Configuration Question - How to minimize Reinstalls

[palladrj]

Hi All
I have a habit of experimenting with my PC. I have games, digital VCR, DVD decrypting, DVD R/W, CD-R/W, music, photos, benchmarks, networks MS Office, and Internet software installed. Many of my experiments result in a need to reinstall Windows ME. I’m not tired of experimenting, but I am growing weary of reinstalling all the s/w.
Now to the question. I have a docking bay on the PC, and I have several hard drives. I would like to separate the s/w into functional segments, and install each segment with the same OS, in other words, have a number of virtual PCs. When I’m doing Video, I would load the Video HD into the bay. When I’m in a particularly festive mood, I could load the music HD into the bay, and when I feel adventurous, I could load the Experimental HD into the bay. This way when my improvements end in disaster, I need only reinstall the OS and associated functional applications on one HD. I considered having only the OS on one internal HD, with applications on another, internal or external. But I think that some files are installed on the C drive, even if the application is installed on another HD. Therefore, reinstalling the OS on C drive would not have the associated files for the applications previously installed on D drive. Is this true? Is there an easier way to accomplish this?
What have I not considered? I look forward to your comments, direction, and/or criticism, constructive or otherwise.

[reboot]

Why not just Ghost the whole thing to another drive?
Experiment all you want, and when it screws up, Ghost it back.

[stylin19]

If you are looking for a good starting point after your experimenting, here is a wonderful tip that works for me. It was originally for Win98, but it probably works with WinMe. Compliments of BBA.

Of course, you can do this anytime/multiple times, with any combo of installs, just name it something different.

1. Once I get my Windows install up with all the device drivers loaded, I make a new folder on the " C:\ " drive and call it " WINBACK "

2. I open Windows explorer, click on "VIEW" select folder options, click on show all files and unclick hide file extensions for known types in the view tab.

3. I open the "WINDOWS" folder and select all items (except for win386.swp ! you can't copy this, and you dont need to either, as it is better for Windows to rebuild a fresh non-fragmented swap file ). Then I right click the whole selection of items and select " copy ", I paste it to the new " WINBACK " folder.
This makes a good back up copy of a fresh windows installation.

4. If I ever have any problems after this, I boot from the boot disk, type " c: " to get to the " c: " root drive again, then type " REN WINDOWS WINOLD " and press enter, then type " REN WINBACK WINDOWS ", press enter and reboot to a fresh windows installation in less than 5 minutes, with all drivers loaded and working!

Hope it helps.

Good Luck

[palladrj]

Reboot - GHOST
If I understand this correctly, with Ghost I can preserve or snapshot the entire HD-A to another HD-B. If I corrupt files on HD-A, I use the Backup HD-B, and I’m back in business with the original configuration. Any changes made after “Ghosting” would be lost (e.g . s/w downloaded or installed would need to be reinstalled). Data would have been stored on another a third HD-C in order to preserve changes.
I’m starting to get the picture here. Operationally, here is the process.

Operation-1: I Ghost the HD. I do my damage. I recover with backup HD.

Operation-2: I Ghost the HD. I install additional s/w and download s/w. Make data changes to HD-C. DO NOT Experiment until Ghost to backup HD. Then do the experimenting. If problems arise, revert to Ghost backup.

In other words, run ghost after every update that I wish to preserve.

stylin19 – WINBACK
For WINBACK, I would preserve the original OS and drivers, but not other applications. Would I need to reinstall those other apps?

[Cricket]

Originally posted by palladrj GHOST If I understand this correctly, with Ghost I can preserve or snapshot the entire HD-A to another HD-B. If I corrupt files on HD-A, I use the Backup HD-B, and I’m back in business with the original configuration. Any changes made after “Ghosting” would be lost (e.g . s/w downloaded or installed would need to be reinstalled). Data would have been stored on another a third HD-C in order to preserve changes. I’m starting to get the picture here. Operationally, here is the process. Operation-1: I Ghost the HD. I do my damage. I recover with backup HD. Operation-2: I Ghost the HD. I install additional s/w and download s/w. Make data changes to HD-C. DO NOT Experiment until Ghost to backup HD. Then do the experimenting. If problems arise, revert to Ghost backup. In other words, run ghost after every update that I wish to preserve.

Yep, that's pretty much how it works. Ghost will save you from having to re-install everything...just restore the partition or hard drive with a Ghost image and you're ready to go again. I've been using it for the past 3 years and I'm not as afraid to "experiment" with new software like I used to be.

Cricket

[reboot]

Yup.
If you have enough room/partitions, just make regular Ghosts of the HD. I have the Ghost boot disk, and about once a week, I just ghost the whole drive to another partition. I don't even care if it's bootable, primary, logical, whatever, because when I ghost it back it's bootable, and I'm back where I was before my screwup.
I also ghost all the systems on the LAN to image files, and store them on a partition I have, so when the wife or kids mess up beyond repair, or even a little, it's so much easier to ghost it all back than it is to try and get System Restore to work properly.
With the Ghost image, or backup, you KNOW it's going to work, first time, every time.
I even know people that run a double Ghost setup.
3 partitions, and once a week rotate them, or ghost the NON-working partition somewhere, ghost a good one to the boot partiton, and that way even any favourites you've added, emails you want access to, or any other changes in the past week can usually be imported into the working OS. Then delete the non-working one, and you have a clean partition to Ghost again.
On a PIII 600, 30 gig drive, it only takes about 15 minutes to ghost the whole drive, but I only ghost the boot partition, so it's even faster.

[palladrj]

Thanks guys. If I follow your recommendations correctly, I should have more time to play and less time invested in unnecessary reinstalls. That is, after I reinstall to correct my ast “improvement.” I’m looking forward to this weekend.

[stylin19]

yep...that's some of the downside of it.
any apps added after you need to go back to the backup, may or may not work. they wont be registered to Windows, but they may still work. Usually any unique dll's added kill ya.


ghost looks like a better play for you.

have fun

good luck

[glc]

You might want to take a look at Roxio GoBack.

[ZANEY123]

goback works great for me. It has saved me alot time.

[lpc300]

GoBack has been working great for me for years...until I installed Norton SystemWorks 2003. And yes, I stupidly installed EVERYTHING, not just the AV and Ghost as has been suggested. Since then GoBack creates few safepoints and reacts slowly and inconsistently. Anyone know of any known conflicts?

[reboot]

GoBack and XP System restore do not play well with each other.
Use one or the other, not both, and personally I think goBack is redundant.