Re: Making backups by just copying files

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BillW50 wrote:

"Bob I" <birelan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:OK9psc9lHHA.1244@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

BillW50 wrote:

"Bob I" <birelan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:OaLFB67lHHA.1820@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The USB drive won't be bootable as a Windows XP drive. What you want
to do sounds like it won't work as you currently envision. You could
clear the data, make the image and then restore the data form the
backup to get a smaller image.



Why do you say it won't be bootable under XP, Bob I? As I have a
320GB HD that was bootable in a desktop and I placed it in an
external USB HD case. It has Windows XP installed on it and I hooked
up my laptop to the external HD. And my Gateway MX6124 laptop tries
to boot from it. But it fails, because it was a XP installed from
another machine. I did copy those 3 folders from my laptop (Windows, Program Files,
and Documents and Settings, and the boot files), but I didn't figure
the boot.ini quite right I don't think. Which number do you change
first for disk 1 vs. disk 0? This machine is a Home version which
has no bootcfg, but I do have access to a Pro version if that helps.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="External Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut

But you might be right, it just might be too much work to make it
work. Maybe I'll just backup the OS with ntbackup and hope for the
best. LOL


Have you actually successfully booted that drive as an External from
ANY PC? Windows wasn't configured to work that way, altho the are some
places that have "hacked" it into working.


Well not yet, as this is the only machine (the Gateway MX6124) that I have here that I am aware of that can boot from an USB HD or a flash drive (this ability is found in some BIOS). Also if a flash drive is plugged in on boot, it gives the normal no system found error. I suppose I can take one of my unused Widnows XP Retail Install disc and see if it will install and boot from that external drive. But that would be only useful as a test. :)


No, I'm referring to booting an installed Windows operating system from the external, not just the installer. It will be looking for an "internal" drive to put itself on.

.

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