virtual drive

  • Thread starter Thread starter luckeyo
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luckeyo

A friend asked me to reload Windows XP on his computer, to format the drive
and reload a clean fresh operating system XP. The machine he wants this done
on has been used for a couple of years and has data he wants to save. I am
wondering if I can create a partition, that forms a virtual drive, as in
Windows 98 and transfer the data into a new virtual drive prior to
formatting the C drive and reloading XP. I have had to clean off and reload
windows several times on my own machine and I know that you can create a
partition then and I am just wondering if this scenario will work.

If so please walk me through the steps

Much appreciated
 
It'll work, but, failing an MVP coming with step by steps, which I cannot
do, be careful when you are doing the partitions - it's easy for the
inexperienced to cause accidental loss. Since you've done it before, I
ass-u-me you're using a 3rd parth partition prog, right? If not, you aren't
going to be able to do it. eg fdisk can't do it, I'm pretty sure, because
it has to delete the existing partition before it can do anything.
Could you toss his data onto your hd instead? Think it's a better idea.
 
A second senario like that will work. I could use a CD burner and get the
data saved like that.
Thanks
 
Burn the data.

The problem with a RAM/Virtual drive is that as soon as the machine is
rebooted, the contents disappear.
OTOH if you meant a separate logical partition then you need a tool that
will allow you to repartition the drive on the fly non-destructively.

However I have to question the reasoning behind clean installing. It's a
major PITA for no real gain. I have clients that have been running 'dirty'
on 98 since incept. The only reason I have to clean install on occasion is I
beta test OSes and applications and sometimes things just don't go as
intended.....

--
Walter Clayton - MS MVP(WinXP)
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
http://www.dts-l.org
 
Walter Clayton, Angels must be watching over your clients computers particularly if they’re running 98 (!!!!)

You don’t usually have to format Microsoft Office putt-putt- computers. But if the HD is a couple of years old I would recommend it & also check for bad sectors while you’re at it

As far as data backup goes ..CD love em. Mirror Raid is excellent & HDs are relatively inexpensive these days. (just make sure the building has electrical surge protection.
 
Thanks
>_ said:
Walter Clayton, Angels must be watching over your clients computers
Click to expand...
particularly if they're running 98 (!!!!)
You don't usually have to format Microsoft Office putt-putt- computers.
Click to expand...
But if the HD is a couple of years old I would recommend it & also check for
bad sectors while you're at it!
As far as data backup goes ..CD love em. Mirror Raid is excellent & HDs
Click to expand...
are relatively inexpensive these days. (just make sure the building has
electrical surge protection.)
 
thanks
Walter Clayton said:
Burn the data.

The problem with a RAM/Virtual drive is that as soon as the machine is
rebooted, the contents disappear.
OTOH if you meant a separate logical partition then you need a tool that
will allow you to repartition the drive on the fly non-destructively.

However I have to question the reasoning behind clean installing. It's a
major PITA for no real gain. I have clients that have been running 'dirty'
on 98 since incept. The only reason I have to clean install on occasion is I
beta test OSes and applications and sometimes things just don't go as
intended.....

--
Walter Clayton - MS MVP(WinXP)
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
http://www.dts-l.org
Click to expand...
 
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