Re: Docs & Sets Backup Burning Snag re; "ntuser.dat"
- From: "Rock" <rock@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2007 15:26:09 -0800
"rooster" wrote
Rock wrote:"rooster" wrote
Happy New Year, y'all;
I'm trying to burn a DVD of my XP-Home Documents and Settings folder but the program I use (ImgBurn) aborts and gives the message:
"...cannot open file C:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\ntuser.dat" ... being used by another process".
Is there a safe way to deal with this?
<snip>
That file is the user part of the registry. You can't back it up from within the account it's for, it is locked. Login to another account that has admin privileges, either create another account, or use the built in Administrator account, and back it up. That being said, backing up the user portion of the registry is not going to do you any good so don't bother with it.
Putting aside what follows for the moment; "... don't bother with it" implies I have the option to de-select the "user portion" in the copying process. I don't think that is possible with the program (ImgBurn)I cited... which goes in support what you say further along.
System restore creates a backup of theregistry. Or use another tool such as ERUNT which can be set up as a scheduled task to make a backup of the registry on a periodic basis ( I have mine set to do so every day). This registry backup can be restored from the recovery console if need be.
This is where things get really complicated for me. And I'll probably have to ask you to trust me a bit (although I'm open to being corrected)on this, because a lot of people don't believe it and it tends to spawn lengthy arguments. There is no "Recovery Console" in this emachines T2893 OEM distribution. Neither is there a way to access the Directory from within Windows (a "DoD" protection something-or-other); neither can the machine be booted using the Recovery DVD that comes with it.
To re-boot after a major crash, or a "Boot Sector" problem, a "Restore" DVD has to be purchased from eMachines for an additional $20 US. Suffice it to say, recovering from a major crash of this unit is a major PITA; essentially starting from scratch to rebuild the "Profile" and settings even though the essential docs, including mail client backup, should have been saved to external/removable disk if the operator had a lick of sense.
ERUNT
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/erunt.txt
Installing and Using ERUNT
http://www.silentrunners.org/sr_eruntuse.html
http://www.winxptutor.com/regback.htm
Best yet is to use a drive imaging program such as Acronis True Image to regularly save a compressed image of the drive to external media such as an external USB hard drive.
This makes good sense, of course; and thank you for offering it. I shall probably avail myself of it, or a variation thereof, soon.
In closing, I want to add that for a non-tech, stand-alone, home desktop camper like me, finding out well after the fact that the unit I purchased requires a minimum of $60 additional software, and possibly upwards several hundred dollars for additional installed or peripheral hardware in order to perform routine backups from which a system or HDD failure can be done, is annoying. Without going into the details, the inference given by the description of the Windows XP-Home OS as it pertains to data security and backup regimes is that these requirements are fully considered and covered without the need for substantial additional investments; ... not to mention the significant amount of time it takes for a non-tech type to figure all that out.
The root of this problem stems from the OEM and how they set up this system. It goes further to the decision to buy this system. eMachines is a low cost system. To keep the cost low OEMs do things to save money. The fact that there is no recovery console on the installation CD or that you need to purchase something from eMachines to recover the system is part of their cost savings measures.
I would never get a computer that did not come with an installation CD and had the capabilities for running the recovery console and a repair install.
But even with that, I still use a disk imaging system to backup my computer. I have found that the small cost investment is returned many times over when something hoses the system and you need to restore things. It's just a part of smart computing.
--
Rock [MVP - User/Shell]
.
- References:
- Docs & Sets Backup Burning Snag re; "ntuser.dat"
- From: rooster
- Re: Docs & Sets Backup Burning Snag re; "ntuser.dat"
- From: Rock
- Re: Docs & Sets Backup Burning Snag re; "ntuser.dat"
- From: rooster
- Docs & Sets Backup Burning Snag re; "ntuser.dat"
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