Backup Thumb Drive

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Bob Scott
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Backup Thumb Drive

Post by Bob Scott »

I would like to back up my entire hard Drive C. It has about 22 Gigs of files in drive C, so I bought a 32 Gig Data Traveller thumb drive for the backup. Has anyone done this before? Moving the drive C icon to the thumb drive only puts a "shortcut" icon on it. Can you do it with the Alt or Ctrl key pressed at the same time?

I'm using Windows XP. I used to be an expert in DOS and OS2, but that was 16 years ago. Do I use XCOPY with a bunch of switches? I would like to backup all of the files, but I realise that some of them might not transfer. Like DOS must be transferred using the SYS command, there might be a way to transfer the XP system to the thumb drive?

My computer's CMOS can be set to boot from the thumb drive but I don't know if Windows allows it?
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Janitor Tzap
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Re: Backup Thumb Drive

Post by Janitor Tzap »

Hey Bob,

You could do it with Xcopy.....
But It is a Royal Pain, since you will need to have all the right switches set before you start.
Because of all the Hidden System Files, and Directories.
Thou...
Xcopy /?
Will give you the Help screen with all the switch settings, and what they do.
Note: you must be in the DOS window, or DOS Mode to use it.
If you want to try that route.

There is also the Windows "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard."
Normally located in the System Tools area.
If it isn't there.
Check: X:\windows\system32\usmt\migwiz.exe
Note: If your using XP versions earlier than XP SP3, you may not have it.

Or you can get one of the many disk cloning software programs to use.

Hope that helps you.


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Bob Scott
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Re: Backup Thumb Drive

Post by Bob Scott »

Janitor Tzap wrote:There is also the Windows "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard."
Normally located in the System Tools area.
If it isn't there.
Check: X:\windows\system32\usmt\migwiz.exe
Note: If your using XP versions earlier than XP SP3, you may not have it.
Hi Janitor,

Thanks for the reply. My system reports that it is XP SP3.

I couldn't (with any confidence) find the Wizard in system tools area. Can you believe that I was once a computer expert in DOS and OS/2? I even took a college course for Windows programs in '96. Hah! I'm helpless. My son knows more than I do.

I did find the Wizard by doing a DIR of the C:\Windows\System32\USMT subdirectory, and it does open. But it should be available to a person operating the GUI somewhere, right? I do have administrator status with this computer. Could you please tell me the exact sequence of icons that I should click with the mouse in the GUI to get to this Wizard?
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Janitor Tzap
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Re: Backup Thumb Drive

Post by Janitor Tzap »

Okay Bob,

Here's a real easy way to get the "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard" running.

Click on the Start Button.
Scroll up to Run.
Click on it.
The run window will open.
In the window type migwiz.exe.
Click on OK Button.

This will start up the Transfer Wizard for you. :grin:


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JerryR
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Re: Backup Thumb Drive

Post by JerryR »

I have never used the "File and Setting Transfer wizard", but after reading about it at:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/libr ... .aspx#EGAA,
I think imaging your C: drive to your thumb drive should be easier and faster. you can google for "free hard drive imaging" and you will find many that will do what you want to do.
HTH
JerryR
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Bob Scott
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Re: Backup Thumb Drive

Post by Bob Scott »

Hi Janitor,

I used MIGWIZ. It made a compressed file of the drive and is now saved on the thumb drive, but it's only about 1.1GB. It didn't save everything, so I'm thinking of using JerryR's idea instead of using custom settings and specifying every file in Migwiz.

Hi Jerry,

I googled your suggestion and found lots of free software possibilities. I think I'll try one tomorrow. I think that it will take a few hours to move all those files (30 Gigs) to an image file on the thumb drive.

Thanks both of you guys!
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