Running applications from alternate HDD.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Retread
  • Start date Start date
R

Retread

I have a couple of questions/problems of which I hope someone can
advise me.

1. I am using Windows XP Home and backing up my C: to a USB E:
harddrive using "xcopy C:\*.* E:\ /E/D/V/Y/W/C/H/R".
If my C: drive crashes, I want to be able to take my E: drive to
another computer running XP and run my applications
from my USB E: drive. Will I have a problem doing that? If that won't
work, what would I have to do to make it work?

2. My copy of XP came installed. I have mirror image discs, but no way
to repair or reload only XP operating software.
Is a CD copy of XP available for purchase from MS for a nominal fee?

Thanks for the help.
Retread
 
Retread said:
I have a couple of questions/problems of which I hope someone can
advise me.

1. I am using Windows XP Home and backing up my C: to a USB E:
harddrive using "xcopy C:\*.* E:\ /E/D/V/Y/W/C/H/R".
If my C: drive crashes, I want to be able to take my E: drive to
another computer running XP and run my applications
from my USB E: drive. Will I have a problem doing that? If that won't
work, what would I have to do to make it work?

2. My copy of XP came installed. I have mirror image discs, but no way
to repair or reload only XP operating software.
Is a CD copy of XP available for purchase from MS for a nominal fee?

Thanks for the help.
Retread
Click to expand...
1 . It`s very Unlikely your apps will work from your USB drive, if they are
Not portable (ie. self contained apps). Most applications write data to the
Registry, and this, of course, is data on your system drive, not the USB.
2 . If you got your system `preinstalled` you should have a sytem recovery
CD. that would probably restore your computer to new condition, Not it`s
present condition.
If you`ve got the thing set up the way you like it, you`d be better to Image
the drive to another as a secure backup.
best wishes..OJ
 
Retread said:
I have a couple of questions/problems
of which I hope someone can advise me.
Click to expand...
1. I am using Windows XP Home and backing up my C: to a USB E:
harddrive using "xcopy C:\*.* E:\ /E/D/V/Y/W/C/H/R".
If my C: drive crashes, I want to be able to take my E: drive to
another computer running XP and run my applications
from my USB E: drive. Will I have a problem doing that?
Click to expand...

Yes, you wont be able to run most of the applications that way.
If that won't work, what would I have to do to make it work?
Click to expand...

One approach is to write an image file to the USB drive.
If the C drive crashes, you can replace it and restore
from the image file on the USB drive to the new C drive.
2. My copy of XP came installed. I have mirror image discs,
but no way to repair or reload only XP operating software.
Is a CD copy of XP available for purchase from MS for a nominal fee?
Click to expand...

Nope.
 
Thanks for the responses and I hope you will bear with me. Since I am
Xcoping my whole C: drive, wouldn't I also be copying the registry
files? How does imaging differ from what I am doing with xcopy?
 
Retread said:
Thanks for the responses and I hope you will bear with me. Since I am
Xcoping my whole C: drive, wouldn't I also be copying the registry
files? How does imaging differ from what I am doing with xcopy?
Click to expand...
A mirrored `image` is an exact copy of your drive structure, and its
contents.
Copied files are just that, copies of the files on your drive. If you were
to copy your files back to , say, a new drive, the drive would Not boot. A
backup image would.
best wishes..OJ
 
old jon said:
A mirrored `image` is an exact copy of your drive structure, and its
contents.
Copied files are just that, copies of the files on your drive.
Click to expand...
If you were
to copy your files back to , say, a new drive, the drive would Not boot.
Click to expand...

That obviously depends on what you did to even be able to copy to that
new drive in the first place.
A backup image would.
Click to expand...

Only if it was an image of the physical drive. (And even then the restore app
may do or don't do things to the MBR to adjust for drive size differences).
You can have images of logical drives too.
 
Rod said:
Nope.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how the legality of this is, but I think it might be possible
that when you to get yourself a copy of XP from /wherever/ and then install
it using your key, it's a legally installed copy.

Gerhard
 
Ge said:
I'm not sure how the legality of this is, but I think it might be possible
that when you to get yourself a copy of XP from /wherever/ and then
install it using your key, it's a legally installed copy.
Click to expand...

If it's a legally obtained key and you have the sticker to prove it.
 
Folkert said:
If it's a legally obtained key and you have the sticker to prove it.
Click to expand...

Exactly -- that was the idea. The question seems not to be about the
legality of the copy of the CD, but of the key. Of which I assumed the OP
has a legal one.

Gerhard
 
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