backing up windows?

[Guest mwebsurfer]

I'm planning to replace my motherboard, processor and memory

on my pc which runs XP Pro. I have slipstreamed SP2 on the

XP Pro disk. Can I backup the windows folder to a DVD and

show hidden files? Just what is mandatory to backup when

doing this? By the way, my XP Pro is not an OEM disk. Any

advice will be appreciated. I don't want to do a full reinstall

but do a repair.

[Guest mwebsurfer]

Re: backing up windows?

 

mwebsurfer wrote:

> I'm planning to replace my motherboard, processor and memory

> on my pc which runs XP Pro. I have slipstreamed SP2 on the

> XP Pro disk. Can I backup the windows folder to a DVD and

> show hidden files? Just what is mandatory to backup when

> doing this? By the way, my XP Pro is not an OEM disk. Any

> advice will be appreciated. I don't want to do a full reinstall

> but do a repair.

> BTW:I have four sata hard drives in this machine and the main

drive with windows on it is partitioned into two parts.

[Guest Jerry]

Re: backing up windows?

 

If you swap the items mentioned and use your exisiting hard drives and

CD/DVD drives then a repair install can be accomplished by booting from the

XP CD and opting for a repair. See

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winxppro/installxpcdrepair/indexfullpage.htm

 

You say you slipstreamed SP2 and made an XP w/SP2 disk but have you

investigated the RyanVM Integrator? Using it you can integrate many

updates/patches/hotfixes/etc that were released after SP2. It can be used

to burn an XP w/SP2 that includes many addons too. Go to these forums for

more info: http://siginetsoftware.com/forum/ and

http://www.ryanvm.net/forum/

 

AutoPatcher is also a pretty good 'update' program. Go here:

http://www.autopatcher.com/forums/

 

"mwebsurfer" <mwebsurfer@verizon.net> wrote in message

news:9b_yj.411$x93.295@trndny03...

> I'm planning to replace my motherboard, processor and memory

> on my pc which runs XP Pro. I have slipstreamed SP2 on the

> XP Pro disk. Can I backup the windows folder to a DVD and

> show hidden files? Just what is mandatory to backup when

> doing this? By the way, my XP Pro is not an OEM disk. Any

> advice will be appreciated. I don't want to do a full reinstall

> but do a repair.

[Guest PD43]

Re: backing up windows?

 

mwebsurfer <mwebsurfer@verizon.net> wrote:

>I'm planning to replace my motherboard, processor and memory

>on my pc which runs XP Pro. I have slipstreamed SP2 on the

>XP Pro disk. Can I backup the windows folder to a DVD and

>show hidden files? Just what is mandatory to backup when

>doing this?

 

Backup the whole shebang, not just specific folders.

 

What good would a partial backup be?

[Guest Patrick Keenan]

Re: backing up windows?

 

"mwebsurfer" <mwebsurfer@verizon.net> wrote in message

news:9b_yj.411$x93.295@trndny03...

> I'm planning to replace my motherboard, processor and memory

> on my pc which runs XP Pro. I have slipstreamed SP2 on the

> XP Pro disk. Can I backup the windows folder to a DVD and

> show hidden files? Just what is mandatory to backup when

> doing this? By the way, my XP Pro is not an OEM disk. Any

> advice will be appreciated. I don't want to do a full reinstall

> but do a repair.

 

I would suggest that you back up your data, not the Windows folders.

 

Your data is almost entirely under Documents and Settings\<account name>.

If you are logged into the account, there will be some files that will not

copy as they are in use. Otherwise, you can just do raw copies.

 

And since this is XP Pro, and if you even think you have invoked encryption,

this would be a very appropriate time to re-export the account credentials.

 

Clear out the temp and content.ie5 folders first, or just run ccleaner to do

this; that often reduces the file size by a few hundred megabytes or more.

 

HTH

-pk