re installing windows back up and identities

[baldo]

Gentlemen: I have a limited knowledge of computerese , I have delayed too much the re installation of my windows xp home edition on my gateway computer , the register is corrupted , I have defragmented using 2 or 3 programs to no avail, explore just is too slow ( and almost any broser i have installed like mozilla or nestcape) I bought a hard disk of 240 gig , and my original is a 40 gig, reading all the troubles that can happen doing this , i have been waiting a year .. no more

I plan to make a carbon copy of my original disk in the bigger hard drive , I also have a plastic box to make that hard drive portable ( take it off and on) , my idea is to connect it to the frame only to back up and storage big files like music and photos and videos and have it safe in case of a virus and to have it as a back up, I am afraid of losing my huge storage of e mails which i need , and would like help as to what programs to use , how not to lose my identities , how to back up the whole disk or just the e mails .

any advice will be welcome, some have mentioned partitions as helpful, i do not know if I need this

I use office 2002,

baldo

[MANEMAN]

I think it would be very useful if you could find a friend with computer knowledge to help you out here, as from what you are writing it would seem things could get a bit beyond you. If the registry is corrupt no amount of defragging is going to cure the problem. You do not need to make a carbon copy of your existing operating system, just copy and save the important data that you mention.

The worrying thing to me is that you have been reading about "all the troubles" for a year but seem no further on in general understanding of what is going on here. I fear that you could make one heck of a mess of this. Try and do a lot more reading on the subject and have a very clear plan and understanding before you start.

Remember, once you have re-installed Windows XP, you have got to re-activate it. Also that for the external disk you are planning to use, that at least Service Pack 1 must be installed to use the USB 2 capabilities. Data transfer will be slow without this. Do you actually have XP on a disk ready for re-install ? Have you begun a plan to download any drivers that you may need ? Do you realise that if you do not install good anti-virus the data stored on your external hard drive is still at risk ? I think there are many things you should be finding out here before you make a start.

See if these links are useful to you.>>>>>>>>> *>*>CLICK HERE<*<*

ALSO>>>>> ***CLICK HERE*** And here: >>> ***CLICK HERE FOR DATA BACKUP INFO*** and note the related links on that page.

[baldo]

Dear Maneman:

thanks for your reply, I will check those articles and links you sent me , I have not done anything in a year waiting for that friend that never showed up, so I made my mind to learn so I went looking for a forum like this

As I am what you call a newby let me rephrase something so you can help me , My Idea to make a carbon copy is not of the operating system is of the reminder of the data: folders music dta videos and documents , I am not organized at all, so I thought to do copy all those files in a bunch?? , not the system, the disk right now is a slave of the original one , but I have a type of box that makes this non portable hard drive "removable" so to speak.

My Idea is to copy all those files , unplug this hard drive , re install windows from the original disks that came with the gateway computer, and after all this is working ; re connect the hard drive with all the files , I will not need an USB for the disconnet and reconnect of the big ( and now removable ) hard drive . I will follow all your instructions , I do have the Mac afee antivirus from comcast , that I can dowload any time , how ever this brings me to another question , what happens to some software I have downloaded from the net , can I copy them to the removable hard drive?

Thanks in advance

Baldo

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Maybe the 'Files and Settings Transfer Wizard' would be a good way to backup all your valuable data?

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/293118 and http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306187.

[MANEMAN]

Hi Baldo,

Yes, sure any software you have downloaded can be saved in much the same way as any other data.

You have got another couple of good links from Pat just above. All you need to do now is sit and have a good read before you start.

All the very best with your project.