run xp os and programs on separate h/drives

[wazza]

What I want to do is have a "bare bones " installation of windows on one hard drive and everything else saved on a second hard drive to save having to loose everything if I have to re-format.
I can then backup to dvd's info on the second hard drive if it needs re-formating or if the operating system needs to be re-installed I will still have all info left on the second hard drive.
Is it possible to create an image of the "bare bones" operating system on a hard drive and then boot from this image, if so what are the best programes to do this (prefer ones that are free)?

Thanks

[NightOwl]

Originally Posted by wazza What I want to do is have a "bare bones " installation of windows on one hard drive and everything else saved on a second hard drive to save having to loose everything if I have to re-format. I can then backup to dvd's info on the second hard drive if it needs re-formating or if the operating system needs to be re-installed I will still have all info left on the second hard drive. Is it possible to create an image of the "bare bones" operating system on a hard drive and then boot from this image, if so what are the best programes to do this (prefer ones that are free)? Thanks

There is no such thing as booting from an image. An image is a special kind of file that contains all the information about the drive or partition in very compact form. It's usually a single file that cannot be edited. The best programs available for home use is Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image. I have used both and although they are both very good dependable programs, I like the latest version of True Image the best.

You may end up paying a small price for these applications, but it is well worth the $40 or $50 (or whatever they're charging these days) for the peace of mind knowing they will work as advertised. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Any such applications claiming to do it for "free" is complete hogwash and I would never risk losing my data for a lousy $40.

[rjfvillarosa]

NightOwl please be carefull when you click "submit reply", I have just deleted four duplicates of your reply to this thread.

[NightOwl]

Sorry about that rjfvillarosa. When i first hit the submit reply button, the reply showed up and then disappeared. It happened a few times, so I wasn't sure if it was a cookie issue or not.

[glc]

If you use True Image, what you can do is save an image of your OS partition to wherever you want. If you ever want to restore it, you simply boot with the True Image CD. I'm assuming Ghost can do the same thing.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832200003