Re: XP Pro Typo in Dialog - Backup

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

From: Alex Nichol (alexn.mvpdts_at_ntlworld.delete.com)
Date: 02/27/04 

Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 15:43:23 +0000

Michelle wrote:

>I was trying to backup my entire hard drive to an external USB drive
>so that, in the event of hard disk failure, I can recover ALL apps in
>their installed state, ALL data, and ENTIRE OS with all settings (even
>IE favorites in tact). I.e., this means EVERYTHING!!! I want this to
>be accomplished by installing a blank new hard drive (like they send
>you from Dell if your drive fails under warranty) and recovering all
>those apps and data to it from the external drive with minimal effort
>as it should be. I don't want to have to reinstall each app.

I suggest using BootIT NG, from http://www.BootitNG.com ($35 shareware -
30 day full functional trial)

 It is a boot/partition manager, but if you make its boot floppy and
boot that, canceling install and entering maintenance, then Partition
work includes the option to highlight a partition and create an image
(compressed), which it will do to an external USB/Firewire drive (or to
a CD or DVD set if you prefer). And it will reverse the process. This
needs no OS whatever present on the hard drive

If you prefer you can make a bootable CD instead of a boot floppy,
though you will need a third party program to do the burn of the CD from
the image that is made

They also have Image for Windows, a little cheaper, that runs from
within Windows and would easily make the backup (same format) to a file
on such a drive - but it would still need the boot of a related floppy
'Image for DOS' for restore, and I cannot be sure that such a boot
would have access to the drive in the way BootIT NG itself does 

-- 
Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
Bournemouth, U.K.  Alexn@mvps.D8E8L.org (remove the D8 bit)

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