Backup/Restore Problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter JHatley
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JHatley

When I first installed XP, due to a goof on my part my
hard drive was given the drive letter e:. That didn't
create problems until recently, so I decided to backup
the hard drive, do a clean install of XP with a more
traditional designation of c: for my hard drive, and then
restore the contents of the drive back to c:.

It worked OK for the most part, except that it appears to
have created new users with names that are the similar to
those of the old users. The difference is that the "new"
users now have extensions to their user names that
correspond to the name I gave the computer when I did the
new install. (I don't believe it had a name before.)
This has created problems, because now when my wife opens
up Outlook, it thinks she is a new user, meaning that we
would have to re-setup the email account, copy the .pst
files into Outlook, etc. It also did not install any of
the old Favorites into Outlook, and appears to have lost
my scanner.

What should I do to consolidate these users so that
everything works the way it did before?

Thanks.
 
If using XP, you chould have used Files and Settings Wizard to export all
user settings and then export them in new installation.
 
It is probably too late for that now, because all of the
old files and settings are embedded in the backup file and
can't be retrieved as individual files and settings. In
any event, I was under the impression that a backup and
restore would do the same thing, albeit on a more
comprehensive basis.

Any other ideas? At this point, I need to recreate the
old files and settings, but need to figure out how.

Also, I've noticed that now on my c: drive, there is a new
folder that wasn't on the e: drive called "c:\boot files."
It in turn contains a folder called "e_" which in turn
contains what looks like a complete copy of XP. I wonder
if, as a practical matter, I have two installations of XP,
and when I boot up, the computer looks at the one in the
c:\ boot files folder, and seeing no existing files and
settings, assumes that it is a new installation? If so,
what is the cure? Perhaps set a restore point, then delete
that folder, then reboot? Thanks!
 
Each user name that is created has a unique SID number that identifies it
from any other same user name. So taking a backup and restoring is not the
same as exporting user settings and importing in a new system/installation.

Since you have a "complete" backup of the old system, in principle you
shouldbe able to use a seperate hard disk, restore the old system and start
up.

If you can restore the old system and all you want is driver letter renamed
from E: to C: then it can be done more easily from

My Computer->Rt Click->Manage->Disk Management->Right Click on E:->Change
Drive Letters...

If C: is not used then you should be able to remap driver letters. This
works for most applications.

I know that there would be some rogue applications that use explicit drive
letters and would keep asking for E:. To fix those what you can do is share
your C drive and map network path for that share to E:. This means you would
have both letters C: and E: mapping to the same drive.

If all this looks too much hassle, then why dont you just copy the My
Documents fom the old accounts into corresponding new accounts and move
over. Also you should be able to copy the old OutlookExpress mail store
folders. (Ideally you should be able to hand pick and restore each and every
setting from old accounts and restore in new account but it requires a lot
of effort. However most of the times all those settings can be sacrificed.)
 
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