Format checklist - what to backup?

[Steve]

i'm thinking about formatting tomorrow, plz remind me what i need to backup if i have left anything out of the list below:


# email
# firefox bookmarks
# stuff in my docs
# ghost recon config :D


i have all my installers on another drive, so any progs i need are there. music and films etc is on another drive.

[katana*GFR*]

Install codes, and other serials
Windows settings?

[Hellfighter]

you drivers folders
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS

all so there another driver folder:

C:\WINDOWS\Driver Cache\i386

for the drivers you use Sytem Properity>Device manager> open it up> on each item in there click-on then search for update driver let it search> it will see the CD/DVD with the drivers in it, then it will load them in.

if you have a DVD-RW you can use backup this too, it maybe 1gb or more "System32" folder backup every thing in it.

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32
===========================================

when done place the Cd/DVD in the tray [CD-RW or DVD-RW you need to instill the software CD/DVD writer in first] then reboot system windows will see the newer drivers and instill them in for the hardware.

[NaughtyPerry]

Also

C:\Windows\Fonts

[Lakie]

any NHQ artwork?

[Scott]

This is what I backup:

My recieved files from MSN
Outlook pst file to save emails
Outlook email accounts
Favorites
MSN History
CuteFTP sm.dat
Winamp playlist

Most of my stuff is on a diffrent drive so I don't have much to backup..

Steve- Have you ever installed a game on another drive and then re-installed windows on your main drive and tried to play it? I play Sof2 which I have about 2 gigs of maps and stuff for it. I don't have to re-install every time I format .. I don't for most novalogic games also. Most of my games are installed on D:\ and were not reinstalled when I formatted C:\. They still seem to work fine .

[Steve]

cheers guys

@ panth - just depends from game to game, some will work no probs, i just guess its to do with registry entries.

there is software out there that helps you move progs from one drive to another, i dunno if they would do the trick.

[Hellfighter]

why don't have both drive work together, set one as the master and the other as slave be better till you find some a program you looking for.

1/2/3
: : :
1-Windows will auto-select
2-Slave
3-Master

[Steve]

you cannot move some installed games/progs from drive to drive, it's not to do with how your drives are configured

[Hellfighter]

Steve i don't know this will work with the HHD but i have DF: BHD instill from D-Drive after i instill Nero 6 suit and disable the auto-windows select i can play it from I-Drive or from the D-drive i don't know why but i can do it now.

http://Download Autorun_Off.zip from...utorun_OFF.zip

D: Drive is my DVD/CD Double layer burner
I: Drive is my CD/DVD Rom player.

i only a ID only may or may not work, it can't hurt any if you going to reformat the HHD anyways i would try to see if by disable auto-select see if the games will still work on both HHD join together.

1.) Instill the disable auto-select before turn off system.
2.) New HHD set as master
3.) Old HHD set as slave.
4.) reboot
5.) De-frag the HHD's the new HHD should have most of the old HHD programs and reg move over to it.

it only a ID it sound good. sorry it hit me thats all.

Dec/2005 or around first of the year 2006 getting a bigger HHD my self too
===========================================
i see if i can call my tech guy see what he says maybe there a way essayer for you and me later on.

he says if you can get a Maxwell's drive it comes with a Cd that will transfer all thing to new HHD.

he a real tech and work with big companys system it the only HHD he buys they last longer and it has the CD come with it free that let you trasnfer every thing over, other wise you have to instill everything all over.

the connection we talk was broken up some it sound like MAXWIL or MAXEL HHD

[Hellfighter]

think he was talking about MAXTOR there is a 250GB HHD for Price: USD- $89.99
Less Rebate: USD- $40.00 (Mail-in i think)

Final Price: $49.99*

think in the U.K it be cheaper

Link: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...?EdpNo=1422521

full listing: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...tegory_hdd.asp

[Steve]

yeah cloning is not a problem, but i dont want to do that, and neither does panther. i want to wipe my disk and start from scratch, no more no less.

panth had a setup like this:

C:\windows
D:\games and progs

so he formatted c:\ and reinstalled windows. this meant all the games and apps were still on d:\

some of them work and some of them dont, simply because all the registry entries are gone.

i guess its possible it is a kind of any piracy measure so you just cannot copy/paste your game folder onto another machine to cd/dvd.

[katana*GFR*]

I have to check that out sometime which games support the no registry after fresh install... It saves a lot of time when reinstalling winxp....

[VooDoo-]

i just get my mp3 player with all my music on it and just move my zip files for photosohp and suff like that on it too ..

[Steve]

just got back online
just less than 2 hours to format, install windows, all drivers, anti virus, windows updates and even my windows visual styles

my PC has a big smile inside heheh.


trying out another anti-virus proggy that ive not used for about a year - Kaspersky, had problems with updates last time but this time it seems ok. nice and light like NOD32.

thank the internet god for Mozbackup, saved all my emails and setting, and all my settings for Firefox, even all my cookies and saved passwords weeee. now i dont have to struggle to remember all my stuff for all the sites i'm registered at.

[Scott]

The only things I have to do to reintall windows:

backup favorties / outlook / my documents and a few other small things. most of my important stuff is on my D drive. I backup the above to my D drive every other week.

Update my slipstream with all the recient xp patches & new drivers if needed

install windows xp

install photoshop, zone alarm, office 2003, nero, easyphp, system mechanic and MSN messenger.

The rest is all installed on D, sofII, dflw, winamp, dvd shrink, dvd decryptor, cute ftp, auto xdcc.. etc

I install windows in under 1 hour and am back to where I started. the program called nlite which helps with slipstream also does most of the tweeks I want like IE settings, folder views etc etc.