through the trouble of moving furniture around to accommodate an almost real kitchen.
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owbist
15 years ago
Steve I assume you will back up to an external drive. I never used the XP backup program but what do you have to lose by trying? Just the time it takes really so give it a try. If you were unhappy with the outcome it is a simple process to delete the file.

However you cannot expect to back up one computer and use the recovery facility to install that on any other computer. Apart from flouting the rules of one operating system to one computer you have the major issue of different components. To do as you would like to do you would require three identical (or nearly identical) computers. If your current 3 machines have different motherboards, video, sound or LAN cards how can they be recognised by the back up from a different computer? Of course there is the possibility they would work in a half vast fashion but you would and should expect a better performance than that.

Zep makes an interesting point regarding just backing up his My Documents folder. I do that as well as a full backup of the computer. Then if I run into trouble with corrupt files I can recover just those I need rather than use the full back up recovery feature. Remember, your full backup is only current to the minute it is created, a few mouse clicks along and the computer has changed. After a couple of weeks you can have quite a change. Of course you can then create another backup but who apart from astute businesses backs up that frequently? My last full back up was at least 2 months ago and that really is not good enough for those with important data to protect. But I will back up again tomorrow, tomorrow, to..... one day.

Mariend, assuming all your programs save your data to sub folders of My Documents that would be all you would need to save. Installing Win7 will include drivers needed for that operating system.
railheadwitz
15 years ago
I'll second Zep on using a drive imaging program. I use an older version of Acronis(version 9) that works fine for me, don't know about the newer versions.
Here are some free imaging programs that you can try.

Witz

Here is a link that might be useful: Best Free Imaging Programs
elks
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you for everything you have written.

For the time being, I will copy "My Documents" to the other PC. Then, I will use backup All Information onto the external hard drive and read a little more imaging programs.

Steve

Backing Up All Information

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zep516

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Backing Up All Information

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zep516

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