Restore a whole system with MS backup tool

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Hello,
I tried to use MS backup tool to make a full backup of my whole system in
order to restore it in another new machine. It fails because MS backup could
not make a full backup, since the administrator does not have access to any
file in the system (some directories, files, etc. are not allowed to be read
by the admin).
Meanwhile, ghost and partition magic for instance allows to copy the whole
HD partition.

Does anybody know if MS backup can really make a full system backup (with
different access rights, multiple users on the machine, etc.), and then to
restore this system into a new machine (same model, same hardware profile).
That is, is a system duplication à-la-ghost possible with MS backup ?

Is MS backup allows only to copy and restore personal accessible files, I do
not understand why such tool exist since any standard copy and compress
method would make the same thing. The real backup is when the system can be
restored.

thanks
S

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

"the Cid" <the Cid@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:863D1D0A-51CC-43AC-8BF3-B1A580AAB759@microsoft.com...
> Hello,
> I tried to use MS backup tool to make a full backup of my whole system in
> order to restore it in another new machine. It fails because MS backup
> could
> not make a full backup, since the administrator does not have access to
> any
> file in the system (some directories, files, etc. are not allowed to be
> read
> by the admin).
> Meanwhile, ghost and partition magic for instance allows to copy the whole
> HD partition.
>
> Does anybody know if MS backup can really make a full system backup (with
> different access rights, multiple users on the machine, etc.), and then to
> restore this system into a new machine (same model, same hardware
> profile).
> That is, is a system duplication à-la-ghost possible with MS backup ?
>
> Is MS backup allows only to copy and restore personal accessible files, I
> do
> not understand why such tool exist since any standard copy and compress
> method would make the same thing. The real backup is when the system can
> be
> restored.
>

Did you back up the systemstate? If you backup everything including the
system state you can restore a full system. The procedure is cumbersome but
it works. I recommend a 3rd party imaging or cloning program to do what you
want. Note that unless the new machine has the exact same hardware you may
ned up with an unusable system anyway. In all likelyhood you will have to
perform a repair install no matter which method you use.

With ntbackup the procdure is as follows:

Close any running programs. Disable your anti-virus and any programs that
monitor disk access. Perform a complete backup including systemstate.
Install Windows XP on new computer. Restore backup on new computer. See if
computer boots. Perform repair install because it is unlikely computer
booted up with wrong HAL. Make sure you have a Windows CD slipstreamed to
the same service pack level as your current computer before starting. You
will need it for the repair install.

Easier method:

Install disk imaging/cloning program. Install hard drive from new computer
in old computer as slave drive. Clone hard drive. Install cloned drive in
new computer. Perform repair install.

Kerry