I've read some people have problems with backup, so I dare remember here this interesting experience, if I'm allowed to (I copy an old note):

"Many users of Windows 98-SE don't know that they may clone the operating system on another partition or in another internal hard drive (it takes at least two units), as follows:

1.- Download and install the free program Notepad + +, preferably an older version.

2.- Copy C: \ Windows with all its subdirectories in D: \ (copy-paste). Then look at D: \ Windows, select all files of the root directory (no subdirectories), click "Properties" and remove all their attributes.

3.- Run Notepad + +. On the toolbar click File> Open. Go to D:\ Windows and select "*. ini". You'll find about 10 programs. Open all at once.

4.- On the toolbar click File> Open and go to D: \ Windows again, then select *. dat". You'll find System.dat and User.dat. Open both at once.

5.- Once you screen all these files, go to the toolbar program and click on "Replace" button. Replace C:\Windows by D:\Windows on all files and wait a few seconds. You get a message saying that about 2,500 changes were made. Then confirm and click on the toolbar button "Save all." That's all. You have already cloned C: \ Windows.

6.- To boot D: \ Windows you have two options:
Option one: Replace C: \ Windows by D: \ Windows in the boot files ... AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS and MSDOS.SYS (in the latter replace C at HostWinBootDrv=C by D).
Option two: Create a boot floppy by formatting it and copying from C:\ the files IO.SYS, COMMAND.COM, AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS and MSDOS.SYS (with the same observation), and replace C by D in all them. This second system is the best."

Best wishes!

Just a bit more: For increased security you may copy C:\Program Files and C:\Mydocs to D, or E or any other drive and afterwards use COA2 (freeware) to change the adress in the register and links. You may afterwards erase both folders in C. This way you are able to start Windows using your boot floppy even after eliminating and creating again the main partition if system crashes (fdisk, freeware) using normally Windows even without formatting C drive (you may format it afterwards much faster using Windows explorer). Of course, you must keep always saved in any other drive a .zip or .rar copy of C:\Windows.

Cheers

Hi!
You forgot one very important step...
Windows 98SE will NOT copy the "WIN386.SWP" swap file inside the "Windows" directory - it will stop the copy process when it encounters this file. In order to copy the Windows directory properly, you need to:

(1) Create a "Windows" directory on the destination (D:) drive in Explorer
(2) Go into the "Windows" directory on the source (C:) drive and select everything BUT the "WIN386.SWP" file, and finally
(3) Copy/Paste the selected files.

Hope this is helpful!

Hi Roostron!

It's years since I use this backup system. I have changed my HD 3 times and never had to reinstall.

At present I use 3 drives sharing the same Mydocs and Program Files folders (C,D and E) and a small drive F for temporary files.

I moved the .swp file to f:\, using Mydocs (right click) >Virtual memory.

I also moved there the folders Temporary Internet Files (IE options) and Temp (Autoexec.bat).

I format (fast) F:\ at every boot using autoexec.bat (it takes 3 seconds), so I never have any problem at all coming from disk fragmentation or temporary files.

I use 2 external HD connected through an USB2 IDE internal device (it increases 50 times the transfer speed), which uses the drivers included in the Unofficial SP2.

Thank you for the reminder.

Greetings.

Here is an easier way:

Clone the whole disk C: to D: using freeware XXCOPY.
Enter BIOS and swap C: with D:.
Boot from the clone.
This way you need to edit no files.
HTH

Hi, dencorso!

An excellent program. I didn't know it before.

Thank you very much.

An excellent instrument to clone a whole folder or a complete drive:

http://www.grigsoft.com/wndsync.htm

It runs perfect using Win98SE-SP2, even when it is made for XP and later.

In the case of cloning a folder you must create previouly the empty destination folder.

Extremely fast.

Hope this helps.

If anybody knows any new idea to improve cloning please post it here. Thank you!

Copying with Explorer always works for me...

Hi SlugFiller!

Of course, you are right!: Explorer always works. I'll try to explain you what I really meant:

I discovered this forum very recently and found no mention at all to cloning, and that's what made me start this thread by copying the old note that a proffesional gave me years ago, so that others could take profit of it. In fact I've not had any problem at all using indisctinctively 3 drives.

What I really mean to post if anybody knows is any complementary idea, such as those that I had by myself after I was tought, i.e. using F: drive for swapping, temp and IE Temporary Files and formatting it at every boot using Autoexec.bat (format /q).

I've already learnt here the use of XXcopy for cloning using DOS and BIOS posted by another member of this forum, which also is a really interesting way of cloning.

Maybe there are other interesting ideas which I don't know, and that's what made me write the words that you quote. Hope that it helps.

Cheers!

XXClone is worth a look http://www.xxclone.com/

V...

Thanks, Valerie!

I use DriveSpace. Not because I don't have enough space, but because I can create (or restore) a backup copying just one file - drivespace.000. It can be copied from Windows.

If you decide to try this, make sure you have attrib.exe on host drive in case you need to restore a backup. Drvspace.000 is hidden and read-only.

It is a fine backup system. Very interesting. Thank you Marius 95!

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,133191-p...cs/article.html

Good to know it. Apparently it seemed to be good.
Since long ago I always make backups by copying to an external HD (copy-paste). Well, I'll keep doing it in my own way!
Thanks for the excellent link, E-66. I really enjoyed it!