From: Doum on
Alias <aka(a)maskedandanymous.org.invalido> �crivait
news:htguc8$3ql$1(a)news.eternal-september.org:

> Mark Adams wrote:
>>
>>
>> "Alias" wrote:
>>
>>> Mark Adams wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "bk3000" wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I've got a Dell laptop running XP, and after running a diagnostic
>>>>> test, got error code 0146 that hard drive was corrupted. Dell is
>>>>> sending me a new one, which I'll have to self-install.
>>>>>
>>>>> I can't remember backing up my entire system ever, so my question
>>>>> is, how should I go about saving all my settings and programs on
>>>>> the current hard drive? I've got a backup drive of 20gb, so I'm
>>>>> guessing I should put it all there, and also a few flash drives,
>>>>> but what method should I use? Should I go to the C:/ drive system
>>>>> properties and select the backup option or do stuff manually?
>>>>
>>>> If the machine still runs, Go out and buy Acronis True Image and a
>>>> 1 TB USB hard drive. Boot the machine to the Acronis disk and make
>>>> an image of your computer to the USB drive. When the new drive
>>>> arrives from Dell, restore that image to the new drive. It might
>>>> cost a little more to do it this way, but it is so much easier than
>>>> reinstalling everything, it's worth it.
>>>
>>> You can also do the same thing for free with the CD you can download
>>> from Seagate, Western Digital, etc.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Alias
>>> .
>>>
>>
>> Alias, Bob.
>>
>> It's been awhile since I've used these utilities. Since I've gotten
>> Acronis I've not had to use them. I know they can clone drives, but
>> can they make an image? The OP has a laptop and since two hard drives
>> cannot be installed at the same time, a USB enclosure would be needed
>> to clone to the new drive. This would also eliminate the necessity of
>> purchasing the external hard drive. But, by buying Acronis and the
>> USB drive, the OP could replace the failing drive and also have a
>> reliable backup system. Costs more, but now he can backup everything
>> all in one shot.
>
> The one from Seagate will do an image. It's even powered by Acronis. I
> don't have a Western Digital but I assume it's the same with them.
>

The one from WD is a limited version of Acronis True Image that won't do
incremental backups and need a Western Digital hard disk to install (can
be external, USB, eSata, FireWire or internal).

It will clone and do images.
From: Doum on
=?Utf-8?B?TWFyayBBZGFtcw==?= <MarkAdams(a)discussions.microsoft.com>
�crivait news:9CD4CEF6-8C94-4205-A9A3-22DE1ACD0287(a)microsoft.com:

<snip>

>
>
> You said this was a laptop. Laptops only have one hard drive.

<snip>

My laptop has two internal hard drives
From: Daave on
Doum wrote:
> =?Utf-8?B?TWFyayBBZGFtcw==?= <MarkAdams(a)discussions.microsoft.com>
> �crivait news:9CD4CEF6-8C94-4205-A9A3-22DE1ACD0287(a)microsoft.com:
>
> <snip>
>
>>
>>
>> You said this was a laptop. Laptops only have one hard drive.
>
> <snip>
>
> My laptop has two internal hard drives

I was waiting for someone to say that. :-)


From: Bob on
Two internal hard drives or two partitions?

"Doum" <me(a)domain.net> wrote in message
news:XnF9D83E4EA06A35doumdomainnet(a)207.46.248.16...
> =?Utf-8?B?TWFyayBBZGFtcw==?= <MarkAdams(a)discussions.microsoft.com>
> �crivait news:9CD4CEF6-8C94-4205-A9A3-22DE1ACD0287(a)microsoft.com:
>
> <snip>
>
>>
>>
>> You said this was a laptop. Laptops only have one hard drive.
>
> <snip>
>
> My laptop has two internal hard drives

From: Twayne on
In news:4F1681BB-8C1A-4F73-B71E-A20ED021EB1B(a)microsoft.com,
bk3000 <bk3000(a)discussions.microsoft.com> typed:
> I've got a Dell laptop running XP, and after running a
> diagnostic test, got error code 0146 that hard drive was
> corrupted. Dell is sending me a new one, which I'll have to
> self-install.
>
> I can't remember backing up my entire system ever, so my
> question is, how should I go about saving all my settings
> and programs on the current hard drive? I've got a backup
> drive of 20gb, so I'm guessing I should put it all there,
> and also a few flash drives, but what method should I use?
> Should I go to the C:/ drive system properties and select
> the backup option or do stuff manually?

Go ahead and use XP's Backup capability; it'll so a fine job for you. Read
Help and as long as you have a floppy drive, it'll tell you how to get
everything restored back the way it used to be.

More importantly, if you have a new drive coming, it should have "cloning"
instructions with it, which is an easy way to put all the data onto your new
disk. If they don't include them, give them a call and ask where they are.
Normally they are downloadable from the drive manufacturer's web site and
should be available from where the drive is coming from too.
This way you have no problem with space requirements, etc., it's all
taken care of for you during the clone process.

It'll take you a lot longer to get a copy of Ghost or Acronis TI, install it
and learn them than it will to simply use XP's default backup program which
lacks only bells & whistles compared to the other two, which are BTW
excellent programs. But w/r to backup, they all back up the same data and
restore the same data. It's a decision only you can make though.

HTH,

Twayne`