Backup Windows XP PC

[Elusor]

Any suggestions for software or method for backing up my PC to the exact state it is in? Including all programs, data, settings, and files and software? Like if I went to the washroom and came back, it would be identical? :confused:

[I love my mom]

I think you're in the wrong forum here buddy :)

But anyway...I think a combination of system restore and backup with a program like roxio to a disc or dvd would get you as close as you're going to get. It would be hard to get it exactly like it is now though, there's too much stuff on a computer.

[BaDZeD]

Try files and settings transfer wizard (FAST), thats included with windows, it works pretty well.

[Greek]

If you are not scared about it :D try using Norton Ghost. It will let you create an exact image of what your unit was at the moment of the backup. It will even compress to save space in your DVD/s.

Of course, if you keep installing apps and data, you would have to do another backup once in a while.

If you have a serious crash, just format the unit and then restore using Norton Ghost. Maybe it´s not very "newbie friendly", but will restore Windows, drivers, and the apps installed up to the moment.

One thing that will save you time, is to have another drive or partition (different as the one with the system) and put there all your data, such as documents, music, videos or downloads.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

[Modnar]

Yeah i would agree with you all except may for a back up use another physical hard drive (if you have one esp usb portable ones) as if your main disc corrupts (ie nothing you can do about it) your backup will be fine whereas if its a partition its next to impposble for the average joe to get files back!

[bobbd]

Wrong forum but what the hey. Maybe a little cross-pollination :-)

I'm a bit fussy when it comes to backups. I've had a hard drive crash and had a laptop stolen out of my car. In both cases I lost very little due to backups. I have both work and home laptops and have lots of stuff on each. Both laptops are partitioned such that the system partition has Windows, programs and not much else. Data etc is on a separate partition.

I use Norton Ghost every two weeks. I've done lots of restores and it's not that scary as long as you have more than one backup in case of corruption. I usually keep one or two cycles of the previous ghosted system partition around just in case. While I could ghost every night, even I think that's a bit much. Besides, I can always re-install the odd program I've installed in between ghosts. It's usually the data (photos, documents, etc) that can be lost forever. So I use V-com's AutoSave to do automated backups in between whenever anything changes. Once I do a Ghost, I clean out Autosave.

But there's no sense in backing up or ghosting to the same hard drive. If you have a desktop with two drives, put the Ghost images on the second drive. I have a couple of external hard drives, one at work and one at home. I do all my ghosting and AutoSaving to the external drives. Then, I copy the ghosts back and forth between home and work, so even if there's a fire or theft, I could recover the data.

Remember, it's not IF you'll need a backup it's WHEN.

Just my opinion based on many years of experience.

Bob