Re: Backing up data to reinstall or replace a Operating system?

I have a folder called "download" that has all of the downloaded and
E-Mailed software that I have. The subfolders are Adaptec, Adobe,
Microsoft, Roxio, etc. It's the biggest folder on my hard drive, over 5
gigabytes. When I buy a program that is downloaded, or sent as an
attachment, it gets saved in that folder. Also, updates get saved there.

I also have a folder called "install disks", this is all of the
diskettes, and in most cases CDs, for hardware items in my computer
system (note, "system", includes things like printers, scanners, as well
as internal items like modems and network cards). Most of the install
CDs that you get are relatively small in terms of what you NEED to save
and have to reinstall the item. Once you get rid of Internet Explorer,
Adobe Acrobat, etc., and once you get rid of the non-English versions of
the software, there is usually well under 100 MB left.

Of course, you need to backup all of this stuff before you wipe out the
existing system.

I also go to GREAT lengths to have ALL of my programs keeping their data
in \My Documents (which has lots of subfolders), and in my case, since
my system is dual boot, "My Documents" is on drive E:\ (with 98 on C:
and XP on D. There still are "My Documents" folders on C: and D: but
they are empty. I'd add that acheiving this state is quite difficult
for some programs, but I've managed to do it. And I've managed to get
the "data stores" shared between the completely separate installations
of the same program on C: and D: (e.g. under Windows 98 and Windows XP).

For backup, I use CD-R and DVD-R/RW. I use Drive Image when I want to
save an entire installed system, but often I just save the data and not
the system, just using optical media burning software (Easy CD-Creator
or Nero).

One other note, you don't need to blow away the data to do a complete
clean install. Basically, if you get rid of C:\Windows and C:\Program
Files (using the DOS Deltree command booted from DOS), you will be
getting a clean install, while all of the data remains in place on your
hard drive. Note, there is a significant amount of data in \Windows and
\Program Files unless you've moved it (including you E-Mail), so you
want to deal with that first. Also note that the CAB files are often in
C:\Windows\Options\Cabs, and you don't normally want to destroy that
folder, so I suggest that a much better place is C:\Win98. It's also a
lot easier to type if you have to enter it by hand. Create a text file
in that folder called "Prodkey.txt" and enter the Windows "Product Key"
so that you have it for future reference.



dzipp wrote:
> First off Let me say thank you I have posted here before and have found
> this site very helpful.
>
> I am wanting to save data ie. a program that I bought and was e-mailed to
> me I have no disk for it. Other data and my outlook express contacts. What
> is a good easy way to do this. I want to reinstall win98. I have one
> harddrive shoud I install a second for back up. Is there software out
> there that would help in copying and transfering this stuff..
>
> dzipp
>
>

Barry Watzman